Baking soda utility in white clothing maintenance explained

Experts are clarifying the actual utility of baking soda in maintaining white clothing. While often used as a home remedy to restore brightness, the American Cleaning Institute and the University of Georgia note that baking soda is a mild alkali rather than a chemical bleaching agent.

Research published in the Textile Research Journal suggests that baking soda is effective at neutralizing acidic odors, making it particularly useful for items like towels and sportswear that accumulate sweat. However, it does not function through oxidation to chemically whiten fabric fibers like traditional bleaching agents found in commercial detergents.