Another thing....Tide with Bleach powder can fade colors. So ca n Oxiclean. Any oxygen bleach detergent or booster can cause fading. As for the mostly whites with maybe a small emblem like a golf shirt and the emblem bleeds out into the white..the shirt manufacturer is to blame for that. They didn't do a good enough job with the colorfast than it bleeds onto the white. I return clothing that does that. I had a cute navy and white striped shirt and first wash the navy bleed into the white..you can bet I returned it.

I ran a small experiment last night. A few days ago I spilled a cup of very strong black coffee. I grabbed 2 flour sack towels to sop up the coffee so the towels were now brown. Than I let the towels sit for three days. Last night (late) I put the towels in the kitchen sink with cool water and a few drizzles of Persil liquid. I let them soak about 20 minutes than pulled them out. The water was pretty discolored but so were the towels.... which I expected. Next I put tap hot in the sink about 125F along with a heaping teaspoon of pure sodium percarbonate and the towels. I went to bed. Got up this morning and found the towels snowy white and the water crystal clear....LOL.

Motto...... order yourself some pure sodium percarbonate (oxygen bleach) . It really does do a wonderful job of whitening even with tap hot. Its also not expensive. I think under 20 dollars for 5 pounds. Considering the price of oxiclean which is more than 50% washing soda. ..pure sodium percarbonate is a steal.

Tide with Bleach powder should be reserved for whites and lights considering it contains oxygen bleach. Oxygen Bleach is often referred to as the **color safe** bleach but it could cause fading. We do try to preserve our colors by using detergent that doesn't contain OB's, watching water temp, using less aggressive detergents, turning clothing inside out....so it doesn't make sense to than use a oxygen bleach based detergent on colors. This however isn't the launderess' s fault its the detergent manufacturers fault for touting oxygen bleach as being safe for colors just to boost their sells. In the US most people want one detergent for all their laundry needs not understanding the importance of having a detergent just for whites and lights. In Europe the leading detergent is Persil...the Persil Perls are for whites (like the US Tide with Bleach powder) Europeans wouldn't use the Persil Perls on colors because they understand it can and will fade....the US is way behind the times with this issue.

I'm fairly sure, memory having it's shortcomings, you know, but I am fairly sure that my grandmother would have used sunlight and some blue dye. I don't see sunlight mentioned on the forums. It is probably difficult to use these days.

Edit to add; I mean sunlight from the sun. Subsequent posters confused it with a brand Sunlight.

Albert I'm pretty sure your grandma did use Sunlight to wash clothes. This is a Sunlight laundry picture.

A box of this Sunlight laundry detergent is in my closet with my stash.

Albert your grandma wouldn't have used the Sunlight powder I posted. She would have used the Sunlight bars or shredded soap. Her laundry job was for sure a very time consuming and back breaking job.

I meant sunlight from the sun. Not a brand Sunlight.

Would it have been clearer if I had said sunshine?

Albert probably not. HAHAHA

mamapinky0 - Thank you so much. I think I may go with your and beaglenc's recommendation of Tide Ultra Plus Bleach Original Scent Powder Laundry Detergent. However I am tempted to get the other products, because I can use them for other things besides laundry. A bit on the fence, but leaning toward the Tide Ultra Plus Bleach Powder.

Two more questions, if you don't mind. For the Oxiclean, I noticed that there's now OxiClean White Revive Powder. Would you need to use ammonia + borax or washing soda with OxiClean White Revive Powder as you would with regular OxiClean?

Secondly, instead of OxiClean, could you just use: liquid laundry detergent +
pure sodium percarbonate + ammonia + washing soda/borax? Or can you omit the ammonia when using pure sodium percarbonate?

Misunderstanding here.lol

I suggested washing soda if your using liquid detergent and hydrogen peroxide.

Don't use washing soda or borax as a way to boost alkalinity if your using powdered detergent or any of the Oxiclean products as these are alkaline enough.

Adding ammonia to any product containing oxygen bleach will boost the performance of the oxygen bleach. But you don't need to use it for the oxygen bleach to do its job.

As for using liquid detergent + pure sodium percarbonate and ammonia....this is a tremendous whitener for me but the hotter the water the better pure sodium percarbonate will work...I think it needs at least 120+degF to activate.

