I came across this today at my local Compare Supermarket today and I have seen it here being chatted about before...I have never used the stuff and I was curious so i picked up a bottle.
Bluette
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It is not a substitute for good laundering practices, nor is it a substitute for bleach. It is not to be used in the same water with bleach, but in the last rinse. If you use softener, you blue before you soften, but this is the reason that most softeners have bluing in them; to prevent yellowing sometimes seen in white fabrics with softener use.[this post was last edited: 5/19/2013-11:04]
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
Bluing=fake white IMO.
I used bluing a few times in my life just to try it out...stuff I don't like to use...
I have tried the Mrs Stewart thing...
Well...just a bluing...not much to say..it makes your whites look whiter thanks to the optical effect of reflection that blue gives to the whites making them looking whiter.
Personally I prefer the natural white which is real white, the one you get out of a good wash with a good detergent able to remove dinginess, I think dinginess is cause of a bad wash caused also by a bad detergent...
I want my laundry to be really white...not an "optical illusion".
Many detergents over here already include optical bluing (optical whiteners/brighteners) in the formula, just a plus to the real original white point they can wash, to make it look even more whiter, not paragonable to adding bluing as an additive though...
The Jamaican soap I did buy recently had bluing added...the white I got was white, but I could clearly see it was a fake white, washed so good whatsoever and stains were all gone. A real good soap!
Anyway as said, I don't like using bluing, IMO is like hiding dirt under the carpet...
I used bluing a few times in my life just to try it out...stuff I don't like to use...
I have tried the Mrs Stewart thing...
Well...just a bluing...not much to say..it makes your whites look whiter thanks to the optical effect of reflection that blue gives to the whites making them looking whiter.
Personally I prefer the natural white which is real white, the one you get out of a good wash with a good detergent able to remove dinginess, I think dinginess is cause of a bad wash caused also by a bad detergent...
I want my laundry to be really white...not an "optical illusion".
Many detergents over here already include optical bluing (optical whiteners/brighteners) in the formula, just a plus to the real original white point they can wash, to make it look even more whiter, not paragonable to adding bluing as an additive though...
The Jamaican soap I did buy recently had bluing added...the white I got was white, but I could clearly see it was a fake white, washed so good whatsoever and stains were all gone. A real good soap!
Anyway as said, I don't like using bluing, IMO is like hiding dirt under the carpet...
I know what you mean and I read the bottle and it says to add to the wash cycle. I sort everything so whites don't get mixed with colors and I know what I am doing. I don't use chlorine bleach at all. I have used Mrs Stewarts bluing and it works well. This stuff I have never used before.
retromania
Well-known member
Bluing
My mother had a bottle of Blue Boy or Blu Boy or whatever it was called. I can't believe I don't remember. Anyway, it collected dust in the cabinet next to the Glo Coat which she quit using after she got the new kitchen floor. She didn't use it much. However, my sister's mother-in-law used it for years. M-I-L was originally from Nebraska and I wondered if maybe it was a regional thing. Mama said recently she thought it was more of a generational thing. Said she never thought it was that great to begin with.
My mother had a bottle of Blue Boy or Blu Boy or whatever it was called. I can't believe I don't remember. Anyway, it collected dust in the cabinet next to the Glo Coat which she quit using after she got the new kitchen floor. She didn't use it much. However, my sister's mother-in-law used it for years. M-I-L was originally from Nebraska and I wondered if maybe it was a regional thing. Mama said recently she thought it was more of a generational thing. Said she never thought it was that great to begin with.
polkanut
Well-known member
I use bluing in the winter sometimes when my whites start to look a little dingy from not being hung outside on the line. Quite often I'll switch off between using Bluette and BIZ for a whitener/brighener. I usually buy it by the case, so it lasts me quite awhile.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Funny....
....How different people perceive things differently.
My grandmother, who was a huge fan of both Clorox and line-drying in the sun (until 1967, when her advancing years made hanging too much of a challenge and she got a dryer) always felt that for fine laundry, bluing was the finishing touch for really super whiteness. She also felt it helped offset the slight yellowing starching can impart to an item. She did not use it on everything. My grandfather's dress shirts, guest linens and "special occasion" table linens were the main recipients. She used a powdered bluing (I think LaFrance), which required a lot of care in use to avoid the occasional blue speck on laundered items.
