OK, kids, I went out and bought some Oxi Clean today. I'll let y'all know if it works. Pray for a brotha.

Lammastide said:

let's all lay hands on the oxi clean

paintedlady said:

Back in the olden days, they used to sell laundry bluing to whiten things. I wonder if you can even find it on a shelf anywhere these days. I haven't seen it in years. I found this:
http://www.kilianhardware...launb.html

Another vote here for lots of sunshine (in addition to the Oxy Clean or bluing). It worked great for us in helping bleach stains out of cloth diapers as well as whatever else needs to be bleached, though it's not always a one time thing.

We make our own detergent with washing soda (which I'm almost sure is basically Oxy Clean), Borax and Fels Naptha. That combined with line drying in the sun has kept my husband's grungiest work undershirts and socks white longer than they'd ordinarily be. I wish I could find some good old fashioned bluing on a shelf somewhere, though. I think I may try the jeans soaking thing.

Horsefeathers said:

i've seen it somewhere recently. don't know when or where, but it was there.

I'm in a rural area. You'd think someone local would have it! I could order some, but that's all new agey and junk and I think would kind of take the joy out of it.

Horsefeathers said:

do you have the stuff that makes black things blacker?

ZombieKitten said:

ooh, i need that!

what is it, like... just ink or something?

ZombieKitten said:

I have never seen that! I don't think I own any black clothing because it seems to emphasize the appearance of pet hair.

errant said:

maybe it's just an octopus in a bottle - you agitate it and it squirts

ZombieKitten said:

Imago said:

Imago said:

Back in the days of black-and-white television, laundry soap advertisers would tout the whitening ability of their detergents by using a white shirt for the "before" shot (because white looks gray on black-and-white TV), then switch to a blue shirt for the "after."

Genesia said:

peacenlovealways said:

It's true! They used sandpaper for shaving cream commercials, too.

peacenlovealways said:

Using bleach can yellow some fabrics. Synthetic ones (or synthetic/cotton blends) , I think are the ones that yellow.

Imago said:

now see....I was like....WTF is this thread about.....

ZombieKitten said:

We have this...



.
[Edited 11/9/09 23:59pm]

Do it the old fashioned way - it really works.

A couple of generous scoops of non biological washing powder and a great big pan of boiling water on the stove. Boil the whites for half an hour or so then put them through a rinse cycle in the machine to get out the soap.

Bleach will destroy the fibre and if it is a good quality cotton it will come up like new just by boiling with soap.

I recently impressed my wife by washing a load of baby bibs and white baby grows like this, she was going to chuck away.

lye

I started getting offended before I clicked on this thread, not even realizing I was in GD and not P&R.



anyway...my wife uses Tide with Bleach. Supposed to be colorsafe.

White Vinegar mixed in white whatever detergent you use.

That blue trick is cool, very counterintuitive.

But will it work more than once?