Your best bet concidering your not guaranteed super hot water is the Tide with Bleach powder. ..because it has the sodium percarbonate already in it and a activator to make it work in less than hot water. You won't need washing soda or borax with this.

Enduring are you following along in this thread???

Yesterday I was so disgusted with not being able to get these dingy wash cloths white again that I figured I'd try again. I washed them using 158degF STPP, pure sodium percarbonate, Persil liquid (US) they look a bit whiter but not perfection. Think I'll try another boil wash using the same chemicals. I have tried giving up LOL. Honestly white face cloths turned dingy from liquid soaps are harder to restore than removing rust from fragile vintage lace. Lol. I should just give these to my son and ban liquid bath soap from my house. Lol. Funny thing is these face cloths are so well made that all the aggressive treatments I've put them thru so far should have destroyed them but no they are other than discolored like new. Just anothet chapter in As the Washer Turns.

I need a life.

I just knew there was someone out there with my same level of whites obsession (maybe determination is a better word). We just use a LOT of cloth between the bathroom and kitchen towels, and of course they are all white.

I've had good luck with the oxy white revive. I start the cold wash at night, let it fill up with oxy and turn for a minute, then I shut it off overnight to let everything soak. In the morning I drain then start a sanitize wash with Tide which is as hot and long as possible and another bit of oxy. Of course I have to run another short wash because my stupid washer doesn't rinse very well.

We go through at least 4 face cloths, several kitchen flour sack towels plus hand towels every day, so I wash whites every other night. This reminds me when I was diapering and kept a bucket in the washroom for soaking throughout the day. I've thought of doing that for kitchen cloth because we don't use paper so I have some really tough stains like coffee thanks to my clumsiness. I get some sort of sick pleasure watching dirty laundry come clean I guess LOL.

I don't see how the oxy even dissolved in cold water. I have seen it clogged up in a recirculation pump and that was using it with hot water, can't imagine cold.

Elleewa, add me to your list of obsessive **gotta have whiter than white** club. I also get great satisfaction from seeing my whites snowy. I have to say its much easier for me now that I have a front loader with a heater. I went to great extremes (boardering on cray cray) when I had a top loader which included boiling huge soup pots of water to add to the washer. That was a whole lotta cartin heavy dangerous pots considering besides white clothing most of my textiles are white...it gets better...I'm a family of 5. LOL. I can't say I didn't enjoy it because I did. I could spend hours in the laundry room messing with different detergents and additives...searching for the perfect combination the best scented product. I have searched google for hours looking for a detergent called **Barf** yes it exists and would be perfect to add to my detergent collection. My husband used to be humorously tolorant of my obsession but lately the humor is gone and most of the tolerance. LOL. Yesterday he ask me if I'd wash the throw he keeps on the bottom of his bed to cover his old skinny legs while watching TV and had the nerve to say ** and can you just wash it on a normal cycle using a normal detergent so I can have it back before next week** Ellee its WHITE. He used to be such fun. Lol. I have been complaining about my dry feet and last week he came home from work with a box of Dreft laundry detergent and told me to soak my feet in it. His dad was a doctor and apparently swore by Dreft curing dry feet....I had to do some LOL'ing behind his back because I needed a box of Dreft after swiping my box from my collection to wash my nighties. LOL

Ok I've rambled enough for now....Happy laindering.

So can you two write a post on how to properly launder clothing? I'm pretty sure many of us could benefit from it.

Also, I would love to hear reviews on whatever front load washer and/or dryer you use. Especially if it can wash king size bedding without issue.

Haley you would benefit starting a new post asking questions about washing machines. There's some pretty brilliant folks here that know washers.

Now about proper laundering...what would you like to know...ask away. Again lots of folks here that understand laundry and laundry chemicals.

mama i already know I'm nuts. It's a good thing there's enough of us to wash for because the odd chance I run out of loads I start staining stuff on purpose. I suppose I could have a worse addiction LOL. I've yet to figure out how to get laundry loot back from Europe, but I'm the nut that is always asking if I can do everyone's laundry in return for hosting us. But really I just want to use their machines and suds LOL.

