Dingy Whites

[sss3]

Have ding white tops.  Don't think bleach will help.  What can be used?   In the old days remember Mom using bluing.

[jupiter]

Jun 25, 2016 21:22:05 GMT sss3 said:

Have ding white tops.  Don't think bleach will help.  What can be used?   In the old days remember Mom using bluing.

You can actually still find bluing in stores.

[Deleted]

Plain old ammonia helps... Soak the shirts in a bowl of ammonia for an hour or so, before washing and see if that brightens them up. I've had it work on some, and not work on others... Not sure what the difference was between the shirts.

[feather]

This can be really hard on clothes, but I put the hottest water possible in the tub, mix in 1/2 cup of dishwasher detergent, 1/2 cup of clothing detergent, and a cup of bleach. Stir it, then add the whites.

I used to use this to clean white dress shirts when they became dingy. It can be used on white sheets too but they will wear faster.

[farmchix]

I have the blueing, but I prefer the new Oxy detergent for whites. It does an amazing job with Hubs' T-shirts.

[mollymckee]

My MIL could get the stains out of almost anything. She started with really hot water and a little bleach. She then hung the clothes out in the sun. If the first time didn't work, she increased the bleach a little, the to 25%, 50%, then pure bleach. She got the spots out but the white clothes might fall apart the next time you washed them! She did have the whitest rags around!

[Deleted]

Jul 13, 2016 15:33:04 GMT feather said:

This can be really hard on clothes, but I put the hottest water possible in the tub, mix in 1/2 cup of dishwasher detergent, 1/2 cup of clothing detergent, and a cup of bleach. Stir it, then add the whites.

I used to use this to clean white dress shirts when they became dingy. It can be used on white sheets too but they will wear faster.

I had heard that automatic dishwasher soap was what the Navy people use to get their Whites bright... Although, I haven't ever tried it, since I don't care if I am wearing greyish whites... The dogs don't mind when I am dingy! LOL!

[Deleted]

Keeping your whites separated from any other color when washing, is about the only trick I use.

[Use Less]

Hanging to dry in bright sunshine helps. Yes, bluing is available for purchase.

[manygoatsnmore]

Hot water and Oxiclean works on a lot of whites - actually, it will remove any organic stain. It also helps get rid of that funky smell that T shirts and nightgowns can develop over time. After the Oxi treatment, I will often bleach them to finish brightening them up. Baking soda can also help keep them white and fresh smelling - I add some with my detergent. Baking soda is especially good for colored towels, where you can't bleach them - keeps them smelling good.

[mzgarden]

I add bluing to my homemade laundry soap and it seems to help. When doing a load of all whites like socks/t-shirts, I will use hot water and add some powder bleach to the laundry soap.

If you find something that works, come on back and let us know :-)

[manygoatsnmore]

After posting yesterday, I ended up doing the Oxiclean and hot water treatment on all the V necked T-shirts I like to wear in bed, noticed one of them was really yellow and tested a spot with rust remover, which worked. I treated the whole shirt and a couple more, and now they are nice and bright white again. So, if you have some iron in your water, dingy and yellowed whites may need to be treated with a rust removing product. I use Whink Rust Remover. It works so fast, you can watch the yellow disappear. I also treated a pair of pillow cases, and they are pretty again now.

[mzgarden]

manygoatsnmore, how clever you are! Thanks for sharing.