Getting Whites White Again - Fair Oaks,CA

Try a product called Borax. The full name is "20 Mule Team Borax" and you can get it almost anywhere. It's a natural, non toxic powder that works great to boost your normal laundry detergent. I've had great success with it getting the "gray" whites, white again.
M.

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Hello H.,
I went to culinary school to become a baker. We had nice white chef jackets as part of the uniform. And I have NEVER done good wearing white. And we HAD to keep them looking white no matter what. Not that easy when your working with chocolate. Anyways I used 1/2 cup of bleach, and 1/2 cup of baking soda. Worked so well, my chef instructors asked me what I was using. A. Z

3 moms found this helpful

Hi H.,
I also use oxi clean but if you dont have that on hand, I use distilled vinegar. Along with cold/ cold water. The vinegar is like a bleach and also gets the smells out too.
Good luck
T.

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Try baking soda.... let the water run BEFORE you put the clothes in..add detergent and baking soda then put your clothes in. I use it in all of my laundry.. amazing!

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You can also try something called Bluette. It is a VERY blue liquid (don't get freaked by the color) but whitens clothes. You can find it in most grocery stores.

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H.,
you are probably not going to like this answer, but DO NOT USE CHLORINE. I know it was mom's favorite, my mom's, too, but it just isn't good for you, and there are better things for whitening. I use oxy-clean, which is an oxygen bleach. It is better, and not bad for your skin, and is biodegradable.

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If you are washing whites w/hot water try not using hot water that actually dulls the cloths

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Soaking in Ivory Snow (flakes in the laundry aisle) or oxyclean always works for me!
K.

1 mom found this helpful

If you are wanting to get your whites that have already turned gray from the bleach white again I have to tell you that it is not possible. After using bleach for so long all of the whites will turn to a different color. If this is happening quickly then you may be using too much bleach in each laundry load. An option to prevent this would be to use Oxy clean rather than bleach. Peroxide works well and so does baking soda. But bringing the old clothes back to life once the bleach has already damaged them is a lost cause! All of my husband's work shirts get the exact same problem after they have gone through too many washes in bleach. :)

Try the arm and hammer laundry soap with oxi clean and wash in warm or cold water. Also run an empty load with CLR. I have a front loader also and my clothes are brighter than when I had a top loader. Are you using liquid or powder? Liquid is better.

You can try switching to an oxygen bleach like Oxyclean - but don't mix it with regular bleach.
You could have a problem with your machine or the water - have it checked.
You can also use blueing (sp?) to make things white again - BUT it only works on solid white things - if there is any design or contrast trim, etc. that part will bleed onto the white stuff.

I have found my new best laundry friend, it is oxi clean in a spray bottle. I have a nightgown that I wear like crazy and it was getting dull, I sprayed it on that, washed it and it looks great, it is white with light blue flowers on it. I also used the same thing on some quilts that had been in storage and came out with rust spots on them and they are almost completely gone. My mom uses biz bleach to keep her whites there whitest. Good luck

A little about me:

I'm a domestic goddess married to the best for almost 23 years, 4 children, sons 13, 19 & 21 and 1 daughter 16.