Laundry machine reviews are tricky. There's a wide range of opinion. Here is an article that will provide some basics: How to Buy the Best Front Load Washing Machine.

It does go into machine sizes and what they hold. Thing I never understand about getting a huge machine so a big quilt can be washed is a wag the dog syndrome. Easier to find a different quilt than a great washer.

Best of luck to all shoppers! These days luck is needed.

Haley, ask away! We are open to nearly anything here! Lol.

I'm a Laundryholic. I will tell just about anyone. The sight of dingy clothes makes my skin crawl. The white washcloths are my biggest enemy. I have never tried OxyClean White Revive, but might just have to for this purpose. I generally add a little Biz powder to the white loads.

Dorey. Liquid bath soap has something in it that causes the grey cloths. I should just buy grey face cloths but I would still know the dingy is there hidden under the color. That would drive me just as crazy. Amiees BF was wearing a very dingy white tee shirt last weekend it took everything in me not to ask him to take it off so I could wash it. I shuddered everytime I had to look at him. LOL.

Yesterday I was so disgusted with not being able to get these dingy wash cloths white again that I figured I'd try again. I washed them using 158degF STPP, pure sodium percarbonate, Persil liquid (US) they look a bit whiter but not perfection. Think I'll try another boil wash using the same chemicals.

I have some wash cloths that are dingy and I want them white. I've ordered some percarbonate. I have a large aluminum canning pot, if I just boiled the washcloths in it with Persil and percarbonate would the chemicals react to the aluminum?

Lucille. .it might. I have 2 huge aluminum soup pots one is now ruined from boil washing one is fine. I've been using a big porcelain coated pot.

But yes it could react and it probably will.

Think I might start a boil wash thread later today. Theres some important steps in the process.

Much easier to switch bath soap or buy different color bathcloths. Or the bath puffs that will create suds. I never got many suds using body wash on a rag.

This has been a really interesting and informative thread. I was wondering about the boiling and hot water. Wouldn't the hot water potentially shrink the clothes? Or is it a myth and that the shrinkage is actually due to the dryer? I see conflicting information about this.

My question to the laundry gurus here: Does hot water shrink clothes?

I find it's the hot tumble drying that does the shrinking or wears stuff out. Certain things I hang most the way and dry on low to release wrinkles and finish drying, taking them out before they are bone dry, or just dry on a lower heat and take things out before they are overly done I wash everything in warm/hot water. Even my expensive Lulu workout stuff and those are a hundred bucks a pop at least. It just doesn't make sense to me that our bodies are at least 98 degrees but we have to wash things in cold water. Plus, I sweat until my stuff is dripping (hard workouts) and cold water does not make them smell so good. Maybe I'm just oily and sweaty but to me It's like rubbing butter all over your hands and trying to get it off in cold water.

My daughter is a ballerina and spends 4-6 hours per day in very expensive compression tights, and I wash those in hot water too, just in a garment bag. I think it's the quality/how the clothes are made too. Oddly enough my cheap target ts and tanks hold up better than some more expensive stuff.

eileewa - It's funny how that the Target stuff holds up compared to the pricier items. Same experience here about the inexpensive vs the expensive items. I've noticed that when I've looked up online how to purposely shrink clothes and hats, the advice is hot water or dryer. Even then one will say the other method is wrong.

Or maybe it depends on the fabric as you said? I think wool can shrink in hot water, but I also thought cotton could. Again conflicting and confusing information online. Most of my whites are cotton so even though I select hot water, given my building washer and dryer, it's never really that hot. But should I move or an able to have a washer/dryer in my apt or boil my whites.... it would be good to know once and for all if it's the dryer or washer that shrinks clothes. And does it depend on the fabric?

There's always the risk of shrinking in hot water. A lot depends on if the manufacturer actually preshrunk the fabric prior to making the garment. Most do. I haven't noticed any shrinkage washing in hot water with cotton. I have had shrinking from the dryer which tends to be hotter than many washers hot wash. Boiling is an altogether different matter. One must know a bit about the textile they want to boil. Such as what fabric is it, any embroidery or other embellishments, elastics. Some of us do boil wash but we generally only do it as a last resort.

