Assistance on Whites

[dirtybuck]

OK...so, I bought some new "tighty whities" a few months ago, and now they are starting to look a bit "dingy whingy".

The hot water at the laundromat that I go to isn't all that hot (maybe around 115, if that). I use PLENTY of detergent (Surf with "All" Stain Fighters, and a small bit of Wisk).

I asked the attendant at the laundromat what he would suggest, and he said to use a soak of Oxy-Clean (or generic equivalent) with a little bit of bleach. Is this safe? Should I also use detergent as well?

Any feedback would greatly be appreciated. I don't want to be in an accident, and have my underwear looking like...well, I just don't.

Bill in MO

 

[butch-innj]

Sparkling whites...............

Even my white socks are as white as the day I bought them.
They are at least 5 yrs old now.

I've been using regular ol'fashioned Tide powder but I put the
amount I want to use in a tub and run hot water in it and dissolve it before I put it in the washer. I do the same thing with a scoop of Oxi-Clean (dissolve it first) and put that into the same tub of water and wash all the white clothes in that and rinse twice.

About once a month I use clorox instead of oxy-clean just to disinfect.

I always hang my clothes outside on the line to dry.

Unless of course the weather is bad and I need to get the clothes done then I'll use the dryer. Personally, I think the heat from the dryer tends to makes whites go dingy.

 

[jeffg]

> Personally, I think the heat from the dryer tends to makes whites go dingy. <

It's possible, but more common causes are hard water, inadequate wash times, water temperatures, and most common of all is poor rinsing.

Get yourself some Charlie's Laundry Soap and STPP, and first wash your whites with just hot water and the soap. If you get a ton of sudsing, your dinginess is being caused by detergent residue buildup. Empty the washer, refill it with more hot water, Charlie's Soap and 1/4 - 1/3 cup of STPP (depending on load size), and give it at least 25-30 minutes of wash time.

Liquid chlorine bleach is also great form whitening whites, but you need several rinses to get the smell/residue out, and it shortens the lifespan of cotton and elastics.

 

[aquarius1984]

You need

1. Front loading washing machine
2. Some UK Ariel powder

Whack em in and set the machine to a 95 degree wash (VV.Hot compared to a TL's Hot temperature)

Im always amazed at Americas detergents and their inability to produce whitest whites without the addition of LCB.

I hardly ever use in wash stain removers or LCB even in very dirty loads.
Our powders can handle the dirt without extra faffing around.

FWIR LCB cancels out the Oxy stuff anyway or whichever way round it is rendering it useless.

 

[danemodsandy]

Oxi-Clean...

...Used regularly, will keep them both white and tight. Oxi-Clean does not damage elastic to nearly the extent that chlorine bleach does.

Periodic bleaching for disinfectant purposes does very little harm, but don't bleach every wash unless you enjoy spending money on new underwear frequently.

 

[jeffg]

> 1. Front loading washing machine <

Here we go again.

Look guys, most front loaders in the U.S. stink. They don't use nearly enough water, and as a result they have rinsing ability that ranges from pathetic to non-existent. It's the last thing you need to try and remove dinginess from whites.

 

[polkanut]

After you have them as white as you want them, a little liquid bluing periodically doesn't hurt either. Bluette is my 1st choice, but Mrs. Stewart's will do also.

 

[sudsman]

Add Some STPP

They most likely have hard water. If whites are not white there is a underlying cause you must find that 1st. Overloading hard water and not enough wash time is usually the culprit. Try Sears Ultra Plus detergent It WILL give you snow white work and a very low cost. hotter water is NOT the answer it can be done in ANY temperature. There are trade offs for all the factors that produce good washing. If one is is less then another must be increased to make the difference.
Time Temperature Loading factor wash action chemicals and water quality all play vital parts of washing one greatly effects the other.

 

[xraytech]

Here is a strange suggestion someone told me to do with whites, wash them in some windex and pretreat with windex also.
If you do this DO NOT use bleach, they will react ant eat right through the fabric(found that out the hard way)

But, I prefer to set the dial to soak and soak in hot water and Dawn with the lid of washer closed until water goes cold, about 3 hours, drain, and wash on longest cycle in hot water with Sears Ultra Plus, liquid blueing, and Murphy Oil Soap. And line dry in direct sunlight to help further bleach the fabric

 

[toggleswitch2]

The STPP will certainly help.
Here is what I did when my whites became dingy; and it worked for me.

Since I dont have access to a Euro-style "Boil-washer" I pre-washed a load of whites in the machine and spun them well.
Added the whites to a large SS kettle (was it 20-qts/ 20L?)on the stove with detergent STPP and water.
Boiled them for about 15 minutes.
Retrieved garments with a stick/tongs. Spun in washer. Then washed them the regular way.
The water was BLACK!

Regular use of STPP and exrta rinsing keeps whites their whitest!

 

[sudsmaster]

I second the advice to use STPP. However I notice that the OP is in Missouri, and being in the watershed of the Mississippi and/or Missouri rivers, STPP is probably banned. If one cannot get hold of STPP, however, a phosphated dishwasher detergent will do just fine - as a booster/additive to regular detergent.

I also note that the OP is using Surf, with a little Wisk. So I'm assuming the Surf is a liquid - and liquids rarely get cottons as clean as powders can.

Sears Ultra Plus is an excellent suggestion. I wouldn't add any chlorine bleach as it will kill the enzymes. If you must add it, do so at the end of the wash cycle, not at the beginning. An oxygen bleach like Oxyclean is a good suggestion, although many modern detergents have oxygen bleach built in already.

