11:28 07-12-2025

Sugar in your laundry: brighter whites and lasting colors

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Discover how adding sugar to the washing machine preserves colors and brightens whites. Step-by-step tips for machine and hand wash, plus baking soda and salt.

Adding sugar to the washing machine sounds unexpected, yet many homekeepers say the results are noticeable. Sugar helps fabrics keep their color and can make whites look brighter. The trick grew out of home practice and has steadily caught on among those looking for gentler ways to care for clothes — and it’s easy to see why.

Why sugar helps fabrics

Sugar crystals form a subtle protective layer that reduces fiber friction during a wash. This is especially helpful for natural materials like wool, silk, and cashmere, which tend to lose shape faster; sugar helps them hold their form.

There’s also a mild whitening effect. In a warm solution, sugar partly softens the water and addresses the dullness of white fabrics. To see how it works, soak a garment in a mix of 1 liter of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. In about half an hour, the shade looks lighter.

How to wash with sugar

In the washing machine

Use one tablespoon of granulated sugar. You can:

• pour it into the detergent drawer;
• put it into the softener compartment — this option is used as well.

Then add your capsule, powder, or gel, load the laundry, and choose the program. Dry as usual afterward. Sugar helps preserve rich colors, and items fade more slowly even after several cycles.

By hand

If you’re unsure about the machine method, try a hand soak:

• pour 5 liters of warm water into a basin;
• dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar;
• submerge the clothes for an hour.

Colored fabrics look brighter, and for whites, about 30 minutes in the solution is enough.

Other unexpected laundry add-ins

Experienced homekeepers have long used ingredients more associated with the kitchen than with appliances.

Baking soda

A popular alternative, baking soda:

• whitens laundry;
• removes yellow sweat marks;
• softens water;
• helps clear limescale from the washing machine.

Just add a tablespoon to the drum or mix it with your detergent.

Table salt

Salt also helps soften water. It can go straight into the drum or the detergent compartment. One tablespoon per wash is enough.

Sometimes it’s used for a homemade softener:

• Boil 200 ml of water.
• Dissolve 2–3 tablespoons of salt.
• Let it cool.
• Add 5–10 drops of essential oil.
• Two tablespoons of this solution can replace a store-bought softener.

Small tricks with big payoffs

Add-ins like sugar or baking soda don’t cost much and suit anyone who prefers a gentler approach to fabric care. Used regularly, clothes hold their color longer, and the washing machine itself stays cleaner — a simple routine that explains the method’s quiet popularity.