How do you get your whites white?

[Desert Strawberry]

Bleach the heck out of them? Color safe bleach? Oxy bleach? Something else? 

 

My whites are dingy. :( I'm bleaching them, but it's so harsh. I prefer gentler, natural options. 

 

Suggestions?

 

Edit to answer questions:

 

Our water is...not nice. I'm sure that is a factor. 

 

I have a Super capacity, commercial grade, Whirlpool top loader. It's a great big monster. It uses an enormous amount of water. 

I do wash on hot. I will try doing a cold wash and see if that helps. I had never heard that. 

I am only washing basic cotton fabrics, socks, undies, t shirts, hand towels, sheets and homemade cotton dresses. No synthetics, no fancy fabrics. 

 

I make my own detergent, and have for 10 years. I have switched back at times, but I am very happy with it. I adjusted my recipe to work with our water. Here it is, with a discussion of how I formulated it, if anyone is interested. http://cajunstrawberry.blogspot.com/2012/04/easy-effective-natural-laundry.html

 

I have not tried soaking. I will try that, too. 

 

I do sun, though we have a lot of wet weather, and I need new laundry lines. 

I always sort. 

 

 

 

 

[Lawana]

I think a lot of it depends on your water. Are you on a well by any chance?

[lynn]

I use tried and true clorox.  I add it about 5 min into the wash cycle.   I've tried most everything else and it just does not do what I want it to.  My ds has white shirts, for work, at a bbq place, go figure, so I am always washing his work shirts.

 

I did not use bleach at all when my kids were little though.  Only when they were older to get their socks cleaner.

[Ellie]

Bleach the heck out of them? Color safe bleach? Oxy bleach? Something else? 

 

My whites are dingy. :( I'm bleaching them, but it's so harsh. I prefer gentler, natural options. 

 

Suggestions?

 

I use Amway laundry products (I know--not a new story, lol). Amway's bleach is non-chlorine and so fabric safe. Although I don't sort lights from darks and whatnot, I do separate all-white garments (including my own undies and Mr. Ellie's) and presoak them, usually just by letting the tub fill with detergent and bleach, stopping it and letting it set for about 20 minutes, then finishing the cycle. I buy all-cotton white dishcloths, dish towels, and wash cloths, and I presoak them, as well.

[*Lulu*]

First, I keep my children far, far away from them......

 

:P

 

Seriously, we have hard water and if I use commercial detergent or homemade I eventually end up with slightly off colored white. All of my bath towels are white and every 3 months I run a load with bleach. For my clothing items I try sun bleaching first. I have to be careful because I have a child with skin issues that is very sensitive to chemicals in his clothing and another child who is allergic to half a dozen or better soaps and dyes.

[TammyS]

It's really about your water.  Our old house (well) it was never a problem.  Our new house (well) has turned all of my whites grey, even after bleaching. I don't know. I'm thinking of trying bluing.  I used to use that on my mother's nurse uniforms (back when white was a big deal).

[Chris in VA]

Just chiming in with the suggestion to be sure to look at the label of your whites. You shouldn't bleach some fabrics.

I can't remember exactly, but I recall some "don't use bleach" recommendations are because the fabric has some sort of whitener, white dye, something (yeah, helpful, I know,,,) that will not really respond long-term to bleach--it gets dingier or something.

 

You can use a little bluing to make things seem whiter--but I don't know if it is harsh or not. (ETA: I see TAmmy and I think alike on this! lol)

 

I use the hottest water the fabric will stand, very occasionally use bleach, and just live with whatever the results are.

[Ripley]

Bleach irritates my skin, so I just stick everything out in the sun.

It works on 90% of my stains, which is considerable.

I'm a spaz, I spill on myself all day long.

I actually buy lots of white because it's easiest for me to get stains out of.

White shirts, white shorts, white tablecloths, white bedding ... I like white LOL.

 

 

[Alessandra]

My whites got much whiter after I switched to a Speed Queen. I use bleach and, sometimes, blueing, with both old washer and SQ.

[Mrs Mungo]

Make sure you separate out your colors. Wash them in hot water. I use color safe bleach, even on whites, it seems to work better to me? I think a lot of it has to do with the water and/or your machine. When we moved into this place the owner (we are renting) didn't want us swapping out our washer. We've been here a year, and I can see a big difference in the clothes at this point (I had an LG front loader, which I wound up selling).

