Looking for the whitest whites possible.

[vacerator]

Thank You Ingemar-HUGS too!

We're all fine. Southeast Michigan has been affected third hardest after New Jersey, and New York. Even some supermarket employees have died.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Wash-In

Has anyone heard of details for this years Wash-In? I’m very interested in attending.

 

[gorenje]

Poor people, that is so sad.

Stay safe Mike and stay safe all of you.

 

[sarahperdue]

Whites!

Very timely thread for me. We have white sheets and towels, and most everything comes out OK except the bottom sheets which come out a bit dingy.

I start them in hot (SQ TL) with detergent and a generous scoop or two of oxygen bleach and alternate soaking and agitating sometimes soaking overnight. I don't do this method--overkill--every wash, but periodically. Then usually (in good weather) line dry. I'm still not quite satisfied with the bottom sheets. I know a very long soak in oxygen bleach works on many tough stains.

What I've learned from this thread so far is that I may need to rinse more. Would it be a good idea to add a cup of vinegar to the rinse? What about the ammonia? Should I try an ammonia wash?

And finally, since I'm asking about sheets. I prefer vintage 100% cotton percale sheets. The top sheets keep their original slightly crisp texture longer than the bottom sheets. The bottom sheets get softer and the weave becomes less defined. Anything I can do about that or is that just the way sheets wear?

And I second concerns about Launderess. I am sorry for those who have been hit hard by this virus either by health or economic stability. Those who have lost loved ones have my deepest sympathy.

Sarah

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Re: 21 & 23

#21:

There're no specific plans that I'm aware of as there's no way to know when travel will become advisable. However, there seems to be a general consensus that we'll need at least one once we're past this current crisis.

#23:

The bottom sheets have body weight on them so there's much more physical abrasion sop they'll show wear sooner. Not much to be done about that.

I remember being sort of stuck with the same situation but I don't think it was sheets. I'd wash the 'clean' sheets with a cup of ammonia. I think I used 2 cups but that might've been too strong (expert opinion, please?) and I was just lucky. Anyway, full cycle with just ammonia , no detergent and do an extra rinse. Then do the same but use 2 cups of vinegar instead of ammonia. That should wash out any residual detergent and dirt possibly trapped within. I'd use the hottest water you're comfortable with.

That might do the trick. If not, at least you'll have a more accurate picture of the dinginess.

One thing that has worked when nothing else has is Didi7. I know a lot of people tend to roll their eyes but I've had it work miracles just like in their commercials years ago. If you're dealing with general dinginess and not a specific stain, I'd dissolve the Didi7 FULLY in a cup of hot water and use that in place of detergent. The directions tell how much to use for a TL, I've forgotten what, but that's what I followed.

Hope this helps,

Jim

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Washing Whites:

As we have all white sheets and towels and I insist on white undergarments. (My commercial laundry background) I launder them in the SQ FL as follows.  

Hot Pre-Wash with Tide detergent which ends up warm which is ideal (Skip this with towels only used once and purge hot water line).

 

Hot wash on Whites cycle, Heavy Soil, Hot (140F) water that is very soft (I have an EcoWater system). Tide liquid HE Turbo and Clorox Bleach.

Run all 5 rinses with 2 TBL Mountain Spring Downy in final rinse. 

DO NOT use more FS than this as it will gunk up your machines and waterproof the towels. Always use the maximum number of rinses when using LCB to avoid fabric damage in the dryer. 

 

Launderess:  Are you OK dear lady? We are concerned about you.  I also have a sister in NYC and I am a bit concerned.  

WK78

 

[askolover]

Tide with bleach powder with extra oxiclean added.  Or this stuff called White Out I buy at walmart.  Run through the extended cycle in the Miele on 190F hot water.  If it don't come out, it WON'T come out!

 

[ozzie908]

@sarah re white sheets

Has your combiner's unit been installed yet? That may get your sheets whiter as it will heat the water won't it? Start on cool and let it heat with a good detergent and it should end your dingy sheet woes... It works with ours as we have all white bedding and nothing comes out dingy.

Austin

 

[henene4]

I have a lot of white T-Shirts with prints and such.

And I have to confess: Those loads are probably my biggest laundry "sin".

Since I wash for my own I work around a bit.

