I have one cotton blend (poly?) white shirt that I need to use for a party. Our local cleaners have managed to make it look dingy and kinda yellow. Anybody have any ideas to get it decent for one more wear?
Cotton blend shirt
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whirlcool
Well-known member
Is it more cotton or poly? (50/50, 60/40, 70/30)?
No matter the percentages, both fabrics can take hot water. I would wash it in hot water with powder detergent, STPP and oxygen bleach. It should come out as white as fresh snow.
Got to agree, oxygen bleach. My fav is Clorox, hate oxiclean.
launderess
Well-known member
Polyester is the problem.
That textile is known for holding onto body oils and various soils which is why anything white made in whole or part from the fiber usually ends up various shades of tattle-tale grey.
Polyester is a thermoplastic fiber, so in theory if hot or even very hot to boiling water temps are used it fabric must be cooled properly or any creases from spinning or otherwise will be set permanently.
Would not use chlorine bleach but perhaps those Tide "Vivid" products which claim to remove dingy film and whiten with extra dose of OBAs.
Years ago at least in Europe one could find detergents such as Dato especially for white Polyester and other man made fibers. These were designed to be used in front loaders with hot or even very hot water but contained high levels of surfactants and even oxygen bleaches to deal with overcoming the problems above. Key to this also would have been a washing machine with a proper dedicated "easy cares" cycle.
That textile is known for holding onto body oils and various soils which is why anything white made in whole or part from the fiber usually ends up various shades of tattle-tale grey.
Polyester is a thermoplastic fiber, so in theory if hot or even very hot to boiling water temps are used it fabric must be cooled properly or any creases from spinning or otherwise will be set permanently.
Would not use chlorine bleach but perhaps those Tide "Vivid" products which claim to remove dingy film and whiten with extra dose of OBAs.
Years ago at least in Europe one could find detergents such as Dato especially for white Polyester and other man made fibers. These were designed to be used in front loaders with hot or even very hot water but contained high levels of surfactants and even oxygen bleaches to deal with overcoming the problems above. Key to this also would have been a washing machine with a proper dedicated "easy cares" cycle.
whirlcool
Well-known member
The reason I asked the blend is because in the past my uniform shirts would yellow after a year or two. Those were the 70/30 blend shirts. The 60/40 shirts would do it too, but it would take longer. So I finally went with the 100% cotton shirts which never yellowed at all. After looking back on it now even though the 100% cotton shirts needed itoning, they held up better and were more comfortable to wear. Especially in the summer.
launderess
Well-known member
Cotton is a hydrophilic fiber, meaning it loves water. Polyester OTHO is a hydrophobic fiber meaning it repels water.
Because polyester repels water it is very difficult to launder compared to natural fibers such as linen or cotton. If you cannot get water to deeply penetrate the textile's fibers it is difficult to remove soils and oils.
It's water hating property is why polyester does not wrinkle so easily but also means it does not "breathe" either. Again this is why polyester garments are so uncomfortable to wear in warm or hot weather. Anyone who wore a poly leisure suit or garments made from that fiber to a disco can relate.
Because polyester repels water it is very difficult to launder compared to natural fibers such as linen or cotton. If you cannot get water to deeply penetrate the textile's fibers it is difficult to remove soils and oils.
It's water hating property is why polyester does not wrinkle so easily but also means it does not "breathe" either. Again this is why polyester garments are so uncomfortable to wear in warm or hot weather. Anyone who wore a poly leisure suit or garments made from that fiber to a disco can relate.
"they held up better and were more comfortable to wear"
You bet. The body is much happier wrapped in cotton than petrochemicals.
Good grief, some people are sleeping on polyester sheets these days. I'd sleep on a floor first. I suppose it's just the thing to go with our microwaved plastic food and chloramine drinking water.
You bet. The body is much happier wrapped in cotton than petrochemicals.
Good grief, some people are sleeping on polyester sheets these days. I'd sleep on a floor first. I suppose it's just the thing to go with our microwaved plastic food and chloramine drinking water.
launderess
Well-known member
Cotton/Polyester, Polyester, even Nylon Bed/Table Linen
Are not new, they exploded onto the scene during the 1960's "wash and wear" craze on both sides of the Atlantic and elsewhere.
