Bleach and laundry

Posted by: Di

Bleach and laundry - 07/29/10 09:22 PM

I use bleach on my whites...soak them overnight in the washer after they've been agitated a bit and it STILL does not whiten like the "old" bleach used to!

Anyone else use bleach that whitens??
Posted by: Mountain Ash

Re: Bleach and laundry - 07/30/10 08:39 AM

I use bleach to sanitise porcelain toilets and wash basins..and if a stain is stubborn on tea towels or linen pillowcases.
There seems to be two types in the shops..a cheap type and a thicker more expensive kind...what kind are you using..?

Country people here in the past would wash their linen then drape it on hedges to let the sun bleach the item..
as a child my Grandmother did this when she made hand towels from flour bags which were made locally at a linen mill.These flour and animal feed bags were superb..she hemed them and they lasted for years..she would add crochet edges for visitors!!
as they aged they grew softer and hardly had a hole appear.of course linen isnt used nowadays for packaging unless occasionaly for costmetics...an idea for soap?
this area was used for flax growing and a cottage industry existed when folks were weavers at home as well as farming.
An ancestor of mine had a linen mill in St Andrews he also had a farm so he prospered due to hard work.
Posted by: Anno

Re: Bleach and laundry - 07/30/10 01:57 PM

Di, the bleach that is in a tube and like a gel is great for spots. I don't use bleach on clothing unless absolutely necessary - it does weaken the fabric.

When I use bleach in the toilet, I also put a cup or two in the tank. The next few flushes whiten even more.
Posted by: Mountain Ash

Re: Bleach and laundry - 07/30/10 02:19 PM

I cant get into my tank Anno..it is a press button device..regret this because always did the tank hint ..and also placed a long lasting block within it.
..without calling a plumber I am "tank bleachless"
Posted by: orchid

Re: Bleach and laundry - 07/31/10 11:11 PM

I don't use bleach for clothes washing or washing of any fabric at all.

But then again our sheets are ...a deep burnt orange colour. Yes, we are unconventional.