Bleach alternative to whiten clothes

[Dan_Musicant]

Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
but I figure it's oxygen based.

What do people do to whiten clothes in this way? Is chlorine bleach
still the way to go?

[Dawn]

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 21:49:36 GMT, Dan_Musicant <man@privacy.net>
wrote:

>Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
>usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
>bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
>ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
>whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
>Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
>but I figure it's oxygen based.
>
>What do people do to whiten clothes in this way? Is chlorine bleach
>still the way to go?
I'm impressed with the oxygen bleaches when I mix them with washing
powder but still use chlorine based for stand alone bleaching.

[Rod Speed]

Dan_Musicant <man@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:o0kua15pob9s4uq3u4up44h675ks5q7j4j@4ax.com...

> Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
> usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
> bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
> ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
> whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
> Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
> but I figure it's oxygen based.

> What do people do to whiten clothes in this way?

Dont bother with white T shirts in the first place.

> Is chlorine bleach still the way to go?

It does have those downsides.

The other approach to whitening is to use a detergent thats
designed to do that. They basically add fluorescent stuff that
fixes the yellowing problem a different way.

[TT]

If you want the easiest whites you should use a "bluing" agent. It's called
Mrs. Stewart's Bluing. Wash normally with detergent, then use it only on
true whites in the rinse cycle. www.mrsstewart.com, it's an optical
brightener, not a bleaching agent. I find this stuff to be the easiest way
to whiten.

You can also whiten using lemon juice, baking soda, even peroxide. Just do a
soak for at least an hour in a solution of your chosen whitener + water. I
typically go 1/4" lemon juice, or a few scoops of bsoda, or 1/4 cup
peroxide.

Sometimes I use oxyclean for organic stains like wine, or juice, coffee,
blood, etc. This is where the oxyclean really shines.

-Tom

"Dan_Musicant" <man@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:o0kua15pob9s4uq3u4up44h675ks5q7j4j@4ax.com...
> Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
> usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
> bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
> ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
> whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
> Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
> but I figure it's oxygen based.
>
> What do people do to whiten clothes in this way? Is chlorine bleach
> still the way to go?

[Mrs Bonk]

Dan_Musicant wrote:
> Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
> usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
> bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
> ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
> whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
> Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
> but I figure it's oxygen based.
>
> What do people do to whiten clothes in this way? Is chlorine bleach
> still the way to go?

I see this is cross posted with a frugal group and one can't get any more
frugal than my whitening tip so I will, on this occasion leave them in. see
my tip below:


Hang whites outside on a fine day and let the sun do the work.
HTH

[Phisherman]

I use household bleach, but about half the recommended strength. As
long as the water is agitating it is safe to add to the wash. It
disinfects, whitens, and cleans at the lowest cost of any product. I
don't find much differences between brands. Of course, never use
regular household bleach with color or delicate fabrics.

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 21:49:36 GMT, Dan_Musicant <man@privacy.net>
wrote:

>Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
>usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
>bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
>ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
>whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
>Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
>but I figure it's oxygen based.
>
>What do people do to whiten clothes in this way? Is chlorine bleach
>still the way to go?

[Dan_Musicant]

On Wed, 15 Jun 2005 02:46:49 GMT, Phisherman <nobody@noone.com> wrote:

:I use household bleach, but about half the recommended strength. As
:long as the water is agitating it is safe to add to the wash. It
:disinfects, whitens, and cleans at the lowest cost of any product. I
:don't find much differences between brands. Of course, never use
:regular household bleach with color or delicate fabrics.

How about with white socks (cotton socks) and white underwear? These
have elastic properties - the socks are stretchy, although I don't know
what they use to give the socks that property. These are the white
cotton socks and underwear they sell at Costco. Will that level of
bleach (1/2 the recommended concentration) attack and weaken these?
Thanks.

:
:On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 21:49:36 GMT, Dan_Musicant <man@privacy.net>
:wrote:
:
:>Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
:>usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
:>bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
:>ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
:>whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
:>Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
:>but I figure it's oxygen based.
:>
:>What do people do to whiten clothes in this way? Is chlorine bleach
:>still the way to go?

[teleflora]

"Dan_Musicant" <man@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:o0kua15pob9s4uq3u4up44h675ks5q7j4j@4ax.com...
> Bleach can be environmentally hazardous (evidently depending on its
> usage), and soaking your white clothes (such as white T-Shirts) in a
> bleach solution is said to weaken the fibers. I can't say I know the
> ins and outs of this. Maybe I should just use chlorine bleach to try to
> whiten my fast-fading white T-shirts. I noticed a non-chlorine bleach at
> Costco and am tempted to buy it next time I go there. I don't remember,
> but I figure it's oxygen based.
>
> What do people do to whiten clothes in this way? Is chlorine bleach
> still the way to go?

I soak my whites overnight in a cup or so of really cheap dishwasher
detergent and the hottest water I can get into my washer. I only let the
tub fill about half way up and then I agitate for a few seconds, turn off
the washer, close the lid and let them soak. The next morning I add my
laundry detergent, let the machine fill the rest of the way for a large load
and let it go thru the cycle with a second rinse. I then rinse them again
and add the Downy. I haven't used bleach for awhile now and I think the
clothes are lasting a little longer. The bleach seemed to weaken the fabric
and elastic in the socks.

Cindy