I notice most manufactures care lables say wash in cold for sheets, towels, even underwear which is ridiculous. ..these things need hot to very very warm to deal with body soils. Manufactures do this to protect themselves.

It sure can be a guessing game at times.

Wool can be washed in hot water, not boiled. Felting wool which is really just shrinking it so much it loses its' weave and becomes one solid piece, is a combination of super hot water and movement. If you have a wool cycle on your machine you will find that it hardly moves. Maybe a gentle agitation and then a long soak then another gentle agitation. It is more the movement of wet wool that can shrink it. Also only enzyme free detergent on wool and no ammonia, both will eat the wool little by little.

Newbie here!! Lol. I am purchasing some tide with bleach for my whites and lights. It seems to be the most simple use here. What do y’all recommend for brights and darks. Also, towels and blankets? I have somewhat soft city water and the new Maytag commercial topload. I also have two elementary aged boys and live in the country. Husband hunts and fishes. We have sports and every laundry challenge you can imagine!!

Cheer powder for colors.

I went to Wal-mart and they didn’t have tide with bleach or cheer powder(they were out of cheer). I got Mountain Spring tide powder. What would I add to it for whites? I know I I-clean is mostly filler. Is there an alternative that is more pure??

I started reading through the thread without realizing it was an old one and I thought Larsi had returned. So disappointed to see his post was from 2015. :(

I finally washed my whites with Tide with Bleach detergent and while it did whiten, it didn't whiten as much as I thought it would. Any suggestions for how to boost the whitening action? Would adding something like ammonia, sodium percarbonate, washing soda, baking soda, etc. help? I know that hot, hot water will help, but my building washer only gets very warm to maybe hot depending on the wash. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Try some ammonia in the wash cycle. As long as you don't have any wool or silk it will help. I've just started doing this and whites are noticeably to me whiter.

mamap has written some good info here,,, has it been mentioned that once polyesters and other synthetics get dingy, that it's nearly impossible to get them like-new white again? And if I'm wrong, please tell me the secret! (I need to get a life, too.LOL). Hubby has some white poly wicking golf shirts with ..... ahem .... issues. ;-)

Miscel it will probably take more than one wash to undo the dingy.

You mentioned you used Tide with Bleach. ...it was the powder version correct?

No need to add any sodium percarbonate or other oxy boosters as its already in the TWB powder.

Hcbm gives good advice about adding some ammonia.

Are your whites a poly or poly blend?

Cavimum ya that wicked poly. Your right its nearly impossible to whiten poly after it is dingy. Its the nature of the beast with man made fabrics like poly. Poly is water resistant so it needs extra space in the washer...underloading is best along with more water...poly needs to move freely in the water giving it a better chance of getting the solution in and out of the fibers. My son gave me two super nice golf type shirts asking if I could magically make them white again. He had been washing them with his whites and a white load to him means anything that is white including white socks that are beyond soiled..he has no problem going outdoors in only his socks. I've told him more times than I can remember this is making his wash water filthy and the whites can't get clean doing this. Than to toss white poly shirts in all that grungy water and expect to see white is not gonna happen. No I haven't been able to restore his golf shirts but may try again one day.

Seems like I heard or read somewhere that it's not good to mix ammonia with peroxide, or sodium percarbonate. It forms some type of toxic gas. I would suggest you research it well before you do. Just an FYI. I know it does with LCB.

beaglenc - Thank you for the warning and I did look online with your advice. You are right about straight chlorine bleach combined with ammonia that can produce chloramine gas which is toxic. My understanding is that the Tide with Bleach uses non-chlorine bleach so it should be okay to use with ammonia. Also, most laundry detergents are formulated with weak enough doses of bleach or whatever chemical that even when mixed with the wrong chemical, it shouldn't produce a toxic effect. You would need a lot of each. Still that's from what I read, so if anyone knows otherwise, please correct me.

hcbm and mamapinkyO - How much ammonia for a medium-sized wash? Most of my whites are 100% cotton, though a few are poly blends. Also, I've noticed how hard it is to find ammonia in stores and online for purchase. Didn't expect that. I found clear ammonia on the Ace Hardware website, but I keep coming across lemon-scented, yellow ammonia more often. However, I read that it's best to keep to the clear as colored ammonia may stain the whites. Do you use clear of lemon-scented and colored ammonia and in what doses? Thanks.

