| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| iamacountrygirl |
Posted - May 19 2012 : 6:40:40 PM
For those of you in areas with hard water, how do you get your whites white? I've been using Arm & Hammer soap, with bleach, and soaking them, but not getting white-white. Today I hung some dish towels outside in the sun...Mom always did that.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Kathy |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| levisgrammy |
Posted - May 23 2012 : 07:29:40 AM
I don't use bleach for anything. Especially for the laundering of the underwear and socks due to the problems it causes with yeast.
farm girl sister#43
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
O, a trouble's a ton or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it!
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only--how did you take it?
--Edmund C. Vance.
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| levisgrammy |
Posted - May 23 2012 : 07:28:01 AM
We live where we have to deal with the hard water issue. I use 1 part borax to 2 parts baking soda for my laundry and I add oxy clean to the whites on a regular basis. I don't have a problem with yellowing at all.
farm girl sister#43
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
O, a trouble's a ton or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it!
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only--how did you take it?
--Edmund C. Vance.
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| mamacass |
Posted - May 23 2012 : 06:06:00 AM
I make my own laundry soap as well, vinegar for rinse, and soak stained whites in oxy clean. I use bleach only on socks, underwear, towels, that sort of thing. I've never tried bluing, have been curious though, will have to try! Line drying does help, too. Our clothes smell so fresh off the line ;) |
| Jeanna |
Posted - May 22 2012 : 4:40:49 PM
I agree with the bluing. You don't have to do it very often but it will help.
Jeanna
Farmgirl Sister #41
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau |
| texdane |
Posted - May 22 2012 : 1:28:39 PM
I have very hard well water. I use my own laundry detergent made from Fels Naptha soap, Washing Soda and Borax, and vinegar in the fabric softener cup. For whites, I use good ol' bluiing.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| natesgirl |
Posted - May 21 2012 : 10:28:49 AM
I live in martinsville indiana, the city of mineral water! Our water is horrid! I put white vinegar in a downy softener ball for every load. For the whites I add a cup of vinegar to the water and the ball thingy. If it looks like they are startin to discolor some, I will put some dawn dish soap original blue colored one, in the water as well. I use about 1/4 cup of it.
Bleach will actually cause your whites to yellow if it's soaked too long. I've had it happen many times.
I found out that the original blue dawn dish soap mixed with the vinegar causes a chemical reaction makin it similar to laundry blueing without the itchy reaction in me! It took me years of research and stumblin across a very honest science teacher, to finally find a very good altenative.
I proved it to myself and Hubby with a bag of clothes we found in the back of our storage stuff. It contained two of his white dress shirts, which were very stained and yellowed. I mixed up a washer full of warm water, vinegar, and dish soap, agitated the shirts into it, and let it soak for two hours. Then I threw in the vinegar ball and turned the machine back on. The shirts came out of the wash glowin white and they are back in his closet to be worn. It even removed the collar ring his shirts always have!
I now will drizzle a bit of soap on his collars and spray with a spritz bottle of vinegar every time I spot those rings!
FYI...If you make two cups of hot vinegar and blend in a very small amount of the blue dawn dish soap you get a very nice gel that's sprayable from a standard spritz bottle and will clean nearly anything. I use it to get rid of hard water stains in my sinks and coffe stains off my counters.
I will let the soap drip from the bottle on its own as I wisk very hard and fast. I watch for any sign that it's startin to thicken. The less soap you have to add, the les rinsin you have to do. My mom only adds a tiny amount so she doesn't need to rinse, just wipe. It means a little more scrubbin for harder stains, but less rinsin.
Make your own personal blend that fits your style!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| sherrye |
Posted - May 20 2012 : 07:02:12 AM
i bet your mom used bluing now and then. in the days past woman used mrs. stewarts bluing once in a while in the rinse. it brightens whites. be careful it is super concentrated fred meyer carries it here. just a thought
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| rough start farmgirl |
Posted - May 20 2012 : 01:38:46 AM
Our problem is rust. And there are products to help remove it. I just kind of shy away from buying too many nice white shirts and throwing away the gray=white shirts when I have to!
Marianne |
