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I use dishwashing detergent also. Works great.
Back in the "olden days", before dishwashers, both my mother and I used "blueing". It's still around, works good too, but can't tell you exactly what it is. Try googling it.
I remember my mum had a bottle of blue, thick liquid under the sink she used for whites. I'll look for it online. i seem to remember she said she couldn't find it any longer... I was a teen at the time so that was long ago. She used to buy lye for soapmaking & also Borax (have no idea what that was used for)... I know lye is illegal in the US now, but soapmakers buy it from Canada... heard Borax is, too, but I wouldn't know what to do with it if I had a box of it.
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For the life of me though, I don't know what this thread is doing in "HOUSE" cat.??? I'm just sayin'.
Hahaha I know... I couldn't figure out which forum to use & since there were questions about w/d & a thread on household tips here, I added it. What's the other choice... Hobbies?? Seriously, where would you place it?
I'll try the dishwashing detergent as several have said it works. I'll also buy the bluing online. I used to use blue swimmer's shampoo in my hair (lightened blonde) & it does prevent it from taking on a green cast... have to be careful of it taking on a blue cast, however.
Here's an idea . . . I guess. I was watching a TV show the other night about how people lived in the first century, AD. At one point, they spoke about the white tunics worn by the Romans and how they kept them clean and white. Apparently, they washed them in . . . URINE!
There's your answer. It kept them white for the Romans, so why wouldn't it do so for you.
The problem is that the narrator also said that it made the clothes smell, but it was apparently okay for the Romans. I doubt that it would be okay for you, so maybe we ought to leave the Roman washing solution back in the first century.
I haven't seen too many pretty colors in the Rit Dye. I remember dying a white shirt yellow many years ago... it came out mustard yellow, which I didn't like, so I bought black Rit, which made it khaki green. Not sure if mustard yellow was worse than khaki green, but that shirt became my house cleaning shirt. Maybe the colors are improved, but honestly, all I need are some nice, white shirts. I'm hoping the brightening methods will work. I don't mean this to sound silly, but is there a white Rit dye? Maybe I can just dye the shirts white??
Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.
Rit is a cheap dye. There are beautiful dyes now. Dharma is great for natural fibers. I've had success with it on cotton blends. The colors are vibrant and don't fade.
Dharma doesn't have bright white, but there is ivory, ecru and many, many other light colored dyes.
I understand you need white shirts, but you don't need 10 white shirts. It sounds like you're going in the opposite direction of grunge by avoiding black and only wanting white. Live a little and make a three or four white and dye the other ones different colors so you have variety in your wardrobe.
Rit is a cheap dye. There are beautiful dyes now. Dharma is great for natural fibers. I've had success with it on cotton blends. The colors are vibrant and don't fade.
Dharma doesn't have bright white, but there is ivory, ecru and many, many other light colored dyes.
Great info. I'll try the whitening methods, but this dye could be useful for other projects, Hopes, thanks.
Is this the company, by the way? For poly fabrics (iDye)... I don't see anything that differs from what I've seen in Rit... darks, yellows & a few reds... no ivory, nothing I'd call light:
I understand you need white shirts, but you don't need 10 white shirts. It sounds like you're going in the opposite direction of grunge by avoiding black and only wanting white. Live a little and make a three or four white and dye the other ones different colors so you have variety in your wardrobe.
You're assuming a bit & taking it too seriously. I'm very tongue-in-cheek. I don't dress grunge but I thought they wore slept-in jeans, unwashed hair & flannel in the 90s? I only look like that on house cleaning day. Perhaps you meant 80s goth a la Bella Lugosi, which isn't my look either.
I have a huge wardrobe including 80+ shirts of various colors, from drab to dark to vibrant to white. All but the French cuff, button down, dressy shirts... my yellowed-whites... get fair rotation, thank you... see, I can live a little.
Yes, I do want to keep this handful white... to pair with suits, but I have been wearing my yellowed-white shirts casually with skirts/jeans lately. But, thanks for the wardrobe tips. I was just looking for whitening tips for no-bleach polys.
And, Garth... you've grossed me out beyond words (well, except for these words...)
In my white clothes, I always add 2 cap full of "Murphy oil soap", plus the detergent and bleech. It does work, have been doing this for years.
Thanks, Night. I tried Murphy's in laundry once. I was moving & wanted to use up the bottle. Even when dried, my towels smelled like oil soap floor cleaner... not sure if it got the clothing cleaner as they weren't whites, I just couldn't take the smell & rewashed that load.
My whites are no-bleach, so I was trying to avoid bleach... others have suggested dishwashing pellets & bluing, which I'll try. I think I'll only find the bluing online unless I run across some old mom & pop general store in my travels & I'm headed out for the pellets today. Hopefully, it will brighten them.
In the old days, my mum used to make her own brown lye soap... she did it for 50-yrs. We used it for everything & it was never harsh on skin or clothing... we used it more for household chores, not bathing. Of course, whites were 100% cotton back then & it's hard to find clothing without a bit of stretchy nylon/lycra/poly. Just spoke with her yesterday (she was a seamstress for years) & she swears that poly just yellows over time... it's the nature of the fabric. Maybe these polys have just yellowed due to age & will remain that way... I can still wear them, I just notice the yellowing when next to brighter whites.
I had some yellow on white clothes (smoker here and louvered closet doors) - so that, sunlight, etc. - I soaked the whites in really hot water with Oxy Clean dissolved in it and then washed them - came out great.
Great info. I'll try the whitening methods, but this dye could be useful for other projects, Hopes, thanks.
Is this the company, by the way? For poly fabrics (iDye)... I don't see anything that differs from what I've seen in Rit... darks, yellows & a few reds... no ivory, nothing I'd call light:
I'm saying it's worth trying the dharma dye (brand the same name as the company) that is for natural materials on cotton blends if you aren't able to get the yellow out.
I agree the iDye is crap. That's why I told you about the dharma dye instead. But only try it on blends as a last resort.
It's a great vibrant dye that doesn't fade for any other projects on natural materials. Pass that Rit right up in the future.
You have to order dharma online unless you live in a large metro area that has speciality art stores.
I had some yellow on white clothes (smoker here and louvered closet doors) - so that, sunlight, etc. - I soaked the whites in really hot water with Oxy Clean dissolved in it and then washed them - came out great.
Thank you, Flamingo. I just returned from the market with Oxyclean, well, the generic brand which was cheaper but the ingredients were the same. They didn't have any electric diswashing liquid that I could see & the price was right... $5 for a huge tub.
I'll soak them like you have... I was going to use cold water (just out of habit), but I'll try hot. Thanks again.
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I was watching a TV show the other night about how people lived in the first century, AD. At one point, they spoke about the white tunics worn by the Romans and how they kept them clean and white. Apparently, they washed them in . . . URINE! 
Maybe the colors are improved, but honestly, all I need are some nice, white shirts. I'm hoping the brightening methods will work. I don't mean this to sound silly, but is there a white Rit dye? Maybe I can just dye the shirts white??
