White socks: great in theory, impractical in reality. After one wrong wear, they’re musty, dusty, discolored and dirty. What if you could change all that? What if you could give your dirty white socks the revival they so desperately deserve? 

You can, and it’s actually not that difficult to whiten your socks. In fact, we’ve found the top ten (yes, 10!) ways you can clean your dirty white socks. Long over are the days where you buy black socks to hide the stains of your dark pas— OK, or maybe they’re just the stains from a rowdy game of touch football. But still. In this list, you’ll find 10 easy ways to clean your socks with everyday household items. Let’s dive in, shall we?

10 Easy Ways to Clean Dirty White Socks

Baking Soda

Dirty socks aren’t the end of the world. Not as long as you have baking soda [1]. Turn your socks bright and white by adding a quarter cup of baking soda to one gallon of water. Spin the socks in the washer without rinsing out the baking soda solution. 

Bleach

Be careful with bleach, but that’s a given. If you put something in bleach for too long, it could disintegrate the fabric [2]. The trick here is to soak your socks overnight in a solution of one part bleach to eight parts cold water. Launder after. 

Milk

You’re never going to believe it, but 2% milk could clean your clothes. Place your fabrics in a bowl of 2% milk and let soak for two or three hours [3]. Rinse in the laundry as usual. For an added boost (and to remove any milk residue), add a small quarter cup of white vinegar to your laundry detergent after a milk soak.     

Dishwater Detergent

This isn’t what you think it is. You’re not just going to throw your socks into the wash with some laundry detergent and hope for the best. But you will be using a different detergent. To get white socks really clean, soak them for an hour in one gallon of hot water and two tablespoons of dishwater detergent. Pour the socks and soaking solution into the washer and launder as usual.     

Aspirin

Aspirin is good for more than just headaches and hangovers. It can clean your socks too! For sock stains, dissolve eight to ten aspirin tablets to one cup of one water, then saturate fully. Allow the socks to soak up to thirty minutes before laundering.     

Lemon Juice

You can also whiten socks with something yellow. Lemon juice, that is. Soak your socks in hot water and slowly add either the slices of one lemon or half of a cup of lemon juice. Soak for several hours or overnight. Afterward, put the socks in the washer and launder as usual.

Vinegar 

Common household items will be your saving grace when it comes to cleaning your white socks. Take vinegar for example [4]. Similar to lemons, white vinegar has its own acidic properties (acetic acid in vinegar’s case) that cut through stubborn stains. In a gallon of boiled water, add three cups of white vinegar and then throw in your socks to soak overnight. Your white socks should be noticeably perkier by the next day. By which time, all you have to do is put them through a normal spin cycle to rid your socks of any lingering grime, oh yeah, and the vinegar odor. 

Ammonia

If ammonia is your go-to cleaning solution, you can use it for your dirty socks, too. An ammonia and alcohol solution softens the water, blocks the effect magnesium has on the fabric, and prevents white items, including socks, from becoming yellow [5]. Six tablespoons of ammonia is enough for a gallon of water. Soak the socks in that mixture for two hours, then wash.    

Turpentine 

If you happen to have turpentine laying around the house, now’s your chance to let it shine [6]. Dilute three tablespoons of laundry detergent and three tablespoons of turpentine into two gallons of water. Stir this mixture thoroughly before submerging the socks. Let sit for about 24 hours before laundering.    

Hydrogen peroxide

The smell of bleach is something that lingers. And lingering smells are never a good thing. Even if it does whiten your dirty socks. Luckily, Brilliant has created a bleach with hydrogen peroxide, which is the safest, natural whitener and brightener for fabrics. This bleach can be used effectively on whites and colored fabrics. Let your socks soak in this for 24 hours before washing them. 

Buying Guide

• Knowledge is power, but so are the products you buy to utilize this knowledge. The White Company sells the portobello lemon squeezer, something perfect for cleaning your socks.

• Or maybe you want to go the bleach route? We recommend Brilliant Bleach.

• There’s also Arm & Hammer baking soda.

• Submerge your dirty socks into a zoro.com gallon bucket. 

• Of course, if you just wanted to buy new socks, you should head over to Sock Shop. Just don’t forget these tips if your new socks get stains.