Looking for the whitest whites possible.

[oliger]

I have very hard water from 100 year old galvanized pipes. My house is completely carpeted in 1970s green shag. It is probably not clean, but I do shampoo it frequently. I do use a gas dryer, although for whites I use a clothesline. My bed sheets are very white since I started using bluing. I never had a problem with them, and I wash them about once a week. I only have trouble with socks. I do wear shoes with dark insoles, and I think that may be part of the issue.

 

[bradfordwhite]

help in a bottle

 

If your whites have been exposed to iron it's probably going to take something like this to get rid of the orange making them look bad.

 

Iron Out

 

Half a cup in a couple of gallons and let your whites soak for about 10 minutes.  Then wash as usual.

 

Could possibly work on colored fabrics as well but you need to test for them being color fast.   

 

 

[gorenje]

I agree completely with "Launderess" and that's exactly what it has to be done from the start and I've been doing always (and not only me)
Golden rules.

I also agree with "foraloysius" ... whites can easily stay white (or even became whiter) even if they are old or if they were very dirty. They simply have to be washed properly.
The evidence is clear from my pictures above. Even black edges of the pants or black socks can turn white.

But I would also say that are whites and whites... some cotton fibers tend to be white easier than others and some whites are from the start some kind of whiter shade than other.

 

[foraloysius]

Here are my white poloshirts. Some of them are old some of them I bought a few months ago (the ones with the striping on them).

 

[bradfordwhite]

I have to admit, I've never tried Bluing.

 

Learn something new every day.

 

[foraloysius]

Just for the record, no blueing was used in achieving my white results.

 

[henene4]

Damn Louis

That is a beautiful place, not only to dry laundry!

 

[foraloysius]

Thank you Henrik, I really enjoy living here.