Woman shares 'game-changing' hack to whiten brown-stained socks using one household item

White socks are likely to accrue nasty stains and start pilling over time, appearing heavily worn even after intensive cleaning. Regrettably, even specialised whitening laundry detergents often fail to banish these stubborn blemishes, but this clever hack to clean white socks can help .

Before you consider replacing your tired socks, there might be another alternative solution to explore .

Amy Chu requested advice on the Mrs Hinch Army Cleaning Tips Facebook page after failing to find a successful whitening product for socks. She queried: "Does anyone know how to get dirty marks out of white socks? My daughter's socks are horrendous and I feel like I've tried everything."

• Six easy but helpful tips for getting a better night's sleep
• Bread storage tip will make your bread taste 'as fresh as the day you bought it'

Despite baking soda and white vinegar being known for their laundry whitening capabilities, solid advice from fellow group members suggested a natural substance - soda crystals.

Gemma Phillips shared her remedy: "Soak in soda crystals for half an hour before popping on a hot white wash. Miracle worker! " Meanwhile, Lorraine Warner provided this method: "Soda crystals and a scoop of detergent soak in hot water and then put amongst wash."

Keelee Wren added: "Soak with soda crystals for 30 minutes then put in the washing machine. They'll come out dazzling."

• Remove condensation and kill mold in 'seconds' with cheap household item
• This small 'weekly' job will help your houseplants thrive this winter

Rachel Wortley also advised: "Leave to soak in soda crystals. Then add them to a white wash and add a big scoop of soda crystals. All natural and work wonders."

Catherine Bishop revealed a nifty trick: "Soda crystals in a saucepan is game-changing. Just boil it on the cooker like they used to years ago. It works."

• How to clean white socks using this surprising household ingredient

Julia Mansfield shared her method: "Big saucepan with soda crystals and boiling water then just let them have a simmer for about half an hour and then put them on a white wash. Always works for me."

While they're not bleach, soda crystals are brilliant for getting rid of stains in your laundry.

You can snag a 1kg bag of soda crystals from Big Green Smile for £3.50 or Amazon for £3.99.

And if soda crystals don't do the trick for those pesky sock stains, Napisan comes highly recommended as a laundry whitener. Grab it at Asda for £4.50 or Sainsbury's for a fiver.