Undershirts | Imamother

amother

Sun, Sep 06 2020, 3:31 pm

How do you keep them white?
I always wash on hot to take out any sweaty smells, but they turn grey pretty quickly. True they are lumped with all the underwear and socks, but the socks have been washed so many times I can't believe they're coloring the undershirts.

Is there a trick I don't know?
I have a newer model front loader if that makes any difference.

ra_mom

Sun, Sep 06 2020, 3:37 pm

Wash pure white cottons separately. Warm water. Add a scoop of Oxi White Revive to each white load. Once they're grey it's hard to get back but you can start doing this so that the white ones stay white.

If they generally get sweat stains, you can make a paste of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and water; rub into the underarms of the undershirts (before you see the stains) and let sit for half an hour before washing.

ra_mom

Sun, Sep 06 2020, 3:51 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

So is it the hot water that turns them grey?
Or the lack of oxi?
I try washing them separately now (one more subset of laundry aargh)

Not the hot water. The stains that we don't see but that build up (which is why Oxi is added). And the black socks that are added.

Also keep in mind that like fabrics wash better together. If light undershirts are being washed with heavy socks or a heavier fabric sweater, the thin undershirts will not get the deep clean they need from the washing machine.

amother

cornflower

Sun, Sep 06 2020, 9:33 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Undershirts.

We like Jockey around here.
I wash it with all my whites (mostly hubby's tees). Never had it turn gray.

amother

Sun, Sep 06 2020, 9:40 pm

amother [ cornflower ] wrote:

We like Jockey around here.
I wash it with all my whites (mostly hubby's tees). Never had it turn gray.

So you're washing them in cold?

I'd only wash tees in cold, but it's the undershirts that I always stick in on super hot.

zaq

Mon, Sep 07 2020, 9:03 am

Do other fabrics turn grey? If you have very hard water, the minerals in the water combine with the detergent to form a deposit that will build up on the fabric and turn it grey. You may need to add a water softener system (not fabric softener) to the wash. Meantime, try adding a cup of plain white vinegar to the final rinse water. Vinegar helps remove the detergent/mineral deposits.

amother

Mon, Sep 07 2020, 9:06 am

My white dress shirts are all still white - I wash them on cold or warm.

White underwear seems whiter than the undershirts, and they are both washed in the same load, though I probably keep undershirts for longer than I keep underwear.

amother

Mon, Sep 07 2020, 10:34 am

zaq wrote:

What color are the socks you're washing?

Socks are all colors, yes there's black in there.
I didn't expect they would make the undershirts grey once they they'd been washed so many times.

Ok, I hear you all, socks in one load, hot whites in another... no more short cuts.

I'm buying a heap more undershirts, to be washed only with other whites.

And I guess I'll wash only with warm to be safe.. with Oxi.

Just odd because my white underwear for example goes in the same load, and is still a fresh white, year later. Is it also related to the quality of the cotton?

amother

Mon, Sep 07 2020, 10:46 am

ra_mom wrote:

That is really interesting, I never heard that. I have a huge machine so it's tempting to throw whatever matches for temperature and fill as much as possible. You're saying to basically wash towels with towels, sheets with sheets, and socks with socks.... let's see how long I can pull that off Wink

My default is very hot water - like the sanitize option - I guess a relic of the pinworm years.
Unless of course a fabric can't take it (eg white dress shirts, colored clothing and delicates go on cold or warm).

Perhaps it's time to start being nicer to my laundry...

ra_mom

Mon, Sep 07 2020, 10:59 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

It really makes a difference. Stains on t-shirts will come out faster if only cotton tee type fabrics are washed together. Towels will santize better if all heavy towel fabrics are washed together. You can google sort laundry by texture to research a little more on the topic.

I use the sanitize option (hotter than hot) on towels. Warm on bed linen. Cold on darks to retain color and not set stains.