Keeping white sheets bright?

[peach]

Our white sheets are staying white but the pillowcases are starting to yellow. I usually just wash them with detergent on the whites cycle but I want to brighten them. Using bleach will just yellow them over time and wear down the barbican is what I've always heard but maybe I need to use it occasionally?

[sjh722]

I've used borax before. Putting out in the sun to dry (ha! this time of year) also brightens whites.

I think RIT also sells little white brightener packets in the laundry aisle, next to detergents/fabric softeners/etc.

[peach]

Haha my sheets would be frozen solid if I hung them outside! In the summer I will. Borax is really hard to find around here. Maybe I will try oxi clean

[tarheels]

Haven't you asked this before about keeping things white? I know someone did recently. I use white sheets and towels exclusively and have for 4 years. They get washed every week in hot water with Clorox and nothing's yellowed in the slightest.

Edited for clarity

[Deleted]

The everwise THR once told me to use some bleach and shut up.
She was right. Its cheap effective and I am a convert.
I use a fourth a cup not the full amount and only every few washes. My whites have nrver looked better and i havent noticed excess wear.
Fwiw oxiclean is ok for me but i have noticed it to be hard on stuff too. Esp. Things like barn clothes and Rubes clothes that get constantly washed.
Borax is good too if you can find it.

[tarheels]

Nov 14, 2012 10:32:35 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

The everwise THR once told me to use some bleach and shut up.
She was right. Its cheap effective and I am a convert.

LMAO! Maybe it's you I'm thinking of then

[bunnymendelbaum]

I asked about beach too recently I think.
I started using it with our stinky microfiber kitchen towels and it is amazing!
Oxiclean works, but IMO it makes things stink like chemicals.

Here's my last dumb bleach question, does everything have to be all white? I'm so paranoid about ruining something.

[tarheels]

Nov 14, 2012 10:51:14 GMT -5 bunnymendelbaum said:

I asked about beach too recently I think.
I started using it with our stinky microfiber kitchen towels and it is amazing!
Oxiclean works, but IMO it makes things stink like chemicals.

Here's my last dumb bleach question, does everything have to be all white? I'm so paranoid about ruining something.

I bleach things like white college t-shirts with designs on them. The designs are fine. I'll also bleach vintage '50s white tablecloths with designs - they're fine too. But when it doubt, leave it out.

[emoflamingo]

They make colorsafe bleach too but I haven't tried it.

I usually just put a little oxyclean in all my loads of whites, since formula stains are gross. I haven't had to bleach anything in awhile because we stopped using white sheets and switched to dark gray a few years ago.

[Deleted]

IME if you are taking synthetic fibers, yes, it will cause yellowing. But for 100% cotton, that won't happen.

[sierramist03]

I add a little washing soda to my laundry. Sometimes I also add baking soda and vinegar.

[bunnymendelbaum]

Nov 14, 2012 10:54:45 GMT -5 tarheels said:

Nov 14, 2012 10:51:14 GMT -5 bunnymendelbaum said:

I asked about beach too recently I think.
I started using it with our stinky microfiber kitchen towels and it is amazing!
Oxiclean works, but IMO it makes things stink like chemicals.

Here's my last dumb bleach question, does everything have to be all white? I'm so paranoid about ruining something.

I bleach things like white college t-shirts with designs on them. The designs are fine. I'll also bleach vintage '50s white tablecloths with designs - they're fine too. But when it doubt, leave it out.

Thanks! I use a little when I do the kitchen towels some of which are gray and I've had no problems. For some reason, I always assumed any amount of bleach would turn everything white. DOh!

[peach]

I did ask about whites a while ago, when I was thinking of buying white sheets. Sorry for repeating the question...

I was always told bleach would destroy my fabrics over time so I am scared to use it, but I guess I should try it first and decide for myself. So about 1/4 cup of bleach???

Kay, nother question. Bleach is "killed" in hot water....but my whites cycle is a hot water wash....should I just do a cold wash with bleach? Or use the white cycle?

[adhdfashion]

I use bleach. I haven't had any problems with yellowing.

[wawa]

Nov 14, 2012 12:20:35 GMT -5 peach said:

I did ask about whites a while ago, when I was thinking of buying white sheets. Sorry for repeating the question...

I was always told bleach would destroy my fabrics over time so I am scared to use it, but I guess I should try it first and decide for myself. So about 1/4 cup of bleach???

Kay, nother question. Bleach is "killed" in hot water....but my whites cycle is a hot water wash....should I just do a cold wash with bleach? Or use the white cycle?

It will. But so does sunlight, hot air, damp air and you know...use. Also non-use. Fabric is not eternal. Think of it this way - What's the point of a pillowcase that lasts forever if it looks like crap?

[tarheels]

Nov 14, 2012 12:20:35 GMT -5 peach said:

Bleach is "killed" in hot water....but my whites cycle is a hot water wash....should I just do a cold wash with bleach? Or use the white cycle?

Oh, no, no problem for repeating...I just feel like I've been telling people "try bleach already!" for months now Surely everyone has taken my words to heart by now?

So I had never heard that about hot water and bleach, so I googled. It's not true Hot water all the way. Your whites cycle probably uses hot, mine does.

[peach]

Really, because I am not allowed to use hot water with bleach to clean my daycare. It must be lukewarm or cold, because the hot water makes the bleach lose it`s sanitizing powers. I have been told this by licensing, Health Canada, my old boss....

