Keeping white polo shirts white

[melsy]

Dd1 seems to come home slathered in dried on paint mud and gawd knows what else. Lovely shes having fun , but the new regulation white polo shirt are getting a battering. Ive soaked them in vanish oxi , bleach and napisan and they now have a nice tinge of yellow to add to the once dark blue now light blue stains !!!

Any ideas ?

Cant seem to find them anywere in shops now either, these were the £2 Asda ones.

The only way I've made them white again is to buy new ones. Hence we went for the £2.50 for 2 Asda ones this year!

Anothe rmother at school tried some version if Cillit Bang on her DSs ones and it worked apparently. Worth trying if you've nothing to lose!

some version of Cillit Bang...

Hi melsy, I don't know if this will work but you could try soaking them in lemon juice?? I presume you would have to add water, then let them soak. If all else has failed it might work.

thank u , now need a big bog bottle of JIF lemon squeezeeee and cilit bang, Ive got a spray one of cilit bang , was it the powder I wonder added to a soak ??????????

I don't have the answer but desperate to find it!! DD has 4 white polo shirts and I think she might have one that isn't stained already. I've been trying to find new ones but all the supermarkets seem to have stopped doing them or they don't have any at all in dd's size. It drives me mad sending her to school in shirts that look like they haven't been washed!!

If 100% cotton, could try a hotter wash too? My mym used to hot wash our cotton socks occasionally and we always had whiter ones than everyone else! Mad the things you remrember!

why the f#### do shops think children only need school uniform in september. It drives me mad not being able to get things all year round

I have the same problem with ds1 - refused to buy the logod polo shirts this year after he ruined his last lot on the first wear...

I have put them through a hot wash with bleach and still the stains don't come out. I am now planning to buy some biological washing powder and try that and/or a boil wash (have nothing to lose if it ruins them as they look awful already anyway.)

i know, i'm just looking at one that has been used for rugby, think i'll just bin it. seems such a waste though

It drives me mad with the no school uniform in the shops except for Sept. I believe M and S will order anytime of year but I have developed into a cheapskate over the years my DS and DD have been in school and now want supermarket prices only.Woolworths may possibly order in-not sure.But it's still a load of messing about and waiting. You would think the supermarkets would get the idea.Plus my DD is currently growing like a weed -no chance what I have bought her in Sept will still fit in March.

I swear by glo white for DHs white shirts, and also Ds1s school polo shirts. They have gone from a horrible grey to a gleaming white.
They are sachets you add to the wash, along with the detergent and Im amazed by the results.
Good Luck

Woolies still selling uniform online and some in the sale! (though not every size).

Also some online at Adams .

After many many years of greyish school shirts I have my whites washing sorted now:

Firstly, and apologies for stating the obvious, but I only ever wash whites together, so 2-3 white washes a week.

I wash all my clothes in soapnuts, which are great for everyday washes but not brilliant on stains. So for stains and grimy collars I pre-treat with a little Ecover stain treatment thingy. Then with every white wash I put a spoonful or so of Ecover laundry bleach in with the wash.

I also try to dry outside if at all possible, that really helps with keeping whites nice.

I've been doing this routine for a couple of years now and have found the white school shirts stay white all year round, which is a massive change for us!

IF COTTON - TRY YOUR HOTTEST COTTON WASH WITH A BIOLOGICAL POWDER/TABLETS. I WASH ALL MY SON'S WHITE POLOS AND DAUGHTERS WHITE SOCKS WITH THREE ARIEL TABLETS ON 95 WASH. IT WORKS. ALSO TRY MARKS & SPENCER PACK OF TWO WHT POLO'S £5.00 ALWAYS RETAIN SHAPE AND COLOUR. GOOD LUCK!!

You could try putting soda crystals in the wash. It is really great at maintaining whitness, but I'm not sure if it will regain it. Worth a try though.