We won't go into her reaction when a blue speck eluded her precautionary measures, LOL.
....How different people perceive things differently.
My grandmother, who was a huge fan of both Clorox and line-drying in the sun (until 1967, when her advancing years made hanging too much of a challenge and she got a dryer) always felt that for fine laundry, bluing was the finishing touch for really super whiteness. She also felt it helped offset the slight yellowing starching can impart to an item. She did not use it on everything. My grandfather's dress shirts, guest linens and "special occasion" table linens were the main recipients. She used a powdered bluing (I think LaFrance), which required a lot of care in use to avoid the occasional blue speck on laundered items.
We won't go into her reaction when a blue speck eluded her precautionary measures, LOL.
The powdered La France and other powdered bluings were meant to be used in the hot wash water to ensure complete dissolving. The optical brighteners in modern detergents make bluing sort of redundant.
I remember that the teacher put bluing on the salt garden we grew on a lump of coal when I was in the first grade.
I remember that the teacher put bluing on the salt garden we grew on a lump of coal when I was in the first grade.
retromania
Well-known member
I remember.....
I love to read labels and I remember seeing La France printed on something and I don't think it was the bluing product. What else did they put out for the laundry? Maybe starch? We used Niagra in the box and then later Argo. Finally, Mama switched to spray starch. In latter years most everything went to the cleaners. Oh and she had irons galore! Some worked. Some didn't. They were dotted around the laundry room. I guess all the extra irons got sold out our famous yard sale of 1977. I wish I had some of that stuff back now. What happened was my grandaprents died and we moved into their house which was bigger and better. There was stuff left in the house that my mother's brother and sisters didn't want. My parents moved us in so there was our contents along with what was left. A big mess probably.
I love to read labels and I remember seeing La France printed on something and I don't think it was the bluing product. What else did they put out for the laundry? Maybe starch? We used Niagra in the box and then later Argo. Finally, Mama switched to spray starch. In latter years most everything went to the cleaners. Oh and she had irons galore! Some worked. Some didn't. They were dotted around the laundry room. I guess all the extra irons got sold out our famous yard sale of 1977. I wish I had some of that stuff back now. What happened was my grandaprents died and we moved into their house which was bigger and better. There was stuff left in the house that my mother's brother and sisters didn't want. My parents moved us in so there was our contents along with what was left. A big mess probably.
Bluing is great for bringing back apparent whiteness in old whites. But typically it's used to cover up buildups of other residues on clothing. Between today's ridiculously low hot water temps and the four teaspoons of water used by front loading washers, virtually nothing gets completely rinsed from clothing today. Take a load of whites from someone with a FL to a TL machine, toss in a tablespoon of Charlie's (or not), use 160F water and usually it will fill with suds from residual detergent.
Did Someone Mention Bluing?
Start with the easy one: LaFrance.
LaFrance was never a bluing per se, but one of the first "detergents" with OBAs. Yes it was a dark greenish blue in color and tinted water the same, but the real work came from the chemical whitening agents. Some of LaFrance's big claims to fame were it could be used with all soaps (back when that was how laundry was washed) in the *wash* water thus saving an additional step of a bluing rinse. In addition the man made surfactants helped keep soap scum down. Some types of laundry blues owing to their iron content cannot be used with soap. LaFrance solved that problem.
LaFrance then began touting how well it whitened and brightened nylons and other garments made from man made fibers. Other laundry blues work mainly on cotton, linen and perhaps wool. In it's last incarnations before suddenly vanishing from the market LaFrance also contained enzymes. What did LaFrance's sales in was the fact that soon most all TOL and even MOL or BOL detergents began to include OBAs and later enzymes, so housewives didn't need an extra product. Still LaFrance enjoyed a loyal enough following that many bemoan its sudden disappearance from the market.
As for the rest see the link:
chestofbooks.com
Start with the easy one: LaFrance.
LaFrance was never a bluing per se, but one of the first "detergents" with OBAs. Yes it was a dark greenish blue in color and tinted water the same, but the real work came from the chemical whitening agents. Some of LaFrance's big claims to fame were it could be used with all soaps (back when that was how laundry was washed) in the *wash* water thus saving an additional step of a bluing rinse. In addition the man made surfactants helped keep soap scum down. Some types of laundry blues owing to their iron content cannot be used with soap. LaFrance solved that problem.
