I'm not exactly June Cleaver, you might be able to tell. ha.....does anybody have a good solution for getting white stuff to stay white? I wash my whites in hot water with the recommended amount of bleach, and it just doesn't seem to do much. My t-shirts I work out in just look dingy gray after a few months....any particular detergent you guys find works better than others? should I use more bleach? Or should I perhaps consider getting a better washer?
This may seem old fashioned but have you ever tried using Borax (along with your normal detergent) with your whites? This seems to brighten them up if they've gone dingy. I wash my husband's and son's white karate uniforms and add Borax into the wash and I can see a visible difference between the white of their uniforms and some of the others in their class.
Anyone remember bluing? Does it even still exist? I know my grandmother added it to the rinse water for whites, and apparently, a blue tinge makes whites appear whiter.
I don't use bleach regularly, but I do wash my blues with my whites, and it really does seem to help.
You could try using something like Oxyclean (powder) to your whites instead of bleach. DO NOT use them together -- the fumes are powerful (spoken from experience. )
I usually do whites on hot water, sometimes letting them soak for 5 mins after the bleach has been dispensed. I'll often do a second rinse to really get out all the bleach too.
My hubby and I wear white shirts with our uniform and I always hang my whites in the shade. Stops the sun from making them go yellow. My Mum always use washing soda with her whites, Don't know much about bleach. But I will try that vinegar one for my boys gear.
Vinegar is also great for removing perspiration stains. Soak some on the stains for awhile b/4 washing. I've found that Oxyclean powder added to the wash helps take out lots of stains too (esp. the kid's stuff!)