Help with white sheets

Februarycat

Vanish Gold for Whites gel is suppose to make your whites 3 times whiter, might be worth a try.

[Deleted User]

I too would boil wash them I have a set of single pink flannelette sheets -a bit paler now- that were my DDs when she was small, and I never had any problem boiling them up back then in the Baby Burco boiler.
I did the nappies (not at the same time ) but my burco used to get pretty hot back then.spun dried and hung on the line to blow dry they are as soft now as they were in 1969.Didn't have ' fabric conditioner' in those days either

honeythewitch

I have found that most quilt covers with a cotton/poly mix will take a boil wash ok, and definitely at sixty degrees.
Bedding that you can only wash at low temperatures is useless in my opinion, but very few children's character quilt covers come in just cotton.

grunnie

I would add a cup of bicarb of soda to the washing machine drum and your normal powder to the drawer the next time you wash them. Never had a problem with white sheets or pillowcases but I hang them out side when it is frosty. You don't use that washing liquid pod things do you as they make things go grey or fabric conditioner?

honeythewitch

GreyQueen wrote: »

Put them out overnight (sopping wet) when a vicious cold frost is due and leave them out there for 24 hours. Should bleach them nicely.

Can't for the life of me work out why pure cotton can't be washed higher than 40, tho.

I think it is because the cotton shrinks and the polyester stitching doesn't, but who cares?

mardatha

I only use Fairy powder, I think I once washed them with a dark coloured towel. Certainly going to be a hard frost tonight so will try a 60 wash and hang them out. see what happens

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

I only use Fairy powder, I think I once washed them with a dark coloured towel. Certainly going to be a hard frost tonight so will try a 60 wash and hang them out. see what happens

Several fun things:

1. Your neighbours will think you've finally lost the plot.

2. They'll freeze like boards (the sheets, not the neighbours, lol) and can be karate-chopped to get them back into the linen basket.

I know it sounds bonkers, but it really does work.

This I know because I was raised was raised by a woman not afflicted by house-proudiness with the exception of one or two areas. The deep loathing of dingy washing being one of them.

mardatha

Idea on hold as its a full on white-out up here, heavy snow.

carriebradshaw

mar, how about giving them a soak with some biotex in overnight before washing, you can add it to the wash itself as well I think. I use it for my white hand towels as hubby has a habit of not rinsing his hands properly before drying (in my opinion) and so they end up grubby at both ends. A soak in biotex brings them up lovely though

DigForVictory

Weather permitting, get them washed however you usually do, then out in the sunlight.
Which is remarkable potent stuff for cleaning, & smells glorious, & is distinctly MSE, just a bit rare....