8+ powerful ways to make your clothes white and stainless naturally

A great white dress shirt is a staple in most wardrobes, whether it's worn under a suit or breezing around town in the summer. Crisp white shorts make a fun piece in a photo-worthy toddler outfit or paired with a colorful top for those who are more grown up. But white clothes can scare people away because any dirt or stain on the clothing shines like the sun.

If you want to start rocking white clothes but you're hesitant to waste money on clothes that will look grimy after being worn once or twice, check out these ways to whiten up clothes to perfection.

Add lemon juice to the wash

Help white laundry look even fresher by adding a 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the hottest water you can manage. Soak whites for at least an hour (or overnight) and run the wash as usual. Add white vinegar to the wash

This is an oldie, but a goodie. Just toss in 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar into the rinse cycle of the wash for whiter, softer clothes. DIY whitening solution

Try this miracle solution to get whites to their maximum potential. You'll need super hot water, 1 cup of laundry soap, 1 cup of powdered dish soap, 1 cup of bleach and 1/2 cup of borax. Soak whites in this solution for several hours (overnight if possible) before washing. Separate clothes

Really. Don't even wash your whites with light colors as the color can transfer to your whites and make them look gray and dingy. Pull a 4-year-old who hates her foods touching, and make sure white loads are for only all-white clothes. Let clothes soak up the rays

Sun fades. That's why toeheads look a little blonder after spending hours outside in the summer. Try drying whites on the clothes line. Let the sun help whiten those clothes naturally. Get rid of stains with dishwashing tablets

The next time you try to whiten up a nasty shirt, toss a dishwashing powder tablet into the wash. The Daily Mail gave it a 7/10 for effectiveness. The same oxidizing agents that help remove stains from dishes work on whites too. Soak whites in baking soda

Mix 4 cups of water with one cup of baking soda. Let the white item soak in the solution for several hours before running through a regular wash cycle for brighter whites. Try peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is effective for cleaning out cuts and scrapes, but it's also effective for removing stains and making whites look just a little fresher. Add 1/2 cup of peroxide to the wash before running through a cycle.