How do you keep your whites......... well white?

[Dar]

I just bought a pair of white capris and the matching white jacket... its a really nice outfit bit I am afraid to wear it. I am the biggest slob know to man.. if i am eating something.. I always feed the "girls" directly... I always end up with something on my shirt

So other then the obvious of pre treating stains .. how do you keep your white clothes white

I have read that bleach turns them yellow

hard water turns stuff brown

washing with other items that tend to be dirty like socks will turn whites grey

I do have hard water and I cannot install a water softener.. landlord said no.. to much retrofitting to make it work

My mom said to use borax but thats a powder and apparently not very good for high efficiency washing machines

I have read about using the hottest water possible

what else can I do?

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Definitely bleach...but not too much of it. I've never had it turn anything yellow. I'm such an eating slob that I just buy cheap shirts/blouses so I can throw them away when they get spots that I can't get out...which is frequently!

 

[Dar]

Me too.... I am the one that will find the spot on the bench that has the only smuched berry on it and have a seat... I am so afraid to wear white but i could not resist this outfit

 

[Gonzo]

What about that blueing agent that you see in grocery stores? its in a smaller bottle. I've tried that before, and I think it did work. But, like everyone else is saying "small amounts of bleach" My washer has a dispenser that I'm guessing (hoping) waters it down while going in.

 

[debilorrah]

Tide and Tide stain pen. Wash it alone. HE machines use mostly steam to clean so you will not be "wasting" water. The machine can judge the level by the items in it.

 

[txchickie]

Spray n wash on any stains, then bleach.

I bleach EVERYTHING that is white, towels, washcloths, underwear, socks, sheets, etc......all of my white laundry stays glowing white.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Don't have any whites...