Anthea Turner reveals a laundry hack that brightens up dingey whites

'Only fellow washing fanatics will understand my joy'

washing machine and laundry basket with detergent
(Image credit: Future PLC / Jon Day)

Anthea Turner has shared a simple laundry hack that helps to get whites white again. The former Blue Peter star and self-confessed washing fanatic posted on social media about a product she'd recently discovered when trying to revive some of her mum's old linens.

One part of knowing how to wash clothes properly is learning how to prevent white shirts, T-shirts, towels and bedding from losing their bright white colour over time. According to Anthea, Oxi Clean is a total gamechanger.

white walls with wooden flooring basket and washing machine

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tom Meadows)

Anthea Turner's laundry hack

Anthea Turner shared her care and cleaning tip on her Instagram account. 'Monday's wash day,' she writes in the caption. 

'I bought Oxi Clean on Amazon while desperately trying to bring back to life some beautiful old linen I’d found at the back of my mum’s cupboard. Honestly, nothing was working. 

'Soaked the whole load in this, put it on a 60-degree, came up like it was new,' she says. The former TV presenter goes on to say that she has since used Oxi Clean on socks, bras and towels.

anthea turner

(Image credit: Alamy)

'Only fellow washing fanatics will understand my joy,' she adds. We totally get it, Anthea – as did many fans in the comments.

'Ooooh I'm just doing my white bed sheets with Dr Beckmann but I’m gonna buy some of this now,' one wrote. 'Thanks, Anthea. Anyone tried Dri Pak soda crystals to clean washing machines?'

Anthea replied saying she'd tried them, but that when it comes to how to clean a washing machine, a cup of white vinegar in an empty 60-degree wash does the trick. Often, we think natural products in your kitchen cupboard are all you need for household cleaning, but when it comes to brightening whites, having the best cleaning products does make life much easier.

country utility room washing machine curtain

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tim Young)

You can use Oxi Clean for spot cleaning on curtains and upholstery by mixing some of the powder with water or adding a scoop into your regular wash to help keep whites bright. Anthea recommends giving your whites six hours to soak then putting them in the washing machine on a hot wash with another measure in the drum together with your washing powder.

Will you be trying Anthea Turner's laundry hack?

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.