Housewives fed up with ironing bed and table linen and or sending it to laundry were supposed to be delighted with these "no iron" or "easy care" products. In reality the truth was often different than theory.
Yes, many did like them others found sleeping on such things horrible.
Neither polyester or nylon breathe so just as with those horrible leisure suits things turned into a hot, sticky, clammy mess. Then there was the problem of laundering. As noted above polyester does not like water and tends to hold soils/oils. So after awhile linens turned yellow and or tattle-gray. Excessive use of hot or boiling water was O-W-T unless an excellent cool down process followed.
Being as all this may some persons then and now swear by cotton/man made fiber blends or pure man made fiber (such as nylon) bed linen. Have friends in Europe whose mothers and grandmothers think such things are the cat's meow.
Regarding table linen again to cut down laundry costs much of what is sold/rented for commercial or purchased for domestic use is poly/cotton blends. This applies at least to middle and lower price points and in some cases reaching into the high end. People either don't want to iron their linens nor pay someone else to do it either.
This being said a small percentage of polyester does make for bed and table linen that is easier to iron even by machine. Many hospitals have long chucked pure cotton muslin sheets in favour of a cotton/poly blend. This demand can and has often come from their laundry and or whomever they rent their linen.
Cost savings come in part because the addition of polyester makes for lighter linens, and since commercial laundries largely charge by the pound even a small percentage reduction in weight can make a huge difference. This is especially true when one has laundry bills for hundreds of pounds of wash per month.
The addition of polyester also means less heat/energy is used for drying and or ironing since both must be done at lower temps. Also with the addition of polyester there is less creasing as compared to pure cotton hence a reduction of the need to iron at all. Feel sure some places simply "wash, fluff, and fold".
Are not new, they exploded onto the scene during the 1960's "wash and wear" craze on both sides of the Atlantic and elsewhere.
Housewives fed up with ironing bed and table linen and or sending it to laundry were supposed to be delighted with these "no iron" or "easy care" products. In reality the truth was often different than theory.
Yes, many did like them others found sleeping on such things horrible.
Neither polyester or nylon breathe so just as with those horrible leisure suits things turned into a hot, sticky, clammy mess. Then there was the problem of laundering. As noted above polyester does not like water and tends to hold soils/oils. So after awhile linens turned yellow and or tattle-gray. Excessive use of hot or boiling water was O-W-T unless an excellent cool down process followed.
Being as all this may some persons then and now swear by cotton/man made fiber blends or pure man made fiber (such as nylon) bed linen. Have friends in Europe whose mothers and grandmothers think such things are the cat's meow.
Regarding table linen again to cut down laundry costs much of what is sold/rented for commercial or purchased for domestic use is poly/cotton blends. This applies at least to middle and lower price points and in some cases reaching into the high end. People either don't want to iron their linens nor pay someone else to do it either.
This being said a small percentage of polyester does make for bed and table linen that is easier to iron even by machine. Many hospitals have long chucked pure cotton muslin sheets in favour of a cotton/poly blend. This demand can and has often come from their laundry and or whomever they rent their linen.
Cost savings come in part because the addition of polyester makes for lighter linens, and since commercial laundries largely charge by the pound even a small percentage reduction in weight can make a huge difference. This is especially true when one has laundry bills for hundreds of pounds of wash per month.
The addition of polyester also means less heat/energy is used for drying and or ironing since both must be done at lower temps. Also with the addition of polyester there is less creasing as compared to pure cotton hence a reduction of the need to iron at all. Feel sure some places simply "wash, fluff, and fold".
Since dry cleaning didn't help, how did John Travolta have his white Saturday Night Fever suit so white? It must have been new. Also wonder how all the men on soap operas have the whitest shirts, seem whiter than out of the package.
polkanut
Well-known member
John Travolta's Saturday Night Fever character lived at home so it might be that his stay-at-home mother had lots of time to devote to the proper laundering of his disco clothes. Just saying.
Polyester is plastic and we've all seen how most plastic appliances yellow in time. LOL
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