[Reefgazer]

I got rid of my HE washing machine that dribbled a few drops of water on clothes and got me an old-school, hot-water-hoggin', full-tub, noise-rattlin', genuine Speed Queen washing machine (on the advice of some wise ladies on this board).  The racket in the laundry room is the sweet sound of clothes being actually cleaned for the first time in 2 years without extra washing, OxyClean, and other gimmicks.  Seriously, if you have a HE washer, ditch it and get a Speed Queen; the government is going to forbid their sale and manufacture by this January.  So I am buying another and between the two of them, I will have clean and sparkling whites when I am 100 years old (assuming it lasts as long as the dealer told me it would).

[Guest]

Bleach.  Cold water.  Hot water is the way I was taught, but in a food-service class, I was taught that heat destroys the bleaching power.  So I use cold now.  I also pre-wash with a LOT of detergent, then use bleach and a little detergent in the regular wash.  

 

AND:  I wear white ankle socks all the time, and every year I just buy a whole new set.  A:  Don't have to match different kinds of socks, and B: they are white again.  It costs me about $20 a year.  Cheap.

 

AND:  I wear white long-sleeve t-shirts almost all year round, and when they go on sale at the Eddie Bauer Outlet, I get bushels of them.  Costs me about $70 a year.  

 

[chocolatechip]

I've had success with Arm & Hammer washing soda. For a tough stain you can soak it. But just to brighten up, you can add it with the wash. I'd wait until it's agitating if you want to be really safe, just to make sure it won't bleach a spot into anything. 

[KungFuPanda]

Every other month or so I think "hmmmm, the whites look dingy." So, I actually separate them, let them soak in hot water, detergent, and bleach for half an hour(ish), then turn the machine on and wash as usual. It works really well, BUT I have a Speedqueen toploader AND my water softness is never an issue.

 

I tried a Pinterest recipe once that was:

 

1 cap detergent

1 cup dishwashing detergent

1 cup bleach

1/2 cup borax

 

It worked, but I'm a bit lazy for all that.

[UmMusa]

The Speed Queen part made me lol!

[Pawz4me]

Bleach.  Cold water.  Hot water is the way I was taught, but in a food-service class, I was taught that heat destroys the bleaching power.  So I use cold now.

 

I learned the same thing in a baby/child class.  We were learning how to properly disinfect things and the instructor was adamant to not mix the bleach solution with hot water because it wouldn't be nearly as effective.

 

Also, as some have stated, using bleach on white clothes is sometimes counter-productive.  There's something in the fabric that will cause the bleach to make them more dingy.

 

I've had a front loader for almost a decade now and have no problem keeping our whites white.  I do separate everything.  I cringe when I see or hear people talking about washing everything together, 'cause IME that's a sure way to make your whites dingy over time

 

I also think it has a LOT to do with the type of water you have.  We seem to be pretty lucky in this area -- not too hard, not too soft.

[kewb]

I soak in oxyclean overnight or a few days if I forget about it.

I try to avoid white because we are a family of spillers and dribblers.

[Reefgazer]

I don't use bleach except in cold water, for this very reason.  When I need to bleach something it is in cold or warm water.  But for many things that have bacterial contamination on them by virtue of their everyday use (undies, dish sponges, clothes used to work on a farm, socks), it is necessary for hot water wash and hot dry to kill bacteria.

Bleach.  Cold water.  Hot water is the way I was taught, but in a food-service class, I was taught that heat destroys the bleaching power.  So I use cold now.  I also pre-wash with a LOT of detergent, then use bleach and a little detergent in the regular wash.  

 

AND:  I wear white ankle socks all the time, and every year I just buy a whole new set.  A:  Don't have to match different kinds of socks, and B: they are white again.  It costs me about $20 a year.  Cheap.

 

AND:  I wear white long-sleeve t-shirts almost all year round, and when they go on sale at the Eddie Bauer Outlet, I get bushels of them.  Costs me about $70 a year.  

 

[Alessandra]

Seriously, if you have a HE washer, ditch it and get a Speed Queen; the government is going to forbid their sale and manufacture by this January. So I am buying another and between the two of them, I will have clean and sparkling whites when I am 100 years old (assuming it lasts as long as the dealer told me it would).

