valkaista

Valkaista is a Finnish verb meaning to whiten or bleach. The primary sense is to remove color to make something whiter, most often by chemical bleaching. It is used in everyday language for laundry and textiles (to whiten clothes), and it can also refer to whitening other things, such as teeth or hair, or lightening colors in general.

In practical use, valkaista refers to applying bleaching agents. In laundry, chlorine-based or peroxide-based bleaches are used to whiten fabrics. For teeth, whitening products are used; for paper or wood, bleaching can lighten color during processing. The process can alter colors and damage materials, so it requires following product instructions and considering material integrity and environmental impact.

Etymology and related terms: The verb is derived from valkoinen, meaning white. Related nouns include valkaisu (whitening/bleaching) and valkaisuaine (bleaching agent).