Choose the hottest water available, but I would advice against temps above 160F. Hotter than that seems to damage the elastic in undergarments. 140 F should be more than sufficient for whitening with proper detergents.

Also, Persil regular powder is an excellent detergent, but far more expensive here in the USA than Sears Ultra Plus.

 

[electron800]

They don't use nearly enough water

From what I've seen the use the same amount as our machines do.

The problem seems to be the lack of an internal heater and wash cycles that are far too short.

They would need to use more water to wash well in the really short cycles they have, but why do that when you could just increase the wash time and have a much more efficient machine?

The problem seems to be with US front loaders they have tried to make them with the features that attract people to toploaders but the efficiency of European machines.

As a result they use minimal amounts of water, but in very short cycles and usually without a heater and therefore any control over the temperature by the machine itself.

The result seems to be a machine with unsatisfactory cleaning results.

I understand that heating water from cold with 110v electricity is pretty much impossible, so they really need automatic temperature control on warm and cold, but with a heater to boost temperatures higher, especially on a hot wash. If they are going to use minimal water like european machines, they need european cycle times too. If Americans want that sort of efficiency from their machines, they are going to have to get used to longer cycle times.

But for whites I would say a good performing detergent containing oxygen bleach and the hottest, longest, most vigourous cycle available is about the best you can do.

Matt

 

[butch-innj]

dirtybuck......

are you confused yet?

 

[zanussi_lover]

you need

1. Front load washer (Cold Fill Only - With heater)

2. Some Persil Bio Powder (UK version)

3. Hot wash =] 60*c degrees should be hot enough

95 degrees is a waste of energy as powders are designed to work well at low to medium temperatures

Presto - Radiant Whites =]

http://www.persil.co.uk

 

[whitekingd]

BIZ and Bluing!

I am a firm believer in BIZ Bleach in the wash!!! I have much better results with BIZ than with Oxy Clean. It makes a huge difference in whites. Also, Mrs. Stewart's liquid bluing. These products with a good powdered detergent are very successful!

 

[dirtybuck]

dirtybuck...... are you confused yet?

Well, just a tad, but not beyond the point where I'm banging my head on the wall (yet) . But I do appreciate all the great advice! Thank you!

As I said earlier, I go to the laundromat (or if worse comes to worse, the washroom here at the apt. complex where I live) to do laundry, so I don't have the convenience of using a washer and dryer (or even a clothesline) at home...but, I sure wish I did. I can understand what someone said in a reply about dryers making whites dingy. At least when hung outside, the ultra-violet rays will help whiten whites, but on the down side, possibly fade colors a bit faster.

BUT, for just a SOAK overnight in like a 10 gallon plastic tub, will the Oxy-Clean do the trick? And, should I also use detergent?

 

[sudsmaster]

Matt,

Most front loaders in the USA come in two models: with and without internal heater. I always advise people to go for the one with the heater, but even Consumer Reports tends to dismiss its value in cleaning and sanitizing. Kind of frustrating.

Yes, you really can't heat from tap cold to hot in a 110v large capacity (13 kb) frontloader here. But most people have storage water heaters so it's not a huge issue if the machine has an internal heater to boost and maintain the water temp. Most 110v machines now go to at least 150F, some up to 160. My Neptune goes to 130F, which I've found is satisfactory for excellent cleaning as long as I also use STPP. I also use a fairly long wash program and the Neptune uses a lot more water than more modern designs.

 

[ronhic]

I think it all boils (haha) down to what you are prepared and able to do.

There have been other posts as to why Americans like (need?) larger machines that are very quick and various posts from people in Europe and Australia that counter that with us having no problems with long cycles AND water efficiency without needing to revert to a multitude of chemical additives.

Quick cycles need more water and often, more chemicals to get things done properly. Longer cycles allow enzymes to work for longer and can mean that we don't need additional additives for great results but it also means you can't do 5 HUGE loads in a 3hrs either.

For my tuppence worth

If you have access to a front load machine (I've never seen a top loader with prewash at a laundromat) at the laundromat that will let you do a prewash...do so with the best detergent you can in HOT water with some washing soda (my newest and ecologically good friend) and then a full cycle exactly the same with possibily some Oxy-Clean added if you must. Line dry them too as the sun will help bring out the whiteness. Constant indoor/tumble drying will dull whites if you are not using bleach.

 

[maytagmark]

If all else fails you could switch to colored underwear, I know what you mean about those laundromats being stingy with the hot water,been there. Are you using liquid or powder detergent? you might want to upgrade detergents,I always used Tide but a roommate brought home some Gain and I snubbed it at first but it smelled so good and worked so well I've been using it ever since,It was cheaper at one time but now its about the same price,I was using liqiud in my shredmore but when I got the Maytag Dependable Care I switched back to powder,the Maytag is gentler on the clothes but the whites just weren't as white with the liquid as they are with the powder, Anyway, all my whites get bleached, socks, t-shirts, and all my towels are white,I wear my socks and t-shirts around the house and if I do yard work and /or cook these require a presoak in hot water,Clorox liquid bleach and detergent at the smallest setting,let agitate,soak, agitate, soak,let them spin out and set back to hot wash and set to ex large load and add more bleach and detergent and throw in the towels,I know the bleach is not good for the clothes, but socks and t-shirts are cheap,thats why I wear colored boxers because you don't want holy underwear LOL.