getting whites white...

[thisisyesterday]

is there a way of getting and keeping my whites white without using harsh chemicals?
we use ecover washing powder because DP and DS1 have quite sensitive skin, so am loathe to try anything else really. I read about optical brighteners and stuff staying on your skin and so I don't really want to use any of the special whitener thingies.

is there a more natural way to get things really white?

Have you tried vodka?

cup of soda crystals directly into the drum and drying outside for some uv rays for bleaching.

You need to drink it, then you won't care how white your whites are. Or you could put a couple of soluble asprin into the wash. You'll need to wash again though as it makes your clothes smell funny.

Are you joking, belle?

Of course I am. Not about the asprin though, it's good for sweat stains (if they are not too bad). I read it in Kim and Aggie's book of household stuff to clean your house. It's all I did read actually. Chin chin!

it's no joke! lol

soda crystals or aspirin. will give them a go.
not sure anything is going to dry outside right now though!

I was joking about the vodka.

too late!

Trick is a WHITE only wash. No lights in with. Once not White anymore then no going back

What you have to do is use twice the amount of powder, use the intensive cycle, never the quick cycle and an extra rinse option if you have it.

Whites go grey if you dont use enough powder because the dirt doesnt get lifted out of the fabric but stays in there instead.

Dr beckmans do white wash sachets which I find good in homebargains. I wash at 60 btw.

I thought it was hard water that made whites grey?

No I have hard water and white whites. The soda crystals soften the water and aggie said to use double detergant in good housekeeping magazine so it has to be true.

so you put soda crystals in the drum.
double the detergent,
high temp
extra rinse

Yes. And a Dr Beckman whitener sachet if you cant control yourself.

People often admire how white my whites are (my friends clearly need to get out more...) and as Ohgoonthenpour says the key is whites only. Not whites & lights, or whites & one small pastel thing and oh it'll be okay - just whites whites whites together. And biological powder, but non-bio is okay according to my mother - as long as you only wash whites with whites. If you only have white sheets & towels it really helps as it means you can bung everything in together.

ok. i do mix my stuff normally, but will start doing a just whites wash!

It might be too late for your current whites - are they grey? When you buy lovely new crisp whites, make yourself a promise NEVER to slyly chuck a 'light' in with them. You will have bright lovely whites if you just stick to white-only washes.

Can you tell I give regular tutorials to all my grey-whites chums on this issue?

haha they aren't really grey, they're just not white
ds1's school shirts are really more of a creamy white

where can i buy soda crystals?

you can get soda crystals in the supermarket, normally near the washing powders. If you have a homebargains shop near you then they sell it for about 25p a bag cheaper

cleaning aisle :)

cleaning aisle, either with the stain remover stuff or the dishwasher stuff. often in second row on the bottom shelf...

Yep. Whites only. Seriously, it's the only thing that really works.

I try to stick to this, but every so often dh will put on a wash and I'll find ds's white polo shirts in with black feckin socks

People put coloured in with White?? .

The traditional way is to boil things on a 95C wash, or to wash them on at least 60C, and then hang them outside to dry. Doesn't matter what powder you use then.