Maintaining the original look of your garments requires the right care. Below, we've gathered practical guidelines for keeping whites bright and preserving color to help extend the life of your clothing.

Keeping your favorite white tee white forever might be impossible, but here’s how to keep it white as long as possible.

• Wash whites exclusively together with other white items.

• Spot treat stains immediately after they have stained the garment (please see our Stain Guides).

• Don't overfill your washing machine, since this will prevent the water from flushing away the dirt and result in poorly washed clothes.

• Use bleach as a last resort, only if other stain removal techniques haven't worked.

• Don’t wash white garments with a washing detergent or with a softener that contains any optical brighteners such as bleach or chlorine, as these chemicals can damage the fabric fibers and might actually remove white dye (some garments might be dyed white). The residue that fabric softener leaves behind actually coats the fabric fibers, causing the dirt to adhere on the fabric, making it look less white. Instead, add 1/2-1 cup distilled vinegar to the softener dispense in your washing machine to ensure that all detergent is washed away from the garments and to get a natural bleaching and softening element.

• It may sound overkill, but sometimes your washing machine might need cleaning (like after washing your raw denim jeans..) Wash your washing machine thoroughly now and then to make sure adhered dirt is not contributing to the discoloration of your whites.

• If possible, you can dry your white clothes out in the sun and take advantage of the sun's natural bleaching quality.

Even with the most advanced dying techniques, dyed garments are prone to color fading over time due to wash and wear. Here are some general guidelines on how to avoid color fading and preserving garment color.

• Many softeners, washing detergents and stain removers contain bleach, which can remove the color out of the fabric and leave unwanted light spots or cause more severe color fade.

• Bright sunlight and wearing garments wet can accelerate fading. Avoid darker colors when you're out and about under the sun. At the beach, keep your garments in the shade, under an umbrella or in your bag to spare them from the summer sun.

• When wet, fabrics exposed to friction rub off color quicker, so it you are at the beach, be sure to dry up before you put your clothes on. Or if you’re putting on damp clothing, make sure to avoid rubbing them against other surfaces.

• When washing your garments, follow the instructions on the care label regarding temperature and wash colored items inside out with other dark garments to preserve the color and so that light-colored garments don't get discolored.