W H A T?????????

Are you kidding?

Can you start a thread?

(I need my SQ.)

[Reefgazer]

New thread rolling now....

W H A T?????????
Are you kidding?
Can you start a thread?
(I need my SQ.)

 

[Chris in VA]

OH--thanks for the reminder WRT bleach and hot water. I had forgotten all about that.

I just use hot water for towels and whites, but rarely actually bleach my whites.

[umsami]

Growing up, we always had dingy whites. I'm not sure if it was our well water, my Mom's lack of domestic skills, or what.

 

I married an OCD guy who bleaches the heck out of everything.  Only Clorox.  Only hot water.   He adds about one cup per load…once the machine is full (or back when we had our HE machine, he added it to the bleach dispenser….and lets it soak for a good 30 minutes.

 

I won't always wait that long, but it does seem to make a difference.

[Ellie]

Just chiming in with the suggestion to be sure to look at the label of your whites. You shouldn't bleach some fabrics.

I can't remember exactly, but I recall some "don't use bleach" recommendations are because the fabric has some sort of whitener, white dye, something (yeah, helpful, I know,,,) that will not really respond long-term to bleach--it gets dingier or something.

 

You can use a little bluing to make things seem whiter--but I don't know if it is harsh or not. (ETA: I see TAmmy and I think alike on this! lol)

 

I use the hottest water the fabric will stand, very occasionally use bleach, and just live with whatever the results are.

 

You can use chlorine bleach on all-cotton fabric that does *not* have elastic. White clothing that has nylon, maybe polyester ? will look nastier over time. Elastic will lose its elasticity in chlorine bleach.

 

Otherwise, you can use a non-chlorine bleach.

 

It is why I like Amway's non-chlorine bleach so much. :-) I've used the laundry products in all sorts of water, front-loaders and top-loaders, all with the same success.

[Reefgazer]

I have to get me some of this.  Is it sold in stores?  I thought you had to buy it through a dealer or rep or something.

You can use chlorine bleach on all-cotton fabric that does *not* have elastic. White clothing that has nylon, maybe polyester ? will look nastier over time. Elastic will lose its elasticity in chlorine bleach.

 

Otherwise, you can use a non-chlorine bleach.

 

It is why I like Amway's non-chlorine bleach so much. :-) I've used the laundry products in all sorts of water, front-loaders and top-loaders, all with the same success.

 

[Ellie]

I have to get me some of this.  Is it sold in stores?  I thought you had to buy it through a dealer or rep or something.

 

Yes, you must buy it from an Independent Business Owner (IBO). If you go to amway.com, I'm sure you can find someone in your community. :-)

[momto10blessings]

I don't buy whites. Except for underwear and socks. Which I can never get sparkling white because of our well water

[momto10blessings]

My whites got much whiter after I switched to a Speed Queen. I use bleach and, sometimes, blueing, with both old washer and SQ.

What's this speed queen you speak of?

[Pawz4me]

You can use chlorine bleach on all-cotton fabric that does *not* have elastic. White clothing that has nylon, maybe polyester ? will look nastier over time. Elastic will lose its elasticity in chlorine bleach.

 

That's not always true.  In the past five/ten years or so, many manufacturers of white fabrics have started adding optical brighteners during the manufacturing process.  If you use chlorine bleach on those fabrics, they will become more yellow and/or dingy over time.  You can find lots of info on the 'net about it.  This is a Hints from Heloise article that mentions the problem.  So it's not exactly technical, but IMO she usually knows what she's talking about.

[Mom-ninja.]

My whites get dingy. I just accept it. When they reach the unacceptable dinge color I buy new and the old ones get put into the rag pile. 

 

 

I had a house guest use a white hand towel to clean her face. It looked like she used the towel to wipe off her foundation without even washing her face. I tried to soak it and bleach it. The stains did not even fade. This was regular bleach and soaked overnight. I threw the towel in my cleaning rag bin. I can buy new towels....this time not white. 

 

P.S. It was my mom who gifted me a huge set of white towels. 

