Best Way To Keep Tea Towels White?

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi All

Sorry to keep harrassing you all

My tea towels always seem to be marked-even just out washing machine. I always get good quality 100% towelling thicker ones(white with a strip of light colour thread), but never seem to wash up well. I normally put my whites on a 50-60c wash, as I dont like using the 90c because of the cost

Are there any other ways I can keep them gleaming white and not becoming stained and looking washed out? My mum used to soak hers (and our terry nappies) in something in a bucket before washing in the machine-anyone know Would bleach be any good? They do have a strip of colour in them, so would bleach dis-colour it? Also, I dont have alot of money-so cheap costs are a must :rolleyes:

I do seperate my washing into dark colours (40c), medium colours (40c), pale & whites (50-60c) bedding (50-60c). Am I washing my clothing correctly? Is there an easier way to seperate? All my other clothes/bedding seem to wash well, just my tea towels and some of the white items-maybe water is not hot eneough.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Penny-Pincher!!
xxx

Pink.

Penny-Pincher!! wrote:

My mum used to soak hers (and our terry nappies) in something in a bucket before washing in the machine-anyone know

My mum used to do this too....she used Napisan.

It's still available in either Tesco or Boots (sorry I can't remember which). I use it for white towels, before washing them on high temperature wash.

Pink

squiggles

I always put about 3 teaspoons of biotex in my whites and lights wash as well as my usual powder/tablets.Biotex costs 99p ish and you can get it in most supermarkets and cheapy chemists,the box does about 15 washes im not sure though as ive never realy counted but i know you get quite a few.

RacyRed

Napisan is great for this. The supermarkets stock it.

Straight into washing machine, no need to soak unless stains are very heavy.

Vinegar rinse really finishes the job nicely.

N9eav

Penny-Pincher!! wrote:

Hi All

Are there any other ways I can keep them gleaming white and not becoming stained and looking washed out? xxx

Don't use them. Just keep them in the drawer. That's what my OH does. She buys these great fancy T-towels and then moans when I use them as they get dirty:rotfl:

larmy16

Superdrug do a cheap version of Biotex - it is £1.09 for a 500g box. I use it when making my washing powder in place of Borax which I cannnot get round my way. :idea:

anguk

I'd forgotton all about Napisan, I used Boots own make when my kids were babies and in terry nappies. If it can get nappies white it should work for towels & tea towels.

Magentasue

I do god knows how much washing in a week but only one load is whites. The whites load is tea towels, dishcloths, white towels and polo shirts. The whites wash is persil or ariel bio and, most importantly, done at 80degrees. This is supposed tobe good for your machine because the hot water dissolves all the scummy deposits that stick there at 60degrees or less. I was told this years ago by a washing machine engineer, don't know if it's still true for new machines - mine's quite elderly.

rizla01

Didn't there used to be something called 'Blue'?

I remember a circular paper bag with a twisted top that my Mum used to use.
Mainly for nets I think but I'm not sure.

Anyone?

Being a bloke I have bleached many white items with colour stripes and it never seemed to fade them.

Riz

Addendum - Yep thought as much LOOK HERE

RacyRed

Good one, Blue rings a bell.

rizla, the link isn't working?

rizla01

RacyRed wrote:

Good one, Blue rings a bell.

rizla, the link isn't working?

try this.

http://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/purpose.htm

I think Mums was called a blue bag and it was probably by Rickets. ( Later Rickets & Coleman, I believe)

Anyway the above is an explanation of a similar product.

Better still look here

Hopefully that'll work.