HELP!!! My clothes are getting "dingy" and yellowish!?

Question

We own a home and have a well. The water has been tested, and is ok health wise!, BUT, it has a high iron content and it turns everything yellow. The tubs, sinks, etc. we can restore the new look with scrubbing, but now Im at a complete loss witht he laundry. It is actually yellowing my clothing. Is there anything I can add to the wash to keep that from happening, without hurting my clothing,.or any other solutions??????

Answer 1

Get "Yellow Out"; its in liquid form and in the detergent aisle of your supermarket. You use this with your laundry soap every wash to prevent yellowing clothes. Such are the problems of using wells.

Answer 2

Linda Cobb author of Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean spends a chapter in her book about this very topic. Here are her suggestions:
Use about 1/2 the detergent called for on the instructions. Give your detergent a kick by using Arm & Hammer Washing Soda or 20 Mule Team Borax along with your detergent following those package directions. If you find that your clothes still do not have the degree of cleanness and softness you desire, you may need to try a liquid softener that you can add to your laundry. You can make your own in a one gallon milk jug.

Combine 1/2 LB of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/4 LB Borax and 1 gallon warm water

To use add 1 cup of solution to each wash load with your detergent.

You can also add a couple of drops of bluing in each washload. It actually counteracts yellowing and prevents the iron from yellowing the garments.

Answer 3

Washing soda softens the water and reduces the amount of detergent. Arm and hammer makes washing soda and it can be found in Albertson's in my area.Before using your machine again, add one gallon of white vinegar and run it through a cycle with no clothes.call your local super markets Arm and Hammer makes it. It is not baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) Washing soda is sodium carbonate. If you can't find it anywhere even at hardware stores call 1-888-858-soap to order. It will really make a difference and May you have a great year.

Answer 4

Have you tried OxyClean powder? I am sold on this product after using it on a red wine stain that had been unsuccessfully treated with 3 other products. The garment had been washed and dried several times and the stain was a couple of months old. I used OxyClean and it was AMAZING! The stain was totally gone. I now use it in all of my laundry loads of whites and towels and also in heavily soiled. The whites are really bright, without having to use chlorine bleach. It is something that is worth every penny and I've recommended it to others who have had much success with it as well.

Answer 5

there is an additive you can get for the wash it comes in a little blue bottle with an old woman on the label
mrs stewarts I think is the brand.

it is called BLUING

it actually adds a little blue to the water
this counteracts the yellow and makes things look brilliant white again.
It will not burn the clothes like bleach can

Answer 6

Well.... I am from the West Indies and we have ways of keeping that yellow rust color from happening considering we wash from rain water or running water from the river...

I have found some things around the United State.... the rust stain will happen over time anyway.

Theres this liquid called little boy blue...... or it could have another name depending on who made it..... (anyway) its these blue liquid that you put in the wash while washing your white.... you can also place it in the rise cycle... but don't put that much .... about 6-10 drops only and do it before you put your clothing in...

check the water color.................it does not stain but you also don't want to place right on the cloth either....'

read the direction:

2nd thing is with most of your whites you might wanted to heat up the water just a little hotter.... and place some bleach in it ...... remember its not the amount of bleach that you put in it that will make the clothes cleaner......... its how you wash your clothes that makes them stay looking nice.............

I used to place my dingy whites in a pot. and stem them for about 15 min in on my stove..... in Med temp with soap and water and bleach............... then let stay for addition 30 min .... them wash them as usual then in the rinse cycle use the blue liquid that we talked about,..,. not much..... just enough to say you see the color.......... use your jugment....

Remember when you look at a new dress or shirt....... it lookes so white that you sometimes see a little blue........

That's the way your going to look at your whites when your done washing ............

For under pants and things theres this bar of soad called Zambe you will find it in the local supermarket or wal-mart.... its to soap the material up and place it in a container for about a day.... or till that stuff is gone.......... repeat if needed but you don't have to place any bleach in it .... the soap will disovle what evers there in cluding blood stain...........

Let me know how it work out for you [e-mail]

Answer 7

I agree w/ the Borax answer. There's also a chemical, in the hardware department, (strange since it's for washing clothes) called "Yellow Out". It gets yellow out of clothing to include armpit stains.

Answer 8

Clorox Colors

Answer 9

try washing with Dreft the baby laundry soap. it contains salt like in a soft water treatment and will help with getting rid of the rust and coloring from the iron.

Answer 10

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