How to Clean Chef Whites and Keep them White
How to Clean Chef Whites and Keep them White

Chef whites have become iconic in the restaurant industry over the years. Not only does white reflect heat to help keep the chef cool, it is also a good indicator of cleanliness – an important factor to a lot of people when dining at a restaurant. Everyone is aware when working in a rigorous kitchen environment, your chef jackets are going to get dirty and stained, it’s inevitable, and it can be a difficult task to keep your chef clothing looking crisp and fresh. 

Chef whites have become iconic in the restaurant industry over the years, not only does white reflect heat to help keep the chef cool in the kitchen, it is also a good indicator of cleanliness – an important factor to a lot of people when dining at a restaurant. Everyone is aware when working in a rigorous kitchen environment, your chef whites are going to get dirty and stained, it’s inevitable; and it can be a difficult task to keep your chef clothing looking crisp and fresh.

Famous celebrity chefs always seem to have the brightest white chef jackets, 100% of the time. What’s their secret to keeping their uniforms so clean? They will be handed several fresh, clean jackets to ensure they look brilliantly white and clean for the television. This is obviously not the most economical solution or even possible for the majority of us, so try these tips and guidelines to help keep your chef whites looking sparkling.

  • First of all, a good tip to help minimise dirt and stains on your chef whites, is to protect them by wearing an apron. Bib and waist aprons are extremely popular in the industry and can often be picked up for reasonable prices, it's a lot cheaper to replace aprons than jackets.
  • If you’re at work and get a splash or spill of something you think will stain like wine, and taking the jacket to be cleaned isn’t an option, it helps to act quickly before the stain fully soaks in to the fabric and sets. Keep it moist by dabbing the stain with warm water and a clean cloth. White vinegar and carbonated water are also great stain removers to give a try.
  • If you have had a particularly difficult shift and have gotten a little sweaty, then it might be the best time to give your jacket a clean. This is because the chemicals in sweat, if left for a while, will damage the chef jacket's fabric.  
  • When you do come to washing your chef whites to freshen up and remove stains, it helps to begin the process by soaking them in warm water. This simple step will help prevent the stains setting on the fabric and will make lifting off the dirt easier. Using every day bleach on your chef whites to remove stains might seem like a good short-term option, but is not recommended. Bleach will eventually cause the fabric to fade and look dull or even yellow. It will also obviously ruin the colour of any coloured embroidery you may have, so leave the bleach for cleaning the bathroom.
  • Using an oxygen-based detergent to put in the warm-water whilst soaking the fabric is a good option, just follow the instructions on the product. Again adding some white vinegar, diluted lemon juice or other natural whiteners will only help the process.
  • After soaking the fabric and you come to putting it in the washing machine, this is a good time to use a pre-wash stain product like the Vanish pre-wash stick. Follow the guidelines then proceed to the washing machine. Products like Vanish Oxy-Action Crystal White are really helpful to put in the washer. Again, follow the instructions on the tub and that should give it a boost. It's important to remember not to add too much detergent to your wash. This is because adding too much will make to many suds which will prevent the jacket being washed and rinsed thoroughly.
  • So, the fabric has been kept moist, soaked in detergent and vinegar, now had the pre-wash products used, put in the wash with usual detergent and a product like Vanish Crystal White, adding white vinegar to the wash will only help the stain-removing process again. It will also help brighten the white non-stained areas to help restore your whites to their original brightness.

If you’ve tried these tips and you are still struggling with removing stains from your chef uniform, the option is always there to take your chef whites to a professional dry cleaners to be cleaned with any solvent except trichloroethylene, they will be able to help with their access to facilities and products.