LaFrance then began touting how well it whitened and brightened nylons and other garments made from man made fibers. Other laundry blues work mainly on cotton, linen and perhaps wool. In it's last incarnations before suddenly vanishing from the market LaFrance also contained enzymes. What did LaFrance's sales in was the fact that soon most all TOL and even MOL or BOL detergents began to include OBAs and later enzymes, so housewives didn't need an extra product. Still LaFrance enjoyed a loyal enough following that many bemoan its sudden disappearance from the market.
As for the rest see the link:
Bluing Stain Removal
Three types of laundry bluing are in common use, namely, ultramarine, Prussian, and aniline blues. Since they differ chemically, spots due to them require different treatment. It is not difficult to d...
Bluing works by countering yellow. Also at least to Western eyes blue white is seen as "whiter". In other countries reddish white is preferred.
Either way bluing agents can make white or coloured laundry appear whiter by canceling out the yellow, but at the same time they often make things appear duller. If bluing is used to much and or often items can take on a gray appearance.
Even back in the day it was determined if whites were laundered properly with plenty of good soap, hot water and rinsed well bluing wasn't required, at least not after every washing. Things improved once soap with the dulling residue and yellowing were replaced by detergents for wash day.
Have tons of bluing but rarely bother these days. If and when one does usually reach for the may types of LaFrance in my stash.
Either way bluing agents can make white or coloured laundry appear whiter by canceling out the yellow, but at the same time they often make things appear duller. If bluing is used to much and or often items can take on a gray appearance.
Even back in the day it was determined if whites were laundered properly with plenty of good soap, hot water and rinsed well bluing wasn't required, at least not after every washing. Things improved once soap with the dulling residue and yellowing were replaced by detergents for wash day.
Have tons of bluing but rarely bother these days. If and when one does usually reach for the may types of LaFrance in my stash.
angus
Well-known member
I still use Bluette on most whites, but you really have to be careful to avoid going too far and using too much - which leads to the gray cast . While Bluette claims to be used in the wash, I find that it works better in the final rinse and the clothes must have only the faintest hint of blue. And you really have to dilute it well in sufficient water before adding it to the washer, I blue all my white dress shirts for work and have never had a build up problem. Even with all the OBAs in the detergents, to my eye, that little bit of bluing in the final rinse just picks things up that final notch. It may sound immodest, but I must be doing something right because even at a "big 4 international CPA firm" where no one really notices anything personal, I am usually asked a few times per month what I do to my white shirts.
Mike, I am surprised that you can even find Bluette in Compare. Most of the stores that even carried it here in Connecticut have long since discontinued it - Compare included. Most were the smaller markets like Compare in more "ethnic" neighborhoods and interestingly those same stores are the only ones that carry NuSoft liquid and softener sheets.
In fact I just ordered a few cases of Bluette from Malco products. I nearly had a stroke when I saw $40.00 for shipping 3 cases of 12 bottles per case. But that is what i have to do.
I then wanted more Faultless liquid starch and while this also used to be available in Connecticut KMarts, it is no longer. I was all set to buy 3 cases of 3 64 ounce jugs on Agelong Products. Then I stopped. Not only is it almost twice what I used to pay in KMart ($5.95 per bottle vs $3.25 per bottle), but the normal shipping was over $50.00. I guess I will have to figure something else out. I really prefer the Faultless over Sta Flo or Linit as liquid starches go. Oh, well...
Mike, I am surprised that you can even find Bluette in Compare. Most of the stores that even carried it here in Connecticut have long since discontinued it - Compare included. Most were the smaller markets like Compare in more "ethnic" neighborhoods and interestingly those same stores are the only ones that carry NuSoft liquid and softener sheets.
In fact I just ordered a few cases of Bluette from Malco products. I nearly had a stroke when I saw $40.00 for shipping 3 cases of 12 bottles per case. But that is what i have to do.
