I have some clothes (mostly blouses, but some sweaters) that used to be white, but for some reason, they‘ve yellowed over the years. I would really like to keep them instead of throw them away. Is there a way I can wash them that will get the yellow out and restore them to their previous pristine white state without comprimising any other colors in the garment? Also, why do white clothes yellow?
3000 * 0.5/70 21.4 pounds
Using bleach can actually yellow your whites. Whites have optical brighteners in them to make them really bright white. Bleach causes them to get yellow. Read the labels and make sure if it says not to use bleach, you don't use bleach. Use liquid bluing instead. As for how to reverse itI'm starring this question to find out.
Rit Dye makes a product for this. If items are all white and cotton you can bleach, but that does not always completely lift the yellow. I've used it with **** n Span floor cleaner, laundry detergent and borax. There's a tiny buildup on all surfaces from the air, detergents are often partly left behind. Fabric softener also. It's a pain.
Give them a couple of washes in Vanish Oxi Action for whites or something similar, and a biological detergent. If they are 100% cotton you could bleach them but as they are older garments I personally wouldn't risk it without being sure the material could withstand that treatment as over time the fibres will have weakened. You can also try curtain whitener for the polyester/nylon ones. Thew reason they yellow is that cotton is not pure white-it has been treated and bleached. The cloth is simply fading!
