White socks look great with sports or casual outfits. Their disadvantage is the rapid contamination, for which you have to wash them daily. And if the stains are already old and ingrained, you have to use additional methods for cleaning products.
We have prepared a set of recommendations for taking care of your socks on a daily basis, and for washing them when they are heavily soiled – including using folk methods.

General Guidelines
- Wash your socks as often as possible – preferably every day, right after you take them off. By doing so, the dirt will be easily removed;
- Place socks in special laundry bags, which protect the items from friction in the drum without affecting the quality of washing;
- Detergent can be used for stubborn stains. The main thing is to wear gloves, so as not to damage the skin on your hands during hand washing;
- Wash white cotton socks at 60°C and wool socks at 35°C.
If your socks have glitter or a colored print, harsh bleaches are not suitable. Using them runs the risk of unsightly streaks, which are caused by a chemical reaction.
Before washing, read the information on the manufacturer’s label. It indicates how to wash cotton, synthetic, viscose or linen products. If any method is suitable for cotton products, then for synthetic it will be useless, and even harmful.
Washing white socks by hand

Procedure:
- Wet your socks;
- Rub them with soap and water;
- Leave the items for up to 30 minutes;
- Wipe socks with your hands;
- Rinse under running warm water.
If your socks have stains and other dirt, wash them again in the same way.
Rub the socks too stylishly when washing them, or the fabric may stretch and tear.
Washing white socks in the machine
Procedure:
- Soak the socks;
- Turn the laundry inside out and place it in a drum;
- Add detergent and, if necessary, stain remover;
- Wash on gentle cycle, set the water temperature to 40°C.
Additionally, it is worth placing tennis balls in the drum of the machine. Increased friction will provide a better wash for dirty laundry.
Warning! To avoid searching later on for socks among the piles of other washed laundry, place them in the drum in a special pouch.
Wash white socks with light-colored underwear only. If you do not sort clothes by color, the socks, perhaps, and will wash, but white will not be. You may also recommend placing your white socks in the drum with dense fabrics such as bed linen and towels. Do not wash socks with silk or chiffon products.
Folk washing methods for socks

If the daily quick wash doesn’t completely clean the socks, folk methods will come to the rescue:
- Lemon juice/acid.This product will not only wash away dirt, it will also bleach your socks. Add 2-3 tbsp (3 tbsp) of warm water to a basin. l. Dilute with juice or citric acid, leave the laundry to soak for 1-2 hours and rinse well;
- VinegarEffective for heavy soiling. Add 1 tsp of laundry water to a basin with 1 l of warm water. l. vinegar and leave the socks to soak for 60 minutes. Then rinse and hand or machine wash your socks;
- Dissolve 1 c. l. crushed aspirin tabletssoak in 1 liter of water and leave the socks to soak for 2-4 hours. Rinse and wash your socks by hand or in a washing machine;
- Dilute 1 tbsp. l. Moisten your socks with 1 liter of boric acid in 1 liter of water. Soak socks in a solution for 2-3 hours for light soiling. If the laundry is completely dirty, the soaking time is increased to 6 hours. When washing, be sure to wear rubber gloves to avoid damaging the skin on your hands;
- For old stains will come in handymustard powder. Wash your socks with soap and water, leave them in the soap solution for 40 minutes, put them in the washing machine and add 2-3 tbsp. l. mustard powder. Afterwards, wash the laundry in the “Quick” or “Delicate Wash” mode with maximum water temperature up to 40°C;
- For heavier soiling, suitableevaporation. The method is used for cotton and other natural materials. Fill a container halfway with hot water, add detergent and lemon juice/acid. Place the socks in the pot and boil them for 5-15 minutes, depending on how dirty they are. Afterwards, hand wash your socks and rinse them well;
- If the once-white socks have lost their whiteness, add 2 tbsp. l. washing powder and 1 tbsp. l. turpentine. Stir the solution, soak the socks for 3-4 hours and wash – by hand or in the machine;
- If dark soles form on white socks, use Domestos bleach. Dilute it in 1:1 water, apply it to dirty soles and wash your socks in any way you like. Chlorine-containing products can only be used on cotton garments;
- Heat water in a container to 90°C, add 50 ml of bleach, washing powder, baking soda (1 tbsp), and wash your socks with a soft cloth. l.) and vegetable oil (2 tbsp). l.). Place the socks in the mixture for 30 minutes, with the fire left on. Then rinse your socks in cool water.
How to Care for Your Socks
Follow 2 tips to ensure that your socks retain their original appearance for a long time:
- Dry your socks away from heaters and direct sunlight. Otherwise yellow streaks may appear on them;
- Do not wear socks with black shoes, as it causes them to stain. Also, do not wear white socks with dark insoles, as these can leave behind dark stains;
- Each time, rinse the sock thoroughly. If even a small amount of detergent is left on the fabric, there is a risk of allergic reactions. When washing children’s socks in the machine, rinse them twice.
If none of these methods have helped you return your socks to their whiteness and cleanliness – they have probably already served their time and now need to be replaced.