How do you keep whites white?

Fuzzypeaches

My white duvet is all yellowed on DH's side from his oily skin...it's looking noticable now after a couple years of owning it.

I am going with a darker duvet cover this time around, but just got these super soft, amazing sheets that happen to be white.

What are your tricks for keeping your whites actually white??? Or removing yellow if it's possible? I have just been adding oxi clean but it doesn't seem to have worked as the duvet is noticably yellow on his side (but I guess it has been 3 years that we have owned it..but still!)

decoraholic

I wash all of our whites on hot with detergent and Clorox 2. I'm not sure if Clorox 2 is the same thing as Oxiclean? I do this for all my white cycles and everything stays super bright. I never use regular bleach for fear of accidentally getting bleach on my colors. Bleach can have a yellowing effect too, so I wouldn't do that regularly, but it might work to get it out the first time, then just maintain using Clorox 2.

emoflamingo

I use bleach every once in awhile and then, if it's nice out, I sun dry it. The sun usually bleaches out discoloration on colored stuff you can't bleach (DS apparently inhereted it from H because he had blue sheets that would do the same thing and the sun bleaching worked great).

I also have a "whitest whites" cycle on my washer, but it takes 2 hours so I rarely run that.

Fuzzypeaches

I always thought you should wash whites in hot water. That's true, right??

Cause my washer's fancy "White" cycle does a warm rinse and cold wash which is weird to me. 

emoflamingo

I wash everything on cold because I'm terrified someone will slip in something colored into the whites (because it's happened) and then an entire load of laundry will be turned colors. H wore slightly pink socks for awhile.

dairygirl19

I use oxiclean but the blue liquid, 2Xs the whitening power stuff. It's in a blue and yellow bottle.

That shizz is expensive but it gets everything out.

Also, I've noticed detergent makes a different. The cheaper stuff seems to yellow my whites but Tide works great for me.

Also hot water and sun help more than anything so ditto pp.

sierramist_03

I put a scoop of the walmart brand sunfresh in my white load. 

mrs.jacinthe

I run regular chlorox in the laundry about every other week (so maybe every 3-4 "white" washes).  I used to use Chlorox 2, but I really don't think it helped any.  We use All free & clear detergent regularly and the only time we've had trouble with yellowing, it was due to our water - our local water department in Ohio flushed the lines without notification and everything wound up horribly yellowish for about 2 weeks.

Sunshine+Wine

Ditto PPs. I alternate between bleach and OxyClean every wash though. I also have 3 sets of all white sheets for our bed, so each set gets a break from use.

TarHeels&Rebels

Regular bleach.

I'm amazed how many people don't use it!  Obviously, the oxyclean isn't working, so try a load with Clorox.

All my towels and sheets are white so that I can Clorox them for every load for a deep down clean.

 

dairygirl19

TarHeels&Rebels:

Regular bleach.

I'm amazed how many people don't use it!  Obviously, the oxyclean isn't working, so try a load with Clorox.

All my towels and sheets are white so that I can Clorox them for every load for a deep down clean.

 

I love what regular bleach does for my whites! I also love the stuff is like a $1.00 gallon. I'm also weird and love the smell.

My klutzy self however doesn't love what it does to my laundry room rugs, the outfit I'm currently wearing and anything else within a 10 ft. radius of me.

I do steal some from the barn (we use it to sanitize there) once in awhile to sanitize my diapers or clean a really icky load of whites.

Sisugal

I avoid bleach and use vinegar instear and then hang whites outside on my lines.  Sunshine is a great natural bleacher.