To want my whites to stay white!

[KeepingItTogether23]

Somebody help me please, where am I going wrong?

I wash my whites with just whites, sometimes they may have other colours on for instance a white tshirt with a print on or a sock with different colour at the heel and toe.
I use a gel and fabric softener and after a few washes they start going grey! I wash on a 40 all the time regardless what it is I'm washing.
I live in a hard water area (my grandma swears this us the issue)

Any ideas how to stop this? Am I using the wrong products? Do I need to add other products?
Is it so hard to keep crisp white t shirts crisp white 😭

If you haven’t got a washing line, stick on the clothes horse and pop thag outside. Sun works miracles!

I think some whites turn with age.

I use bio for whites and non bio for darks.

If I can see whites need refreshing like white socks for example I presoak with vanish (white tub) then add to washing machine. Seems to do the trick.

I don't use it on my children's clothes as I don't imagine it's good for sensitive skin. I've got the pink tub of vanish (non bleaching) for my older dd if I need it.

I've heard using white vinegar helps but no success this end.

On baby stained whites I do use non bio for sensitivity but add soda crystals to the wash, not 100% but does get some stains out. I think soda crystals effectively should soften the water which should make the washing powder more effective.

Sometimes I get good results other times not so much, but it's the older whites that seem stubborn.

Agree with having a pure white wash and a light wash.

I don’t have an issue with whites staying white. One thing I do that might help is cleaning my washing machines thoroughly every three weeks, including a 90 degree empty wash with descaler in the detergent drawer. I live in hope that this stops the pipes clogging up!

I just wash white with whites only. I wash on 20 degrees. If something has a stain or something on it I use Puntomatic the white ones. If possible dry outside. Never had anything turn grey except the odd sock if it’s hiding in a trouser leg!

Napisan!! Works a treat. Also disinfects, so there's a bonus

I always do a prewash with whites. I put stain remover in the prewash drawer, normal powder in the main drawer. Hang outside if poss

Use colour catchers- they also trap dirt which is very useful if you're washing white socks. A scoop of napisan too (I find it in home bargains)

You need to put a colour catcher in with tops like that - and 30degrees will cause less colour issues too. The hotter the water the more dye will come out 👍🏻

I follow my late mother's example, and chuck a approx desertspoonful of Napisan in with the laundry liquid.

I've no idea if Napisan is cheaper than all the things recommended upthread, but it really works.

Some really great tips here!
Thank you

My kids' white school shirts have yellow armpit stains that I can't shift using Dr Beckhams. I'm thinking of soaking them in bleach. Any hints on what to use and how?

@Flux1 I dont personally but I'm sure somebody with some great wisdom will be along soon

My daughter and son in law work on the "chuck everything in the wash" system. They don't have much white stuff but the school polo shirts would go grey by the end of the first term.
The uniform changed to shirts, plus they had a little girl who wears white socks, so they give me their white stuff to wash, as I do separate my washing. I had been offering to do it for years for them so I was glad I could get my hands on it!
Dr Beckman stain remover gel on collars and stains on the shirts, same rubbed on the socks, soak in a bucket with vanish and washing powder, scoop of vanish in the washing machine, job done. We're on the 3rd school year with his shirts!
So the moral of this story, give your whites to your mum!

This ^^ makes a huge difference. I only ever use washing powder. Using powder is better for your washing machine as well.

Are you using the Dr Beckmann armpit spray? I buy it from amazon

Yes that's the one I'm using but I think the shirts are already too bad for it to work so I thought I could give them a soak in bleach to try to salvage them

What about the Ace bleach for whites?

I wash all my whites&lights with Dash washing powder, darks and colours with Dreft powder, most loads on 40° and sometimes one on 60°. No fading, no grey or whatever and the whites are really white. I prefer powder, I think it leaves less of a film on my laundry than gel or liquid. I never ever use fabric softener, it's bad for your health, bad for your machine, bad for the environment ánd bad for your budget. But when I was still using it (like 35 years ago) I found my laundry less clear and crisp of colour than without the softener.

I see you're hanging on an airer inside to dry, would it be possible to hang on hangers from a curtain rail just to get the sun in them as it really is noticable different.
I use soda crystals (1scoop) in the drum of every wash as it softens water and lifts stains.
Proper stains get soaked in a bucket of 1 scoop soda crystals and water overnight before going in the machine.
My whites I do once a week on a Saturday. So Friday afternoon when the last of the school stuff comes back I lob it all in the bath with 2-3 scoops of soda crystals and hottish water to soak till Saturday mid morning.
It even gets the sock heels back to white.
It's around a quid for a 1kg bag (it's a green bag), tend to have to go a big supermarket for them to stock it but savers always seems to have it.

@GinjaNinja88 when you say one scoop, how big is this scoop?

I am a bit of a laundry nerd.

I use non bio as two of my kids have eczema. Non bio Powder and napisan at 40 degrees for whites, and non bio pods at 20 for darks and colours.

Bio powder for towels (60) and gym kit (40)

Oh and a magnoball to soften the water. They are brilliant! I used to make a right mess with water softening powder

Sorry, it comes in a bag, so I've moved mine into an empty vanish screw top tub when it was empty, I use that same scoop.