How to get whites whiter

[Anonymous]

I have a couple white shirts that have been sitting in the closet and have discolored a bit. How can I get them back to a nice white color? Do I just use bleach? I'm not a laundry person =/

[Anonymous]

wash them and hang them outside in the sun to dry.

[Anonymous]

soaking in oxiclean and hot water for about an hour or so before washing in the regular cycle will also help. Many hardware stores sell a RIT dye formula called "whitest whites" that has a blue-ing agent to counter the yellow tinge that older white clothes can get. My mom hates housework and I had wrinkled, pink/grey/yellow clothes growing up, so I guess I became a default laundry expert out of bare necessity!

[Anonymous]

try the sun 1st - it is free and I find it works incredibly well

[Anonymous]

I second oxyclean, hot water, and then the sun to dry. Should work.

[Anonymous]

I throw a cup or two of white vinegar in with my whites and it works wonders. Doesnt smell or eat them up like bleach and the whites come out super bright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I throw a cup or two of white vinegar in with my whites and it works wonders. Doesnt smell or eat them up like bleach and the whites come out super bright.

Can you use vinegar with clothes that are not all white? - say a white and blue striped shirt?

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for the hints. I will try this tomorrow.

One question though, we live on the 3rd floor of a condo building. I don't know if I can string up a clothing line (they have annoying rules here), could I just hang them on a hanger outside and turn them so both sides get the sun?

[Anonymous]

Do not use chlorine bleach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I throw a cup or two of white vinegar in with my whites and it works wonders. Doesnt smell or eat them up like bleach and the whites come out super bright.

Can you use vinegar with clothes that are not all white? - say a white and blue striped shirt?

Absolutely, it does not harm the color. I use it in most loads as well as when DS barfs or wets the bed. Somehow the vinegar just cuts all the odor and leaves everything fresh w/out the vinegar smell.