Stop using vinegar and bleach to whiten stained socks when 1 natural item 'works better'

Keeping white and pristine is a common struggle, especially with socks which easily become dirty, dingy, and after just a few uses.

But fear not, for those in the know have a top tip for restoring your socks to their former glory without reaching for harsh bleach. Instead, they recommend a more natural approach, but it's not .

Katherine Cerpa shared her laundry woes on the Cleaning Tips and Tricks Facebook page, posting a photo of her brown-stained white socks fresh out of the washer.

Seeking advice she explained: "These socks just came out of the washer. They were washed with warm water and soaked with OxiClean."

The plea for help sparked a flurry of responses with over 160 comments, with many users advocating the wonders of soda crystals for both whitening and stain removal.

Supermarket shopper Jane Ireland advised: "Soda crystals are really good and you can get them from most supermarkets and on Amazon."

She also provided a handy guide: "Depending on how stained they are, add half a cup to one cup of soda crystals to the washing machine and put it on a 60-degree wash."

Busy mum Natasha Smith chimed in with her tactic: "I'm a mum of five boys and one girl and I always use soda crystals on their white socks. It's game-changing."

Michelle Walker added her thoughts: "Soda crystals. It's amazing stuff. It gets my blokes' socks looking new again. I just add the soda crystals straight in the washing machine drum."

Susan Wilson instructed: "Get yourself some soda crystals. It's the best thing I've ever used to get my boy's grubby white socks up. I did try bleach and vinegar but this worked better."

Alisha Dobbs shared her tip too: "Soak in soda crystals and then wash as normal. The brown stains will be gone and the socks will come out like new."

Meanwhile, Debbie Powell disclosed her solution, remarking: "I have two boys and used to have the same problem. Now I just add a scoop of soda crystals to every white wash and they are now lovely and white."

Speaking about the versatility of soda crystals, this cleaning agent can , , and .

For a simple stain-fighting addition to laundry duties, toss in a tablespoon of soda crystals along with the regular detergent.

Alternatively, prepare a potent potion of crystals and warm water for an effective pre-soak that works magic on even messier whites.

And a top tip: When using a liquid detergent, pop the soda crystals where it won't meet the liquid straight away to avoid unwanted clumping.