Wash Whites Frequently

• While it is perfectly acceptable to keep some lightly stained T-shirts waiting for the laundry for a few days, if you have recently worn some whites, it is best to wash them right away. The longer stains stay on white clothes, linens or towels, the more apt the stain is to stick, so as soon as you have enough whites for a decent load (one that will fill at least one-third of your machine), go ahead and do a load.
  
  

Skip the Bleach

• While conventional wisdom says that bleach will keep your whites whiter, this is actually not the best option for your white laundry. When you use bleach, the fabric can weaken and eventually fray, and yellow stains can become set. Instead of adding bleach, instead add 1/4 cup of baking soda instead. Baking soda is a gentler whitener, and will get your whites just as bright as bleach. It is also a natural deodorizer.
  
  

Hang-Dry Your Whites

• Once your clothes have finished in the washing machine, hang them up instead of putting them in the dryer. The best way to do this is to hang them on a clothes rack on a porch or deck, where they can be dried by sunlight and the moisture can evaporate naturally. However, if you do not have an outside deck, or the weather is less-than-ideal for outside drying, run your washing machine's spin cycle an extra time and use standard closet hangers to hang your clothes up inside. Make sure to do this in an area with a hard-surface floor (like tile or vinyl) and set a water resistant mat or tray underneath to catch any drips. If you have a big shower, you can also hang your clothes there, as the moisture will be able to drip directly into the drain.