I wash my underwear (socks and underpants), my white T-Shirts and my colored T-Shirts (like only 4-5 a week) in one load.
I don't wear the colored shirts outside, so the bleaching on them dosen't mean much.

I use a long 40C (104F cycle) depending on soil with a prewash.

Items are worn about once, so that works fine.

To ensure some sanitary treatment I use a powdered detergent and add a good scoop of an oxygen additive.

For my white towels I just run a long 60C (140F) with a small dose of detergent (the soiling is verry little usual) and a large dose of oxy additive.

For my bedding I often run a prewash before the 60C cycle due to the kind of soiling.
Then normal dose of detergent and oxy.

Only time I use chlorine bleach is on kitchen towels and cleaning racks or white curtains.

One thing to look for in a detergent is an "optical brightener" aka blueing.

Over here at least I always noticed that hospital whites were less white than householdwhites.
Reason is that their detergents don't contain these additives which are technicly a blueing.

Only with that optical trick you get those "blinding white in the sunlight" results.
That's the same reason well washed whites look glowimg blue under UV light and well washed colors shouldn't.

 

[rp2813]

Launderess

I was considering launching a thread to inquire about our beloved Launderess/Cimberlie.

 

I've been fearing the worst, but if he's a nurse, then he likely hasn't had much leisure time.  I hope that's the reason he's been absent as opposed to something much worse.

 

Re: living in the mountains, that person is likely the ever-controversial and uber-paranoid Keven, AKA Panthera.  AFAIK, not a soul here has inquired about his absence, which speaks volumes about the general sentiment.  There is a lather, rinse, repeat aspect to his periodic vanishing acts.

 

[sarahperdue]

@ Austin re: combo

Hi Austin,

My combo has not been installed yet, and when it is, it will be in my grandparents' house about two hours from our primary residence. I'm very much looking forward to giving it a work out, but I need white sheets here in our primary residence in Tuscaloosa.

Thanks,
Sarah

 

[mrboilwash]

Could be wrong but reading between the lines I always imagined Launderess might have been a nurse in the past and then might have settled for a collect and bring laundry service. You wouldn`t even need a shop for a mom and pop business model like this.
I`m sure she`s just fine and only taking a little break.
It`s a hard time we`re living in right now and not everybody might find the time or feel like posting here a lot at the moment.

 

[thomasortega]

Just to add some laughs...

Nothing beats this product in terms of whitest whites.

 

[sarahperdue]

Better...

After a hot wash and overnight soak in detergent (liquid scent and dye free store brand) plus 2 scoops of oxygen bleach, full hot cycle with a cup of ammonia and full cycle with a cup of vinegar, the bottom sheet is much better but not perfect--

Perhaps a similar regimen with new sheets will prevent the dinginess altogether.

Here's an example from our clothesline. The top sheet is placed over the bottom and you can see a very white patch on the sheet where I darned it. So, not screaming white but much better.

Thanks for all of the help.

Sarah

 

[askolover]

I asked Launderess once if she was a nurse.  She had some nurse's training but it wasn't for her.  So, according to what she said to me, she isn't.

 

Back to the whites....you could always boil them on the stove top with oxiclean or an oxygen bleach enhanced detergent like German Persil pearls.  Sometimes I add some Mrs. Stewart's Bluing to the rinse water (I put it on my white cat too!)

 

[DADoES]

 
I ran across mention somewhere of using an InstaPot for mini boil-washing.

 

[askolover]

or get a lessiveuse

 

[lotsosudz]

IWASH IN HOT!

I put them in my LG front load on Sanitary with Persil, chlorine bleach on the sanitary cycle on Extra hot, and let it roll. When I come back, They are blinding white, and smell great.

 

[gorenje]

Before & After - load of dirty whites on 90°C

Here are the pictures of my last load of whites on sanitary cycle on 90°C.

The 3 pairs of work pants were put on soak overnight in a bucket with the same powder detergent I used for the wash.

After the wash all the nasty dirt came out, even the literally black edges of the pants and the stained knees. All sparkling white.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Instant Pot

I have done this numerous times. I find that washcloths actually come out fairly clean using this method because of the very high temps and oxygenated bleach. I do recommend heating slowly and using an enzyme detergent to try and remove some of the protein stains before roasting them into the fibers.