Washing White Underwear in Hot Water

[philcobendixduo]

For as long as I can remember, I've washed my crew t-shirts, briefs and socks (all white) in HOT water with bleach for the longest wash time (14 minutes on my machine). I don't recall having any issues with this washing method causing damage to the clothes but now, it seems my briefs are shot after 2 years or so. The elastic is completely stretched out around the top and the legs making them very baggy. I have 28 briefs so they don't get washed THAT frequently. I know that washing directions are for warm or cold water wash but, really, who wants to wash underwear in cold (or warm) water? Is there ANY men's underwear that can be safely washed in hot water or do I just have to start washing in warm water? The brand, BTW, is Haynes.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I think the bleach may be affecting the elastic more than the hot water. I mean putting them in the hot dryer doesn't seem to affect them, so I'm not sure why the hot water would be any different. I don't know.

 

[DADoES]

 
Any washing method causes some deterioration ... faster or slower depending on the aggressiveness involved.  It's a trade-off.

Reduce the agitation time?  Use a slower speed?

 

[yogitunes]

you have to factor in the quality of materials used.....

as with anything else, not what they used to be.....

and as we learned with a lot of things, from a manufacturers standpoint, they wear out faster needing replacement sooner....

most designer names can be a bit of a 'your only buying it for the name'.....probably a few exceptions are Calvin Klein or Jockey seem to be a bit more sturdy....

we can always introduce you to some upgrades as well......

 

[ea56]

Two things come to mind. First of all, the quality of moderately priced underwear like Hanes and Fruit of the Loom has deteriorated over the years. I personally like FTL white briefs, and I’ve noticed that they aren’t quite as long lasting as they used to be. But for the excellent price and the good fit, the trade off is worth it if they have to be replaced more frequently.

The second thing is, if your weight tends to fluctuate, this can cause stress on the elastic, stretch it out and it won’t bounce back when you drop a few pounds. I know this from personal experience, because all my life if been up and down the scales, though not so much for the past 4-5 years.

I wouldn’t stop what your doing in your laundering practices, you are doing the right thing.

Also, I bought some Gildan briefs, which are another moderately priced underwear, and they seem to use a little better quality cotton fabric and elastic. But that being said, I’ve noticed that in one pair of briefs the elastic in the legs has stretched way out, and my weight has been stable the whole time I’ve owned them, so I think it’s just dud pair, the rest of the 12 pairs have held up great.

Eddie

 

[iowabear]

Agree with the quality of materials going down

I've noticed the same thing. I buy boxer briefs at big box stores.  The better ones, but nothing at Target is going to be "high-quality."  I like to have plenty on hand and I replace them all in a batch so I don't have to worry about some being more worn than others.

 

You can't count on any brand or model being consistent, so when replacement time comes I usually buy a "trial" package and if I deem them acceptable I'll buy a month's supply of them.  The second to the last batch elastic didn't last long so for the last batch I switched to warm water.  Didn't seem to make much difference, they still stretched out.  I remember they used to get holes in them and the band was still good.  No more.

 

Sign of the times.  At least they are cheap!

 

[michaelman2]

Eddie, I also have several pair of the Gildan briefs and they remind me of the quality and construction of the old FtLoom. I really like them and they are sturdy and remain decent after numerious launderings.

When I worked for Saks they had a private label on which I would get a substantial discount. I decided to try a pack of three briefs and three boxer briefs. These things literally came apart after the first laundering. I mean the seams came apart, the fabric was pulled away from the elastic waistband. Terrible.

I didn’t return them, however, I did let let the manager in that area know my experience. I can’t imagine anyone paying the crazy high retail price for such schlock. Not to mention why Saks would have something so crappy in their stock. Last check they have not changed one iota.

I now have six dust rags that read “Saks Fifth Ave”... kind of the ultimate pretentious paradox.

Since I learned about using STPP via this site, I rarely, if ever use a bleaching agent with whites

 

[appnut]

Glad I'm not alone with having white personal garments--mine of choice are boxer briefs and V-neck undershirts.  Glad to know I'm not the only one who has a month's supply either.  I've experienced the same phenomenon as the rest of you.  I've been buying/wearing Hanes for decades.  I no longer use LCB any longer either.  Tide with Bleach Alternative.  This load gets washed mostly on Whites heavy soil which reaches a temperature of 125-130 degrees.  I initially did this load on Allergen after I got my Duet because the temperature was over 130 degrees for several minutes, but found it hard on the elastic.  Kitchen cleaning rags and terry napkins are done on Sanitize.  Drying temperature is medium.  I stopped using high heat once I had front loaders due to better moisture removal.  The sad thing is I've in some ways come to expect this.  I just got rid of about 6 pair because the elastic was so bad they wouldn't stay up any longer.  I'll see how long the new pairs (10) I bought in August last. 

