Is it possible to whiten vintage a bit dingy (yellowing) white cotton shirts?

[SurferRona]

As I have a lovely new to me vintage celine cotton shirt in great nick, but a bit…. dingy? Not grubby at collars and cuffs, or armpits, just a bit yellowish vs a new white clothing item. And I typically wear tonal colours in outfits head to toe, so will be wearing this with white bottoms, a white and blue skirt, jeans at a push- so I want it white white. What are your best tips to get shirts bright white? I have bio detergent, non bio (m&s chamomile), woolite and some vanish powder I think. I usually launder at 30deg. I know it’s optical dyes in detergents which usually do this and I have no idea if my bio blue gel detergent has it, but other items I launder don’t come out bright white, if clean. Any recommendations which work from anyone?

Dr Beckmann Glowhite is my go-to for whitening laundry.

I'd go with biological powder and some vanish or maybe a soak first in that stuff for nappies - Napisan is it called? Shame its not summer as there's nothing like drying white cotton clothes in bright sunlight.

Oh yes! How could I forget that. Amazing stuff.

I'd go napisan and sunlight.

Mrs Something's blueing liquid. Can't remember her name. It's on Amazon etc. only need a few drops so a whole bottle will last a lifetime. Works perfectly for me.

Ooh, thanks- will try that! And I know re the sun, used that a few times for ketchup and turmeric/curry stains! Plus the smell of line dried clothes…. No chance of that here for at least another month ☹️

This one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mrs-Stewarts-Bluing-1101-MPLS-8oz/dp/B001NEMV3Q/ref=sr_1_9?crid=24GSTSD09VMHL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5WlOnvMVaQOpBblBcElUTaJulNqfkDDaFSQZ2v0-LPCy85RKZZynM9sQdk7vSQBbBg04KSz8FXvMeIBmRH7ERxmOJwL3OdOGXbyIIOmKej0.8dwttFYTCGUtt4TRhJykkCY8VxoLENocon4Qgbl0hq0&dib_tag=se&keywords=mrs+bluing+liquid&qid=1769099606&sprefix=mrs+blueing+liquid%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-9
thank you!

I’d simply use Sodium Percarbonate. I buy it from FrenchSoaps.co.uk
brightens and whitens everything and is good on linens and delicates

@SurferRona yep, that's the one.

this! Bloody amazing stuff. And you can buy it on Amazon.

My water has high iron and magnisum and sometimes has an orange tinge to it and has made my whites a bit orange ( we are currently saving up for a water filter but it's big money 😪) I have tried everything people have said but hasn't worked for me is soaking a bottle of this in water. I now throw a bottle of it in my white washes every so often a bit expensive but it's the only thing that has worked for me I buy bottles of it all the time

Oh yes, I buy this in packs of 4 from Amazon for DS's white sports kit. Works on grubby collars and dried on antiperspirant. I spray it though, couldn't afford to be chucking a whole bottle in the wash in one go!

I know I don't do it too often. but use it on a full load of whites. it's the only thing that takes the orange tinge off my whites. it's a bloody pain. sheets white long sleeves top shirts nice summer dresses all start to get it. the inside part of my Washing machine where you put washing powder etc is pure orange inside. We just can't afford the water filter yet and I don't have time to drive to laundrette to wash my whites.

Use Hydrogen peroxide (3%) or Sodium Percarbonate (powdered oxygen bleach). The blue stuff is an optical whitener, in that blue and purple tricks the eye into thinking something is whiter than it actually is. Sodium Percarbonate Is the active ingredient in all those whitening oxy type powders, the pure stuff is a fraction of the price of the brands.