But I guess if the bleach is still `bleaching`the fabric, it doesn`t matter if it loses its sanitizing abilities..

[tarheels]

Nov 14, 2012 13:21:37 GMT -5 peach said:

Really, because I am not allowed to use hot water with bleach to clean my daycare. It must be lukewarm or cold, because the hot water makes the bleach lose it`s sanitizing powers. I have been told this by licensing, Health Canada, my old boss....

But I guess if the bleach is still `bleaching`the fabric, it doesn`t matter if it loses its sanitizing abilities..

From Clorox.com re: laundry:

"Clorox does lots of testing to develop and improve its products, as well as determine the label instructions for the product packages. We test a variety of stains and soils for cleaning, as well as whitening and brightening. In addition, we test how our products work with different detergents, clothes washer designs, and in different water temperatures. That’s because there are three different forms of energy that accomplish cleaning and whitening: thermal (water temp), chemical (detergent/bleach), and physical (agitation). All other variables being equal, we typically see improved cleaning and whitening in hotter water." www.clorox.com/blogs/dr-laundry/2011/01/04/bleach-and-hot-water/


"Q. I have a friend who told me that in college he was told that hot water makes bleach less effective. Is this true? I always wash my whites in the hottest water. Thank you for your input.

A. Thanks for the great question. Here is what I would tell your friend: washing white and safely bleachable colorfast items with Clorox® Regular-Bleach in the hottest water possible will give you the best cleaning and whitening performance because its effectiveness increases with temperature. " www.clorox.com/blogs/dr-laundry/2010/10/19/hot-water-and-bleach/

Re: cleaning

"Recently my family was cleaning my grandma’s house. I was using hot water with bleach to wipe things down, thinking I was disinfecting the surfaces. My sister-in-law informed me that when you use hot water with bleach, you deactivate the bleach. I have never heard this before, is this true? She said to only use cold water with bleach when cleaning.

A. She’s probably referring to the CBS Early Show segment on Germ Warfare: The Laundry Room. While I didn’t see it live, I have reviewed the presentation and the only thing that I took issue with was their “expert” and his comment about bleach losing its efficacy in hot water.

The facts are:

- Clorox® Regular-Bleach disinfects effectively in hot, warm or cold water whether for laundry or household cleaning/disinfecting.
- For maximum cleaning, stain and soil removal, one should wash with hot water with detergent and Clorox® Regular-Bleach.
- For household cleaning and disinfecting, Clorox® Regular-Bleach is the most cost-effective disinfectant and can be used in hot, warm or cold water.
- Overall, the consumer has several choices to obtain sanitizing and disinfecting with Clorox® Regular-Bleach." www.clorox.com/blogs/dr-laundry/2010/08/12/water-temperature-and-bleach/


Just an urban myth. Things like that get started and stick around. <shrug>

[sunshineandwine]

Nov 14, 2012 10:32:22 GMT -5 tarheels said:

Haven't you asked this before about keeping things white? I know someone did recently. I use white sheets and towels exclusively and have for 4 years. They get washed every week in hot water with Clorox and nothing's yellowed in the slightest.

Edited for clarity

I too have used all white towels and sheets for several years. I wash both weekly in hot water and alternate between using bleach one week and oxy clean the next. I don't have any issues with yellowing.

[pickle123]

So just hot water and bleach....nothing else?

[auntie]

My DH and teenaged DS have oily skin- it's where the yellow pillow cases come from. I pretreat with a bar soap which works better on body oils than straight up detergent. I swear by this stuff-

www.fineartstore.com/Catalog/tabid/365/List/1/CategoryID/11346/Level/a/Default.aspx?SortField=unitcost%2Cunitcost

Fels Naptha works but not as well. My mother uses cheap shampoo on body oil on dress shirts which also works.

Sometimes I add a washing soda or borax and do bleach every couple of washes. If DS hasn't done his sheets in a what I consider too long, I toss a little TSP into the washer as well. Sunshine definately helps as well.

[wawa]

Nov 15, 2012 7:09:47 GMT -5 auntie said:

My DH and teenaged DS have oily skin- it's where the yellow pillow cases come from. I pretreat with a bar soap which works better on body oils than straight up detergent. I swear by this stuff-

www.fineartstore.com/Catalog/tabid/365/List/1/CategoryID/11346/Level/a/Default.aspx?SortField=unitcost%2Cunitcost

Fels Naptha works but not as well. My mother uses cheap shampoo on body oil on dress shirts which also works.

Sometimes I add a washing soda or borax and do bleach every couple of washes. If DS hasn't done his sheets in a what I consider too long, I toss a little TSP into the washer as well. Sunshine definately helps as well.

Oh yeah...my aunt who used to work in a hotel told me that bar soap is the laundry department's secret weapon. All those half used bars of soap in the bathrooms? They collect them in a bin with enough water to turn them to mush, and then use the mush to pretreat any oily stains on the white sheets.

My mom likes to use dish soap. Like plain ole' dawn. You HAVE to handrinse that out before you use the washing machine though if you use anything more than a tiny bit. It's waaaaay too sudsy for a washing machine and you'll have one of those movie-style washing machine disasters where it spits foam across the room.

[tarheels]

Nov 14, 2012 22:07:40 GMT -5 pickle123 said:

So just hot water and bleach....nothing else?

No, a normal amount of detergent too.