 

[DADoES]

 
I bought a couple packages of Gildan ankle sock while ago.  Love them.  They're not so oversized as the typical size 8-to-11, so fit more snugly, and are holding up well.  There were none upon checking again @ the WM source a few weeks ago.  Worn socks are recycled to cleaning rags.

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

I usually get my boxer/briefs at BJ's (yeah I know there's a joke in there somewhere). Their store brand. They wear well and last a year or so before the elastic starts to go. As for T shirts, Stafford (JCPenny) heavy weight T's are very good quality and last for years. Their briefs too are good quality.

 

I agree with Eddie, I wouldn't change your washing practices. I too wash whites in hot, and a bit of bleach. Can't stand dingy whites.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

Hanes has quite a few lines of briefs these days. I buy the "Comfort Soft" ones because I think they're closest to the line they used to have. I also wash them in Hot. I use 1/2 cup of bleach in a large load in top-load washer (Maytag A606). The bleach does weaken the elastic over time, but I don't think it any happens sooner than it used to.

 

[justjunque]

So good to know!

Hey guys.

I've learned so much from this thread!
I never use hot water or chlorine bleach on my whites, because the label says not to.
Yes, they tend to get dingy. (dingey? I never know how to spell that)
But I figured there was nothing I could do about it.
I've tried peroxide based whiteners, but I never felt like they did much, if anything.

As for underwear brands:
I've been loyal to the big names. FOTL, and Hanes.
It seems like the quality gets worse, basically with each waistband design change.
I didn't even know that Gildan made underwear.
I've already ordered a few pair to try.
And I'll take a look at JC Penney's as well!

Barry

 

[appnut]

Barry, to put it bluntly, I don't usually pay attention to care labels.  Why?  Because they all say wash in cold and if any heat is an option, it's "warm".  All this is probably because people are too dumb to know how to properly wash any more and they end up shrinking things sometimes.  Also companies are so afraid someone is going to sue them.  But I want certain things truly clean with hot water.  I cannot imagine washing cotton towels (of any color), undergarments, cotton sheets, cotton cleaning cloths and the like in anything but hot water.  I had some really dirty kakhi cotton wrinkle free shorts.  The whole lot of them got washed in a "medium" hot water (between 115-120 degrees). 

 

[justjunque]

Tide with bleach alternative

Is Tide w/bleach alternative non-chlorine?
In other words, safe to use on colors?

Y'all have inspired me to start doing whites, towels, etc in hot water.
I'm ready to get a little rebellious! Lol

Barry

 

[fan-of-fans]

I've bought Gildan socks at Walmart but for underwear I use Fruit of the Loom and for undershirts I use Hanes crewneck. I used to hang the undershirts to dry but now I always run through the dryer and they look much better. I do not use briefs anymore but instead use the boxer briefs in colors, but haven't had any problem with the elastic.

 

[yogitunes]

Tide w/Bleach.....powder

is an excellent detergent for all loads, white or colors.....

great cleaning, fantastic scent....

the liquid version I find to be so-so....better as a pretreater

 

[ea56]

I agree with Bob about washing in hot water. I wash just about everything in hot water, and never have had any problems with shrinkage. Most everything is preshrunk these days, they used to call this “sanforized”, but I date myself.

Yes, hot water washing does cause things to fade a little faster, but I’d rather have clean with a little fading, instead of stinky and grimy, but no fading. The only things I wash in cold water are the sheer window panels and the synthetic slipcovers in warm, which in todays washers is cold for all intents and purposes.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 9/8/2018-19:12]

 

[DADoES]

 
Any bleach in detergent is oxygen bleach so typically is touted as "safe for all fabrics" ... but oxygen bleach can and does fade unstable (non-fast) dyes so the usage instruction always warn to test it on "an inconspicuous corner or seam" of such items.

 

[justjunque]

Thanks Martin

We're pretty much Tide loyalists, but we use the "Original" in liquid form.
We've been pretty happy with it, so we've just stuck with it.
I'll check out the powder w/bleach alternative though.
Maybe we'll alternate or something.
Who knows...we might like it better, and that will become our go-to.

Barry

P.S.
And thank you, everyone who responded while I was (slowly) typing a reply!