I use liquid detergent, fabric softener (at the rinse cycle) and bleach. My shirt just came out really yellow. What am I doing wrong?
2006-07-26 16:36:18 · 21 answers · asked by D 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
Oh yeah... and hot water.
2006-07-26 16:42:33 · update #1
Bleach will actually make your clothes yellow. One of the best things I have found for bright whites place in a cheese cloth several lemon slices. I also use 1/2 cup of ammonia. If you have stains try dabbing peroxide on the spot. If all else fails try a white wash it can be found with the fabric dyes.
2006-07-27 03:08:52 · answer #1 · answered by khaines_98 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You didn't mention what type of fabric your shirt is. But, bleach can turn synthetic fabrics yellw. Back in the day, when I was in dental school, I had to wear formal nurse whites. You know, the below the knee nurse dress? Anyway, that was a heavy 100% poly fabric, and one of our instructors told us that bleach would yellow those dresses and we should wash them using a particular cleaning product every 4th wash or so. Now, since I've never seen your shirt, nor your washing machine, I don't want to mention that product due to liability, I'd hate it if something happened.
BUT, now there are products out there that will help control yellowing on synthetics. I use Oxy Clean about every 3rd wash on all my whites to combat any yellowing from bleach. Try that. Separate your white 100% cotton fabrics (towels, socks...) from synthetics and use bleach on the towels and the oxyclean on the synthetics, or even a color safe bleach on the synthetics.
If your shirt is cotton, cut back on the bleach, use the oxyclean and consider your fabric softener. You may want to switch to a dryer sheet on those particular loads.
Good luck!
2006-07-27 04:40:18 · answer #2 · answered by Terri 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just a little fact here from my point of view.
I have lived where I am at for 4 years and I have a well system, I use Tide Powder w/bleach, Tide Liquid w/ bleach, downy fabric softner and clorox bleach ( whites only for the clorox )and my whites have never come out yellow.
I will tell you though to make sure you have enough salt in your system if you have a well and if its city, call your water management company.
2006-07-26 18:49:47 · answer #3 · answered by bender0873 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm willing to bet alfawolfette10 got it right. You shouldn't have used bleach on that white shirt. Some synthetic fabrics will react badly to it and turn yellow. Remember to always check the label. If there is a crossed out triangle on it you can not use regular bleach, only non-chlorine stuff. I don't think you can get it white again, sorry.
2006-07-26 17:52:20 · answer #4 · answered by Cicci 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is your shirt 100% cotton or not? Sometimes other fabrics can yellow when they are exposed to bleach.
I only bleach things like towels and washcloths.
Try using colorsafe bleach from now on esp. if you are trying to whiten varying fabrics that are not 100% cotton.
The yellow you have in there now is probably permanent. Maybe you can dye the entire shirt another color (darker).
2006-07-26 17:02:52 · answer #5 · answered by Lake Lover 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like you have hard water... are you using well water? or city water? with well water even using a softener system you need to add something called iron out to your salt tank about once every 2 months. this will get rid of the dingy yellow look in your whites. if your using city water. call your landlord, or have someone check to see if your piping comeing into the house is metal or PVC (plastic) if it is metal you can have the same problems as with well water, but no way to fix it unless you replace the piping
2006-07-26 16:41:23 · answer #6 · answered by MstrChief55 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From past experiences I have found that cothes that are not cotton such as those with synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester seem to turn yellow with bleach added ....not sure why but I would suggest only using bleach on cottons. If you read the label on your bottle of bleach it should tell you which type of fabrics are safe to bleach.
2006-07-26 17:51:38 · answer #7 · answered by Barb 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've never experienced this myself, but it might help to run your washing machine empty. Maybe it honestly needs a wash. It'd be at least a good jumping off point in ruling out what's NOT wrong with your washing system.
Also, are you using TOO much bleach? Sometimes bleach can be a very funny thing :)
2006-07-26 16:41:20 · answer #8 · answered by Oh no 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you using Tide detergent and Chlorox bleach? The two together make yellow. I found that out the hard way.
2006-07-26 17:46:10 · answer #9 · answered by Angie B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
minerals in the water, try using a water softener with the detergent and no bleach
2006-07-26 17:26:53 · answer #10 · answered by johnman142 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