Stop bleaching, start bluing ... keep whites white

[Ockie]

So, I really love white towels, bedding and certain items of white clothing such as shorts etc. What I hate though is that after a year or so, they start going grey or yellow etc. Constant bleaching can make the yellowing even worse after constant use of bleach. I have tried various whitener additives to the wash, but nothing really seems to make whites white again. A few days ago @ my local Spar, I saw "Robin Blue" on the shelf instead of my normal Becketts whitening additive. Not thinking about it, I grab it and put it in my basket. I get home and inspect it and see it is some kind of hard block. Now I really dont know what it is or what to do with it and start reading up on it. So, it turns out it is something that is used in "bluing". Essentially, you disolve this cube of very blue compressed powder into water and then you rinse your whites in it. From the internet, it seems this is a very very OLD way of keeping whites nice and white. The way it works from what I understand, it leaves a very light tint of blue which makes white cloth appear whiter. Important thing to note though is to not make it very conentrated, especially in our front loading washing machines. You essentially want a tint...not a dye. If you want to add blue back to washed out jeans, then yes, you can use a very concentrated blend. Anyway....never heard of this before and found it rather interesting.....specially seeing it is such a age old way of keeping whites white. Thought I would share it.

 

[backstreetboy]

Just use vinegar or lemon juice.

 

[Sinbad]

So where's the before and after photos?
What kind of advertorial housewife are you anyway?

 

[Ninja'd]

Is this shilling? It sure feels like shilling

 

[Sinbad]

Is this shilling? It sure feels like shilling

For a shilling, Ockie will model his tighty-whiteys...

 

[mister]

The blue is called an "optical brightener" and is in most detergents these days. Have you tried oxygen bleach instead of chlorine bleach?

 

[LazyLion]

@blunomore is gonna be really angry about this!

 

[Ockie]

So where's the before and after photos?
What kind of advertorial housewife are you anyway?

Is this shilling? It sure feels like shilling

For a shilling, Ockie will model his tighty-whiteys...

LOL. Will maybe give it a go this weekend. I have a few dingy old white clothes I can maybe try it on. Found it interesting that blue pigment can make dingy whites look white again. So thought I would share it, even if just for science lol. Specially seeing that this is apparently a very old and forgotten way of doing it without using bleach.

 

[Ockie]

The blue is called an "optical brightener" and is in most detergents these days. Have you tried oxygen bleach instead of chlorine bleach?

Always put in a spoonful of oxy bleach with all my washing. Lets put it this way....I have a strange obsession with getting whites AS white as possible. I think it might be some kind of unclassified OCD yet to be put in the medical journals. :crylaugh:

 

[Sinbad]

racist

 

[Ockie]

Oh....another interesting thing I read about this bluing stuff. Some dog parlours apparently use it to rinse dogs with white or parts of white fur and it makes their fur look really white.

 

[Ockie]

racist

Ja ne......Ninja better becareful......I will do my darndest to make him as white as humanly possible. :crylaugh:

 

[Pitbull]

WTF... I saw stop bleaching and start bluing and I thought...

Once people start turning their Anuses blue, they don't be getting any nookie, that would be the equal to Blue waffles, just I guess on the arse?

*** Ockie, dono if it's your heading or my dirty mind... but it aint working ...

 

[Ockie]

WTF... I saw stop bleaching and start bluing and I thought...

Once people start turning their Anuses blue, they don't be getting any nookie, that would be the equal to Blue waffles, just I guess on the arse?

*** Ockie, dono if it's your heading or my dirty mind... but it aint working ...

Well, when you come across another blue waffle, why not douse it with a good helping of Mrs. Stewarts Bluing liquid and let us know if it turns white ..... for the LOVE OF GOD.....just put a NSFW tag first! :crylaugh:

 

[Ninja'd]

Ja ne......Ninja better becareful......I will do my darndest to make him as white as humanly possible. :crylaugh:

 

[Ockie]

View attachment 516735

Fixed ...... now it is a real Ninja pic :crylaugh:

 

[TheMightyQuin]

Little boy blue....
because he needed the money.

~Andrew Dice Clay

 

[Creag]

A few days ago @ my local Spar, I saw "Robin Blue" on the shelf instead of my normal Becketts whitening additive.

Will be interested here your experience. Different idea and sounds like it might be a winner. Good post

So where's the before and after photos?
What kind of advertorial housewife are you anyway?

LOL, just what I was thinking

@blunomore is gonna be really angry about this!

Ouch!

 

[VoraciousLion]

So, I really love white towels, bedding and certain items of white clothing such as shorts etc. What I hate though is that after a year or so, they start going grey or yellow etc. Constant bleaching can make the yellowing even worse after constant use of bleach. I have tried various whitener additives to the wash, but nothing really seems to make whites white again. A few days ago @ my local Spar, I saw "Robin Blue" on the shelf instead of my normal Becketts whitening additive. Not thinking about it, I grab it and put it in my basket. I get home and inspect it and see it is some kind of hard block. Now I really dont know what it is or what to do with it and start reading up on it. So, it turns out it is something that is used in "bluing". Essentially, you disolve this cube of very blue compressed powder into water and then you rinse your whites in it. From the internet, it seems this is a very very OLD way of keeping whites nice and white. The way it works from what I understand, it leaves a very light tint of blue which makes white cloth appear whiter. Important thing to note though is to not make it very conentrated, especially in our front loading washing machines. You essentially want a tint...not a dye. If you want to add blue back to washed out jeans, then yes, you can use a very concentrated blend. Anyway....never heard of this before and found it rather interesting.....specially seeing it is such a age old way of keeping whites white. Thought I would share it.

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View attachment 516725

My wife got this stuff from the German store in somerset west, very good, however you must soak the whites in it for awhile before a wash. Stuff comes out like the day it was bought. my tighty whiteys are whiter than ever!

 

[ForceFate]

So, I really love white towels, bedding and certain items of white clothing such as shorts etc. What I hate though is that after a year or so, they start going grey or yellow etc. Constant bleaching can make the yellowing even worse after constant use of bleach. I have tried various whitener additives to the wash, but nothing really seems to make whites white again. A few days ago @ my local Spar, I saw "Robin Blue" on the shelf instead of my normal Becketts whitening additive. Not thinking about it, I grab it and put it in my basket. I get home and inspect it and see it is some kind of hard block. Now I really dont know what it is or what to do with it and start reading up on it. So, it turns out it is something that is used in "bluing". Essentially, you disolve this cube of very blue compressed powder into water and then you rinse your whites in it. From the internet, it seems this is a very very OLD way of keeping whites nice and white. The way it works from what I understand, it leaves a very light tint of blue which makes white cloth appear whiter. Important thing to note though is to not make it very conentrated, especially in our front loading washing machines. You essentially want a tint...not a dye. If you want to add blue back to washed out jeans, then yes, you can use a very concentrated blend. Anyway....never heard of this before and found it rather interesting.....specially seeing it is such a age old way of keeping whites white. Thought I would share it.

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View attachment 516725

My mother has been using this bluing stuff for yonks. A lot has changed over the years but she swears it's better than chlorine bleach.