Get white's white. Laundry issue

DonDaddyD

Right, I'm in charge of all the laundry in my house...

How do you get whites looking white?

Basically my mostly white cycling tops have been dyed with the black material of my cycle bag - sweat being the binding compound that holds everything together (for you fizzycists).

I don't want to bleach as it will affect the darker colours on the clothes.

I've tried a combination of Ariel, Bold and Fairy supported with stardrops at 50degrees... Nothing except a weird fresh smell.

My Mum can get whites looking white again (especially shirts) but won't share this with me...

Advice please?

Roastie

Are these synthetic/"technical" material cycling shirts? If so, all your efforts at 50°C will have a) damaged the fabric and b) probably fixed the colour to the material. High temp cleaning may, in itself, cause discolouration.

The vast majority of technical fabrics need care at 30° or less.

Hope this helps.

jonginge

Roastie wrote:

Are these synthetic/"technical" material cycling shirts? If so, all your efforts at 50°C will have a) damaged the fabric and b) probably fixed the colour to the material. High temp cleaning may, in itself, cause discolouration.

The vast majority of technical fabrics need care at 30° or less.

Hope this helps.

Unfortunately for you DDD I'm gonna +1, I do low temp hand washing with vanish oxi-action - seems to work. It's pretty poor, though, that the dye is leaching out of your bag...

spen666

DonDaddyD wrote:

Right, I'm in charge of all the laundry in my house...

How do you get whites looking white?

Basically my mostly white cycling tops have been dyed with the black material of my cycle bag - sweat being the binding compound that holds everything together (for you fizzycists).

I don't want to bleach as it will affect the darker colours on the clothes.

I've tried a combination of Ariel, Bold and Fairy supported with stardrops at 50degrees... Nothing except a weird fresh smell.

My Mum can get whites looking white again (especially shirts) but won't share this with me...

Advice please?

Torture her until she tells you? Apparently the waterboarding technique is all the rage these days

woodyonthebeach

Glow white. Vanish. If go to an old school knitting shop and generally speak to the granny behind the counter they should be able to give you a few ideas.

I know that my mum uses sterident tablets to clean net curtains as the fizzing action lifts the dirt off.

or falling that buy some more...

prawny

Tell you mom that if she doesn't tell you the secret, she's doing your washing again 8)

The Greg

Napisan will cure all:

http://www.harrisonsdirect.co.uk/produc ... oduct.html

Cafewanda

Hang on! The missus trusts you with her delicates? :shock: :shock:

il_principe

Another +1 for the low temp brigade. All my cycle kit, in fact all my clothing, get's the 30c treatment. Only towels and bedding gets high temp. Oxy for ground in dirt but i find 30 keeps everything clean. Mind you I do have a spanking new machine which seems to do a very good job.

simon_e

Previous replies above are about right - wash darks, colours and whites separately. I do as many things at 30° or 40° as I can, but use 60° for underwear, towels or flannels (i.e. items that retain germs). On marks or stains I wet the area under the tap and rub with green soap before putting in the machine. There are other products (Vanish etc) which may be more powerful.

TBH I think your colours are beyond help. Remember washing powder adverts are huge, big lies (like most adverts) - they will not get your whites whiter. It's just marketing b0ll0cks.

UK-ased Bio-D on brighteners: "Used in Laundry products to give an illusion of "whiteness", they attach themselves to fabric to reflect "White Light". Clothes only appear cleaner. Optical Brighteners are extremely difficult to biodegrade and can cause severe skin irritation. They can also cause mutations to microorganisms in receiving waters."

Ecover: "Optical brighteners make an irreversible chemical bond with the skin and exposure is more or less permanent as we are always in contact with some kind of material. In addition to the problems they cause to skin they do not increase the washing effect, nor the hygiene of your wash."

Aguila

The take home message:

Do not buy shiny pure white jerseys. Colour is your friend.

Gilbie

This forum is great, learnt some good tips here!
All my cycling gear is grey / black. Taking the view that it can only get lighter in the wash

rolf_f

Aguila wrote:

The take home message:

Do not buy shiny pure white jerseys. Colour is your friend.

Amen - bought a nice Endura Humvee jersey the other week. Thought the red and grey looked a bit dull so I bought white and grey; d'oh! Last time I wore it I had to put it through the washing machine 4 times to clean it properly. Not exactly eco friendly!

DonDaddyD

Gilbie wrote:

This forum is great, learnt some good tips here!
All my cycling gear is grey / black. Taking the view that it can only get lighter in the wash

+1 Not only have I learned more about washing my cycling tops I've learnt more about clothes washing in general!

Thanks all!

simon_e

Gilbie wrote:

All my cycling gear is grey / black.

Not good for visibility

After comments on the 'camouflaging' effect of my jerseys and noting visibility (or otherwise) of other cyclists when driving I now only wear white or bright colours for riding on the road. It has made me more dificult to miss and I'm sure I usually get given more room (though it's not a magic wand, there are still some pr1cks who try to shave my elbow with their wing mirror). Confirmation came in an article linked by someone here this week - the theory of BIG.

DonDaddyD

Right, I used a stain remove stick rubbed into the offending garments. I then poured washing powder (Bold - I think) directly onto the garment with some star drops and then cut a piece of the stain remover stick and wrapped the clothes (with the stained section) around the piece of cut stick.

More powder and star drops (keep in mind this is the third wash since this post without wearing these tops) in the washing machine - a Miele, cost about £700 - £800 - set it to 30degrees.

No change still stained....

SO, next pay check I'm gonna buy some nicer cycling tops.

I also realise that the stain has come from my previous non-cycle-specific-nike-rucksack that I had before Uni so about 7yrs maybe more old now. Damn good bag though.

spen666

DonDaddyD wrote:

...

I also realise that the stain has come from my previous non-cycle-specific-nike-rucksack that I had before Uni so about 7yrs maybe more old now. .....

Ahh, now I understand your problem and can see the solution.

You need to contact a US Lawyer and launch an action in the US Courts for about $300million damages against Nike for damaging your clothing and the mental anguish this has caused you.

As Nike are a US company- you should be able to use the American courts

Problem solved