I Wear White Outfits in NYC — and This is the Winning Cleaning Combo That Keeps Them White

For as many ways as there are to wear white clothes, there are ways to keep them clean. Some people swear by the whitening power of lemons while others stick to conventional stain removers. I see myself somewhere in the middle — open to DIY concoctions, but not above a little pre-packaged action.

I adopted an almost all-white wardrobe for the summer months for two reasons. The first is the temperature. Locals evacuate New York City in droves come July, and the weather’s mostly to blame — warming garbage bags on the curb, reflecting the sun off the concrete, and creating a humidity you can’t escape. The second, less dire reason for this wardrobe choice, is that I don’t like getting dressed in the summer. My ideal outfit is layered, nuanced, and ideally features a turtleneck. By sticking to mostly white, I streamline my outfit selection process, which means I’m back in the AC faster. 

Wearing white is always a gamble, city aside. Barbecues are notorious spill zones. Forget about picnics. You’re lucky if anyone makes it home without a stain. Even a walk in the park or a trip to the grocery store can result in the classic “how did this get here?” mystery stain discovered at the end of the day. 

Years ago, ready to adopt what I felt was a very grown-up all-white approach to linens, I began my search for a detergent that would keep my whites clean without reeking of bleach. The answer came to me on the recommendation of a very chic editor friend. “The Laundress,” she muttered, almost turning away, as she spilled her secret over dirty martinis. The next day I placed an order for the Whites Detergent. And four years later, I still wash my sheets with it every week. 

According to Hannah Yokoji, brand director of The Laundress, the detergent does more than just whiten. “It also helps prolong fabric life, protect fibers, and keep them looking new and crisp, for longer!” she shares. “Also notable is the fact that it’s chlorine-free, so it won’t damage or fray fibers as it brightens.” The brand’s Whites Detergent has been a godsend for washing fragile vintage tops. I just fill the sink with lukewarm water, pour in a cap of detergent, and hand wash. 

Determined to up my whitening game even more this summer, I set out to find an addition to my routine. I knew bleach was too extreme. And I was after something affordable that I wouldn’t feel bad piling on. A few minutes on TikTok was all it took for me to discover the unsung hero of whitening laundry: Borax. This household cleaner with a cult following was exactly what I was looking for. 

I started my whitening experiment by sprinkling a tablespoon of Borax in the washing machine with my detergent from The Laundress. The results were good, like, really good. So the next time, I added a half cup, instead. My white T-shirts were restored to their factory setting. In a pinch last weekend, I scrubbed a mixture of Borax and water into some stains on a white linen dress I wore to a soiree the day before. Throwing it in the wash with my trusted detergent, the dress came out as good as new. Maybe summer isn’t so bad after all.