AIBU to ask you how you get your whites whiter than white?

[Siadthisidea214]

New job requires white, pristine shirts.
How do I get them whiter than white? I have Vanish - doesn't work. Please tell me how you keep your whites white!
TIA

Sunshine.

White vinegar

I have all white sheets, towels etc so am always able to do a totally white wash. Wash with Tesco biological powder and a scoop of Tesco stain remover stuff. Everything is brilliantly white.

Don't do a mixed colour load with whites is my top.

*tip 🙄

Outside on the line. Doesn’t even need to be really sunny just some uv. Also buy lingerie whitener on the cleaning aisle and use that to help whiten them.

Only wash them with whites and use the specific whites cycle if your machine has one or a 60 degree cycle if it doesn't. Rub collars and cuffs with a (white) bar of soap. Dry them outdoors wherever possible.

Soda crystals help

Napisan.

Find it in b&m, home bargains or in the children's aisle in Tesco and Sainsbury's.
The Mrs Hinch Facebook group are raving about it - and it's great for soaking white trainers in a bucket before washing in the machine. They come up brand new, even leather ones.
I've been using it and impressed !

I use one scoop of white bio powder with one scoop of soda crystals and white vinegar instead of softener and line dry in the sun if possible.
Amazingly the vinegar has transformed, after several washes, old school shirts that had yellow sunscreen marks all over, they look almost new again!
Added benefit of being v good for your machine too

Napisan, biological washing powder (Daz or Lidl), and don't use a hot wash if they are anything but 100% cotton as it will turn them grey. Obv only wash pure white items together.

I've used Napisan for many, many years after a colleague told me about it, and it also stops any yucky underarm bits

Bio powder, sunlight, never mix whites and colours no matter how pale mutters darkly at the pale yellow shorts which turned my towels cream

Napisan in with your normal detergent. Makes whites really glow.

Just a couple of teaspoonfuls really makes a difference.

Any way of doing it with out keeping a 100% white wash? I own nothing white bar DS's school polo shirts and I'm not doing a wash that consists of 5 of those and nothing else. I only started separating washing at all in September when he started school and I do them with vaguely pale colours.

I suspect they are a lot less white than they were although I can't really tell.

I chuck a scoop of napisan in with kids white school polos, 60 degree wash.

Whites together, no whites with a trim etc. Just pure whites. I use Persil bio on a 60 wash and line dry when possible. My whites are always pristine.

This is great! Thanks everyone!

@DappledThings

Any way of doing it with out keeping a 100% white wash? I own nothing white bar DS's school polo shirts and I'm not doing a wash that consists of 5 of those and nothing else. I only started separating washing at all in September when he started school and I do them with vaguely pale colours.

I suspect they are a lot less white than they were although I can't really tell.

Does your machine have a small load setting? I do school shirts on their own every week on this setting

Will Napisan remove the yellow ring from around collars? (long-ingrained unfortunately)

I’d say it’s impossible to keep some items dazzling white, especially underwear. And yellowing armpits on white tees are hard to avoid.

But otherwise it’s been covered above. And doing a really hot wash if the fabric can take it.

I use Dr Beckham stuff (glo white) and always use a colour catcher even for whites as the stains stick to the sheet rather than back into the water to dull the white.

Good advice so far- although I wouldn't recommend bleach or Napisan.
Works in the short term, but will cause yellowing eventually- especially with synthetic fabrics.
What are your are shirts made of?
Cotton? Polyester? Polycotton blend? Viscose?

Keeping coloured fabrics out of white washes is the first most important thing to do- and line dry. UV light is the best at keeping all whites white.

@DappledThings

Any way of doing it with out keeping a 100% white wash? I own nothing white bar DS's school polo shirts and I'm not doing a wash that consists of 5 of those and nothing else. I only started separating washing at all in September when he started school and I do them with vaguely pale colours.

I suspect they are a lot less white than they were although I can't really tell.

I don’t think it’s as good as washing separately, but for clothing I have that has trim or is mixed white and colours I use colour catcher sheets (and line dry). It’s definitely an improvement.

@icelollycraving

Whites together, no whites with a trim etc. Just pure whites. I use Persil bio on a 60 wash and line dry when possible. My whites are always pristine.

Exactly this

Can't help much with white, the term knicker-grey was designed for me, but I always wanted one of those machines from the adverts where the clothes came out brilliant white, dry and ironed!

@DappledThings

Any way of doing it with out keeping a 100% white wash? I own nothing white bar DS's school polo shirts and I'm not doing a wash that consists of 5 of those and nothing else. I only started separating washing at all in September when he started school and I do them with vaguely pale colours.

I suspect they are a lot less white than they were although I can't really tell.

Haven't you got a half load / one button etc