Is it ok to use bleach on ds's school shirts? And bio/non-bio question, too.

[lostmywellies]

They are looking pretty grey. Where they are not faded orange from tomato sauce wiped all down them. But if I soak them in bleach, will he get a rash or something awful?

Second question: at what age do you start using bio washing liquid/powder for your children's clothes?

I would bleach them overnight in a mild bleach solution say 1 part bleach to 10 parts water pretty sure it says on the bleach what ratio to use - and then wash them in the machine. That way they are clean and rinsed.

I didn't know you weren't supposed to use bio washing powder for childrens clothes? Why would that be?

Some people believe that bio causes rashes/eczema. You can be allergic to washing powder but I read somewhere fabric softner is more likely to cause a reaction.

I was bought up with bio washing powder and was fine.

What the soap makers dont tell you is that non bio contains bleach afaik to remove stains.

Whites need a long, hot wash eg 60, so no pressing the quick wash button. You could try napisan. I use double the detergant for whites as insufficent powder means that the dirt doesnt get carried away with the water and stays in the fibres making them grey.

You can get that special whitener to put in the wash ( dr something, I think) comes in sachets with all the specialist washing stuff in the supermarket

I used bio from when the kids were a few weeks old - never had any skin issues.

another vote for napisan here, chuck in a bucket over night to soak, then you can even run through on a quick wash

Ooh, napisan, never thought of that. Not sure I have any left, actually. Will try the bleach.

I don't know where I got the idea that I had to use non-bio for the dcs - from dps and dpils, I think. One dc has pretty sensitive skin... but I might give bio a go and see. I've never got round to buying fabric softener!

Thanks for all the advice. Have been getting the house de-cluttered and gradually sorting everything out, so it feels good to be dealing with stains and greys rather than just putting the clothes back in drawers!

Do the napisan soak, normal wash then hang them out on a sunny day.

I've just started using my washing line again and the dc's school T-shirts are looking much better after drying in the sun.

Napisan took stains out my daughter's stuf that bleach didn't even touch so I'd try that too.

Bio can cause skin reactions (personal experience, and my skin is not particularly sensitive in general).

Definitely should avoid bio for young children as they do tend towards eczema, but if yours doesn't then I am sure it will be fine

Interesting about the sun bleaching them, Buck.

I've put the worst one in bleach for tonight and will try Napisan if it doesn't work well. The ratio for bleach to water was 50ml:10l - which is 1:200. Wasn't expecting it to be quite so dilute!

Ordinary Persil Powder (not the Colours one) contains bleaching and whitening agents. Like a lot of people, we use the non-bio because it used to be thought it was less likely to aggravate eczma or other skin problems, though there is now doubt and lack of evidence.

You can do white cotton quite hot, but school shirts are likely to have a lot of polyester and the collars and cuffs may wrinkle.

In Which tests, Persil always does very well for Whites, the Persil Bio is better for stains than the non-bio if it's OK for you.

Off-topic, when he becomes an adolescent, cotton or cotton-rich shirts will not smell so bad as they absorb the perspiration better.