What to do with grotty white towels?

[Deleted User]

Use a machine dye its so easy to do and the end result is very good. I have never found them to run in the wash afterwards either.

lolly5648

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Use a machine dye its so easy to do and the end result is very good. I have never found them to run in the wash afterwards either.

Whereabouts would you find a dye in the supermarket - are they with laundry items or what? And what is a good make?

It has never occurred to me to dye anything so I am keen to try it as it seems very successful.

SailorSam

My Mum always use to boil things for hours, she bought something that looked a bit like the type of tea urn you'd get in a canteen.
I think it's out in the garage somewhere.

[Deleted User]

LOLLY - I usually get mine from Wilkinsons or a hardware shop should have them. Make sure you get the right dye for the fabric type you are going to dye as some synthetics dont take a dye at all- you cannot dye polyesters. Make sure you get the right dye for a washing machine if you decide to go that way and the only other thing you'll need is some salt. Follow the instructions to the T, and make sure to weigh the item you are dyeing as you might need 2 packs for anything heavy. Its very straightforward and easy and can save you heaps of cash. Good luck, Lyn.

Herbyme

Actually it is possible to dye polyesters but you need a specialist dye and to boil them while you do it.
http://www.georgeweil.com/Craft/Dyeing/Disperse+Dyes/BrowseCategories.aspx?Ref=1,75,1152,-1
I bought some Roh@n trousers for about £4 from an Oxfam shop - full pricce about £70 - in diarrhoea brown... dyed black, excellent! Was a squash getting them in my biggest pan and I worried about boiling something you normally wash at max 40 deg but it worked fine.

Re the towels, I have the same problem, also with pillowcases, because of hair dye. I have used bleach with success, but as some say, it may weaken fibres. I have also dyed towels successfully (usually they are pure cotton so Dyl0n is fine, easy to get in loads of shops, eg little hardware shops, huge choice of colours, often get a pretty vivid result as long as you use the right amount for the weight of fabric).

Now, the real problem is boys white sports socks - how on earth do you get those white again?! And why do boys insist on walking on grass and mud in them?!

shandyclover

carolinerunner wrote: »

Now, the real problem is boys white sports socks - how on earth do you get those white again?! And why do boys insist on walking on grass and mud in them?!

Fairy or supermarket household soap. It's a green bar. You wet the socks, and soap them up - leave for at least 1/2 hour - then chuck in washing machine. Now my lot are all teens I don't bother - if they want brilliant white socks they can do it themselves, I've shown them how, but it does work very well for anything you want to keep nice - even bra and pants.

This was actually a tip passed on to me by my wealthy next door neighbour's laundry lady, in India. Though in India the soap was a pale yellow and called 'Sunlight', made by lever brothers I believe. Funnily enough the green stuff you can buy here in UK smells exactly the same. All I know is it worked marvellously on my babies cloth nappies and white cotton things - even better than the Vanish stuff my relatives brought to India for us when they visited. I should of used it on the towels though for big stuff it is a bit labour intensive.

Ches

SailorSam wrote: »

My Mum always use to boil things for hours, she bought something that looked a bit like the type of tea urn you'd get in a canteen.
I think it's out in the garage somewhere.

You lucky thing if thats a Burco boiler.

lizzywig

I second Napisan, I use it all the time on DD's soiled baby clothes and they come up good as new. You can buy it from any supermarket and quite often found in the baby section.

GotToChange

melanzana wrote: »

Every time I'm lucky enough to go to a hotel, I always say I will ask housekeeping how they keep the towels white. They must know something we don't!

Anyhow, I always forget, because I'm sozzled with lovely wine, or asleep, or late checking out or something,

BUT - they have the secret. Believe me!

Now does anyone on here know anyone working in a hotel laundry????

The thing is that most hotels would send their laundry out to be done, so the staff in the hotel probably wouldn't actually know, as the decision would be made at management level.

Asking an industrial laundry for tips might be an option - if it is simply a matter of scale.