I then wanted more Faultless liquid starch and while this also used to be available in Connecticut KMarts, it is no longer. I was all set to buy 3 cases of 3 64 ounce jugs on Agelong Products. Then I stopped. Not only is it almost twice what I used to pay in KMart ($5.95 per bottle vs $3.25 per bottle), but the normal shipping was over $50.00. I guess I will have to figure something else out. I really prefer the Faultless over Sta Flo or Linit as liquid starches go. Oh, well...
OBAs do wash out of clothing, that is why it is included in detergents and other laundry products. If you stop using detergent with OBAs long enough whites will start to appear "dull", especially modern textiles that are often treated with tons of the stuff in production.
Depending upon laundry methods and products chosen fabric softeners also can be removed by washing, waxy residue an all. Anionic surfactants are bit better for this than non-anionic but both should get you there in the end.
Prime cause of yellowing in cotton textiles is simply age and or prolonged contact with ultra violet light. Next is the chemical reaction between human sweat/body oils and cotton or linen textiles. Without prompt and proper laundering the soils react and form the yellow staining commonly seen on bed linens and around underarms.
Other reasons for yellowing include excessive heat from ironing and or tumble drying, and improper laundering (using not enough detergent, using too much detergent, poor rinsing, etc..).
Depending upon laundry methods and products chosen fabric softeners also can be removed by washing, waxy residue an all. Anionic surfactants are bit better for this than non-anionic but both should get you there in the end.
Prime cause of yellowing in cotton textiles is simply age and or prolonged contact with ultra violet light. Next is the chemical reaction between human sweat/body oils and cotton or linen textiles. Without prompt and proper laundering the soils react and form the yellow staining commonly seen on bed linens and around underarms.
Other reasons for yellowing include excessive heat from ironing and or tumble drying, and improper laundering (using not enough detergent, using too much detergent, poor rinsing, etc..).
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Angus:
"....that little bit of bluing in the final rinse just picks things up that final notch."
One of my friends from the U.K. has a British turn of phrase that I enjoy using; it sort of sums up what you're saying:
"It adds just that to it."
"....that little bit of bluing in the final rinse just picks things up that final notch."
One of my friends from the U.K. has a British turn of phrase that I enjoy using; it sort of sums up what you're saying:
"It adds just that to it."
ptcruiser51
Well-known member
Bull-Dog Blue
My dear aunt used this for whites having gone thru the Maytag wringer into the deep rinse-sink in the Youngstown. It was in a squat bottle almost like fountain pen ink, and the top was a twist-type like you still see on Parmesan cheese jars. The label had a fearsome-looking bulldog on it. A few shots of that into the (cold) rinse water, a little pashuka-pashuka with your hands and it was ready to go. I remember as a child I asked her what it was for, Auntie said, "It's to make white things nice so your mother won't bitch about them". Auntie was not one to mince words....
My dear aunt used this for whites having gone thru the Maytag wringer into the deep rinse-sink in the Youngstown. It was in a squat bottle almost like fountain pen ink, and the top was a twist-type like you still see on Parmesan cheese jars. The label had a fearsome-looking bulldog on it. A few shots of that into the (cold) rinse water, a little pashuka-pashuka with your hands and it was ready to go. I remember as a child I asked her what it was for, Auntie said, "It's to make white things nice so your mother won't bitch about them". Auntie was not one to mince words....
The bottle cost me about $1.99 and they had several there. I find all kinds of stuff at this Hispanic grocer. I am waiting to see if they will have Mexican Persil. They do carry 1.2.3. that works very well and I picked up some phosphated Mexican Ariel Double Poder that I have to say cleans very well and when mixed with Tide HE Powder is a powerhouse combo in my frontloader. I am going to try the Bluette on my whites only, I dont have any issues with greying or dinginess and my whites are always very clean and I dont run them thru the gas dryer, always thru my electric GE Profile dryer or out on the line.
Ptcruiser51, absolutely correct Bulldog Bluing, with the little shaker bottle, my mom and grandmother used it in the last rinse in the laundry tub with ice cold water to rinse out all whites then pass them through the Maytag wringer and hang on the line.. a few drops made a whole laundry tub of water.. back then it was almost like a contest to see which neighbor had the whitest whites, underwear, socks, pure white cotton sheets.(lived in Italian neighborhood in NJ).
