How to get sparkling clean white socks using a common everyday kitchen staple

White socks are a classic and versatile wardrobe essential, but keeping them spotless is no easy feat due to their tendency to attract dirt, stains, and yellowing.

They're particularly susceptible to showing up grime and stains more than coloured socks, with factors like foot sweat, shoe friction, and contact with different surfaces speeding up the process of getting dirty.

Moreover, the bright white colour of the socks can fade over time with regular laundering.

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To tackle the challenge of whitening and removing stubborn stains from socks, a cleaning guru and director at Daily Poppins has revealed a bleach-free solution.

The expert's top recommendation is using lemon juice, which Nigel says boasts "powerful stain removal properties" that are highly effective on laundry, reports the Express.

He elaborates: "This is because the acid found in lemon is antibacterial, antiseptic and acts as a natural bleach."

To deploy this method, immerse your stained socks in a bowl of warm water mixed with the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon for about two to three hours.

Then, transfer them to the washing machine for a standard cycle and you'll be rewarded with "sparkling clean socks".

Lemon juice not only whitens the fabric but also serves as a natural fabric softener.

This is attributed to the citric acid in lemon juice, which dissolves any leftover detergent or soap residue.

For those considering white vinegar or baking soda, note that these alternatives may require a longer time to see results.

For the vinegar method, use a litre of boiled water, add 250ml of white vinegar and then leave to soak overnight.

The next day, put them through a normal spin cycle to get rid of any vinegar smell and they'll be good to go.

For the baking soda solution, put the socks into soak in a sink filled with warm water and a sprinkling of baking soda for several hours.

Wring them dry, and pop them into the washing machine with 150 to 200ml of baking soda in the detergent drawer, along with your normal washing powder or liquid.

Alternatively, Nigel claimed that there is another kitchen item households can use - washing up liquid.

To do so, start by filling up the sink with warm water and mixing in a generous amount of washing-up liquid. Leave them to soak overnight, and then wash them as normal.

As washing-up liquid doesn't have any softening properties, add a cup of white vinegar to "help keep socks soft and fluffy".