Fyi, I am using the Tide with Bleach powder detergent.

That yellow lemon scent ammonia is everywhere. Ugh! I found some clear unscented grocery store brand and soaked some funky poly wicking athletic shirts in a 50/50 mix with hot water, in a pail, for several hours, rinsed the ammonia out, then washed them. I think I read that trick here on the laundry forum? It worked! No more funky smell . . . until they develop some more. :-P

I use clear and I had to buy my ammonia in Pa. from an Amish grocery. I couldn't find it anywhere. Now, I have found it at a local NYC 99cent and up store. Also Home Depot and Lowes usually carry it.

I have been using 1/2 cup per load. Not sure if that is too much or too little, but my whites are whiter and they don't smell of ammonia. By the way I learned about ammonia on this forum.

Also only powdered detergents really have oxygen bleach in them. I have been using real Hispanic Ariel and Hispanic Vanish . When I use up my stash I am going to try Tide with Bleach powder as that seems to be a favorite around here.

Walmart has ammonia, also Dollar Tree, Dollar General. I have bought the yellow before. It didn't turn my clothes yellow. Use half to a full cup. It's mixed with the water before it hits the clothes.

I think I am going to have check my local dollar store, otherwise it will be Ace Hardware or an online order. I really was surprised how hard it is to find, especially the clear ammonia. Thanks. I will try 1/2 cup with my next load of whites.

I've smelled the ammonia in Family Dollar& Dollar General...this stuff should make you jerk your head back and gulp for fresh air..lol. but in both places there was barely a hit of scent and certainly no head jerking. So beware of where you buy ammonia.

I've used the yellow lemon scented many times with no problems but usually buy the clear. At Wal-Mart its located in the section with Mr Clean on the bottom shelf.

It does a good job removing stubborn odors and it boosts the performance of oxygen bleach in whites.

But as mentioned above. ..KEEP it away from chlorine bleach. If you even think there's chlorine bleach residue in the clothes don't use ammonia.

Eta...unless your the only one doing laundry in your household don't keep the ammonia jug in the laundry room. ..if there's even the slightest chance someone else may do laundry you don't want someone not knowing and use both chlorine and ammonia.

I bought clear ammonia yesterday at the grocery store. The Home Store is the name of it. You said you smelled the ammonia in the store. All I have bought has the seal under the cap which I have problems getting it torn off at home much less in a store. Maybe there's a secret I don't know to open it easier.

Anyway I looked at the back where it gives tips and usage amounts.

"To clean woodwork and painted walls Add 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda to 1 gallon of water."

I would think mixing vinegar and ammonia would be bad, but evidently since it's on the bottle it's ok.

@sparky823, Mixing Vinegar & Ammonia is safe, but the vinegar would make the ammonia MUCH less effective, imo. I would just dilute it with water, and maybe a little dish soap like Dawn.

Also... I usually use a kitchen butter knife to cut open those seals. I hate the things with a passion, too.

I know this thread is a few months old, but maybe everyone is still around.

What is the proper way to do laundry? I was basically raised with "everything together, use cold water" and I know that is wrong. So, for someone that doesn't have true laundry know-how, what are the most important things to know? How can I learn more? For instance, many things have a pound rating to determine wash size or states a "medium size load". But unless it breaks it down into "one set of sheets, 4 pillow cases, and 2 bath towels" then I am lost. I don't know what a medium size load looks like, or how much detergent that requires. I just guess and hope for the best. What should I look for in a washer, other than an internal water heater?

Notes:

We're building a house and will be buying a new washer and dryer, so I don't want to mess it up by being incompetent. I have more or less narrowed the options down, but...I still haven't chosen. If by chance you have any information on the models I am looking at and would be willing to share, that would be amazing.

Washer Models, assume matching dryer:

LG WM4370

LG WM8100

GE GFW450

GE GFW480

GE GFW490

Thank you!

Hi Haley,

I recommend you start a new thread on this laundry forum so your question will get the attention it deserves and gets seen and answered. It's buried in this thread.

You can copy and paste your post above into your own, and new thread. You might title your thread something like "Need help learning how to do laundry", or something you like better.

Thank you!