Laundry advices?

Question

I would like to get laundry advices. How to wash my whites, how to wash my blacks and darks. Finally how to wash my greys. Finally which detergent should i use for the darks to keep their original dark color.

Answer 1

Whites usually do best when bleached now and again. I don't bleach them everytime, only when they are particularly grungy or dirty because bleach builds up on the fibers, especially cotton, and will cause them to yellow over time. I add a couple of drops of Mrs. Stewarts Bluing for extra whiteness and it really does keep whites eye popping white. Most people will say to wash whites in hot water, but it isn't always necessary if you aren't bleaching. You can add 2/3 cup of borax to the load to get rid of smells and boost the power of almost any detergent and it fights stains while the garments are in the wash.

Darks should always be washed in cold water. You can use a detergent specially made for dark colors to preserve the dye, Woolite makes one, as does Tide. But, the cheapest way to set the dye, keep it from transferring to other garments, bleeding and to retain the original color is to add a cup of vinegar to a full load. It will also eliminate the need for fabric softener because it acts like one.

Greys are easy because they require little additional care. I wash mine in cold water, use a vinegar rinse and add borax if they are sweats, particularly smelly or stained.

Answer 2

I do three kinds of laundry:
Whites: Wash in hot with detergent, bleach and oxyclean

Darks: Wash in cold with detergent only

Warm: Dark colors that I don't care too much about plus towels and boxers. Wash with detergent only...on warm obviously.

I wash my greys with the warm stuff.