[Myeightkiddies]

 

 

 

I had a house guest use a white hand towel to clean her face. It looked like she used the towel to wipe off her foundation without even washing her face. I tried to soak it and bleach it. The stains did not even fade. This was regular bleach and soaked overnight. I threw the towel in my cleaning rag bin. I can buy new towels....this time not white. 

 

P.S. It was my mom who gifted me a huge set of white towels. 

 

What type of makeup does she wear?  That is so strange; really curious what she puts on her face.   :confused1:  

 

I only use white towels and washcloths, and they get make up (I use the old fashioned Max Factor stick make up) on them several times a week.  I wash in cold water, with bleach, in a HE washer with no soaking or pretreating, and they come out just as white as they were new.

 

This is why I only have white towels.  They can go into any bathroom.  They look brand new for years.  I can bleach them.

[Alessandra]

What's this speed queen you speak of?

Search Speed Queen on these boards. SQ makes commercial washers and also a few home models. Not in big box stores, not in Consumer Reports that I have seen, but they are the BEST!

 

SQ has an old fashioned powerful agitator, big metal tub, not plastic. Normal dials, NO computer to tell you what to do.

[Reefgazer]

Ha ha, I just had a feeling of deja vu, and for good reason.  You did in fact tell me this a while ago.  Thanks again!

Yes, you must buy it from an Independent Business Owner (IBO). If you go to amway.com, I'm sure you can find someone in your community. :-)

 

[Reefgazer]

Wow, that's some long-wearing make-up, LOL!

My whites get dingy. I just accept it. When they reach the unacceptable dinge color I buy new and the old ones get put into the rag pile. 

 

 

I had a house guest use a white hand towel to clean her face. It looked like she used the towel to wipe off her foundation without even washing her face. I tried to soak it and bleach it. The stains did not even fade. This was regular bleach and soaked overnight. I threw the towel in my cleaning rag bin. I can buy new towels....this time not white. 

 

P.S. It was my mom who gifted me a huge set of white towels. 

 

[Ellie]

That's not always true.  In the past five/ten years or so, many manufacturers of white fabrics have started adding optical brighteners during the manufacturing process.  If you use chlorine bleach on those fabrics, they will become more yellow and/or dingy over time.  You can find lots of info on the 'net about it.  This is a Hints from Heloise article that mentions the problem.  So it's not exactly technical, but IMO she usually knows what she's talking about.

 

It's not clear to me that what I said actually contradicts what you said (or what Heloise said) but that's ok. :-)

[momto10blessings]

Search Speed Queen on these boards. SQ makes commercial washers and also a few home models. Not in big box stores, not in Consumer Reports that I have seen, but they are the BEST!

 

SQ has an old fashioned powerful agitator, big metal tub, not plastic. Normal dials, NO computer to tell you what to do.

Sounds amazing. I'm getting a new washer for Christmas so I'm definitely looking into these.

[wintermom]

I don't know if my "white's" are perfectly white, and I guess I don't care too much.  The only white clothing that REALLY mattered if they were a nice white were our Taekwon-Do uniforms. Bleaching them wasn't an option or it faded the black writing on them. They never seemed to be a problem, though. I washed all my whites/lights together in warm water, not hot water. Maybe your water and the combination of it with your home-made detergent (or even the age of the clothing/towels) are factors?

[klmama]

I got rid of my HE washing machine that dribbled a few drops of water on clothes and got me an old-school, hot-water-hoggin', full-tub, noise-rattlin', genuine Speed Queen washing machine (on the advice of some wise ladies on this board).  The racket in the laundry room is the sweet sound of clothes being actually cleaned for the first time in 2 years without extra washing, OxyClean, and other gimmicks.  Seriously, if you have a HE washer, ditch it and get a Speed Queen; the government is going to forbid their sale and manufacture by this January.  So I am buying another and between the two of them, I will have clean and sparkling whites when I am 100 years old (assuming it lasts as long as the dealer told me it would).

Where did you hear the bolded info? I can't find anything on it anywhere.

[Vida Winter]

Bleach.  Cold water.

 

 

Trying this right now! Thanks.

[Reefgazer]

The Speed Queen dealer told us that government regulations would prohibit SQ from making washers without automatic temperature and water volume controls as of January 1.  SQ can still make washers, but they will have to be washers with many of the controls put on those ineffective HE washers.

Where did you hear the bolded info? I can't find anything on it anywhere.