Looking for the whitest whites possible.

[oliger]

I am looking for advice on how to get gleaming super white clothes. Specifically socks. My socks slowly darken on the bottom side over time. I recently found a place to get phosphates, and it made a small difference, but the discoloration is still there.
I am aware that line-drying makes clothes whiter.
I am looking for suggestions on:
Detergent
Chlorine vs oxygen bleach
Methods of soaking etc.
Anything that will make a difference.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Whites

There are numerous factors that will affect how white your clothes are. If your socks are slowly darkening on the bottom it is likely due to dirt not being fully removed, of course. So a strong detergent in hot water is key to remove it. Oxygenated bleach is to bleach any potential stains that remain. One key is rinsing. If not adequate enough, whites will be dingy. Personally, I use Tide powder for a good combo of cleaning and whitening. However, I do highly recommend Tide Ultra Stain Release as well. It 'cleans' better than Tide powder but does not have the whitening effect that the powder does. Of course you can add Oxygenated Bleach to induce that effect. Phosphates are a good additive as well as it will help keep the soils in suspension and boost detergent effects. Soaking is great as long as you are using cool or warm water to allow the enzymes to work on stains that require it. Personally I don't usually have protein, blood, or other stains that require enzymes or warm water, so I generally do not perform soaks. However, other people will have other opinions.

 

[chachp]

Cleaning Whites

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">My routine is based on months of experimenting.  Two issues I had to consider were an allergy/sensitivity to fragrance so I have to be careful there and we have mechanically softened water.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">We have a F/L washer with the ability to heat the water.</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I use Miele Ultra White Powder detergent and OxiClean powder.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I set the machine for a PreWash and Sanitize.  I think it heats to about 161 degrees.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">The PreWash gets a small scoop of OxiClean and about 1/4 scoop of powder detergent</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">The remainder of the detergent goes in the Detergent dispenser</span>

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I don't do any additives in the rinse but I do set for an extra rinse.   Cycle time is about 3 hours.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Our whites are screaming white.  We had an issue with the darkness on the white socks and all that is gone.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Hope that helps.  You will likely get as many options as you get replies.  I am aware that the Miele white powder does contain oxygen bleach as some will likely remind me, but I will tell you I can tell when I forget the OxiClean.  They just seem to need that extra boost.</span>

 

[vacerator]

The "whites" cycle on my

new Samsung FL is long, but not the hottest temp. Max. bleach line in the dispensor isn't very much, but neither is the water level. It does a great job. Only needs 2 rinses to get most of the bleach scent out. My white loads are usually small. Just socks, dish cloths,and drying towels, and face/hand towels. A few select T shirts or mens briefs. If there is a stain, I pretreat, and use normal cycle with the hottest water temp.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Cycles

I should have mentioned, generally I do use the whites cycle for multiple reasons. It uses slightly more water than the normal and heavy duty cycle, has powerful interim spins, more aggressive tumble pattern, and uses tap hot water (~140ºF once the machine is full). Using the sanitize option on this cycle boosts temperature to 155ºF. Of course, stains that are difficult are pretreated.
Another additive I recommend is ammonia. Using 1 cup in the wash makes a big difference. Just be sure to never mix with chlorine bleach.

 

[imperial70]

my routine (and I like to think I have the whites whites, including socks)
Front loader with Extra Hot setting (it heats the water to 140 IIRC)
Tide Powder with bleach.

 

[oliger]

I probably should have mentioned my washing machine. It is a Maytag 806 - traditional toploading machine.
A few of you have mentioned "Whites cycle" I have no such thing. Although I do use hot wash water.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> I am looking for suggestions on:
>> ...
>> Anything that will make a difference.

There's a lot of visual trickery in making white colors appear "white" to the human eye.
Many "white" paints, for example, aren't pure white, but instead have a hint of blue in them.

For laundry, do some searches and read up on "bluing" for the old-school technique, and then for something more modern, start researching the "optical brighteners" aka "Fluorescent Whitening Agents" in modern detergents. Not all detergents have them due to environmental concerns. If you have an older washer, your owners manual might even have a section with specific bluing instructions. (Older Maytags did.)

 

[toploader55]

HEY !!!

Where is Laundress ???

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Where is Laundress ???

Good call - she would certainly have a good answer to this question.

 

[toploader55]

I hope she's Ok... seems like she hasn't been around for a bit.

 

[vacerator]

For sure!

Laundress posts no name, or locale oter than mountains. Does anyone know her personally? Has she been to any wash in's? Perhaps she is a classified person and inside that mountain in Colorado etc.?

 

[imperial70]

I believe laundress hales from NY city or somewhere near there from some of her references. I hope that person is safe and sound. NY is getting hammered by the virus.

 

[circlew]

I'm quite certain she lives in NYC, and says her name is Cimberley, or something like that. She's mentioned about being a nurse on some occasions. Hope Launderess is OK.

 

[combo52]

I do hope She is OK, living in NY city and being African American does make me worry a little.

 

John L.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Would it be inappropriate to ask if any member who might have contact information ask if she's ok?

For some reason I mentally picture her living in a Brownstone on Striver's Row (or similar area, perhaps to the east?). Said Brownstone is unrestored because it was always kept up. The original 1890's single pipe steam heating system is still in service.

If I had to guess why I think all this, I'd say from the steam heat thread a few years back.

Or maybe I'm conflating several similar, but unrelated sources of information.

[this post was last edited: 4/17/2020-18:39]

 

[warmsecondrinse]

BLUETTE ...

... is still around!

My grand-aunt Phil used "bluing" in her whites. She kept it in a cobalt blue bottle that had a "whiskey pourer" top, like from a bar. I don't remember the larger container the bluing came in. I do remember her saying it was to get her whites really white.

I know some older relatives used Bluette and were happy with it.

Actually, this is a timely topic for me. Work requires I always wear solid colors that contrast with my skin so I have hardly anything white.

However, to reduce my paper towel dependency as much as possible I've bought 100 cleaning rags (like dish rags but a bit thicker) and a few dozen over-sized hand towels, all white. I should see just how white I can get them

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[gorenje]

Whites whites

I know that the two type of machines are completely different... but

In a front loader (a standard European profile wash front loader) it is really very easy to have whitest whites if you are washing properly.

I don't have that much whites as others colors, but still have pretty much and I want them to stay white so I am washing them on a long 90°C cycle with a good powder detergent containing 30% of oxygen bleach. I have never ever used chlorine bleach for doing laundry because the high temperature and oxygen bleach does the job without yellowing and damaging the clothes.
(Some people prefer 60°C, but I prefer 90°C)

Whites come out always brilliant.

Another important thing I've noticed for whites is that if you have some very dirty whites (like I do for example for my working uniforms) don't wash them straight ahead with the other whites that aren't so dirty.
I first soak my dirty whites uniforms overnight in a bucket again with a powder detergent and the next day I wash them along with the other whites as described.

Ingemar

 

[vacerator]

Hi Ingemar!

How is everyone over there? Anyone with the virous? I spoke to a gal from Albania who works at the Italian gourmet store we shop at 2 weeks ago. She said she hadn't heard any bad news from home then.