Washing whites (and staying white), any liquid detergent recomendations

Lifeforms

I can't believe I'm about to ask this question, at my age...

What is the best detergent (liquid) to use to wash whites and have them stay white?

Obviously I'd like something fair priced too!

Yes I've never ever had to separate my washing. I realised over the years I've never actively bought white clothes. I had them as a young kid, but then my mother washed those! And I've only had coloureds... But now I seem to be getting enough clothing to do an actual white wash. But I kind of feel that sometimes they don't come out clean enough/white enough. I've got a couple of very nice very white summer dresses (ha! pouring down currently) and when I wash them I want them to remain white.

I seem to find my (pretty much only) white support vests don't really seem fresh out of the shop white, so don't want this to happen to other whites, and as daft as it seems I just buy whatever is cheap and smells nice for the coloured stuff.

Is there particular type I should buy, bio's non bios (never really got that) or a good brand that does clean whites white? Doing it at 40 degrees, so something lower heat wise would be a necessity too.

I don't mind buying a type/brand/extra thing just for whites, as we're talking a rare wash, compared with coloureds. Then I can just use my bargain cheapy liquids on the rest (which wash fine)

I feel an idiot, and that this is something I should know, from some secret passed on thing, or some secret washing code!

bbfc

Daz offer whiter than whites, or so the dodgy adverts claim!

A._Badger

You'll never get clothes as white with a liquid detergent. I'd suggest using Aerial tablets, washing as hot as the fabric will allow and drying in sunlight when you can.

dasophster

My beko washer's instruction manual is like a bible of info when it comes to how to keep clothes looking new, it's one of the most detailed and fascinating instruction booklets I have come across. Anyway it says that if you live in a hard water area and don't use enough detergent whites will become grey and it is pretty much irreversible then again I have heard the same from cloth nappying friends with regard to using too much detergent. I find the new Ariel stain remover 'whitening' powder fantastic, the liquid version is carp, removes no stains and doesn't whiten either. I use white towels that I want to stay white and a lot of my children's vests et al are white too. I find it doesn't matter too much if I use a liquid or a powder as long as I use this stain remover in with it, also banging in some soda crystals alongside helps too xx

SHEILA54

Hi

Which tested powders liquids and gels and these 2 came joint top for keeping whites white.

Ariel with Actilift Biological Tablets 87%

Daz Tablets (Biological) 87%

The only liquid or gel that came close was

Ariel with Actilift Biological Liquitabs 78%

and the cheapest

Formil Biological powder (Lidl) 74%
This costs only 11p per wash against 28 - 32p for the others

Gels have had their top rating removed as they don't clean as well.

Personally I buy the liquitabs as they can be used for both whites and coloured and I have no complaints.

Lifeforms

Thank you all for your suggestions! I've wondered about a few, like Daz, and cleaner close, and whether it does actually work.
I have used the daz lime/green one on clothing, but will take a couple of those and go look out prices of what's cheap today to buy.

Is there anything I can do to less than white looking whites now? sounds daft, but can you bleach these things?