Getting white shirts clean ... HELP!

[justcruisin]

DS6 wears white shirts (Catholic School) every day. Either a polo or dress shirt --- I really need help getting them clean. He comes home covered in dirt! (playground, pencils, crayons, lunch ....)

I usually use Purex (frequently buy one get one free) and Arm and Hammer --- spray and wash or an oxy spray on stain remover. Sometimes, some bleach, but even that does not seem to help. I wash his shirt each night, so the stains don't set, but washing 1 shirt nightly (I ususally have to run it through TWICE) in hot water is expensive. (I don't use the dryer, just downy wrinkle remover)

Any recommendations on stain removers or detergents???

I do use an old toothbrush on the stains after spraying with the remover. Cold weather means a sweater or sweatshirt!!

Thanks!

 

[jekjones1558]

I have had really good luck with a liquid stain remover called "Zout." I put it on spots, rub with a toothbrush. I don't even wash right away as long as I apply the Zout. I buy it at Walgreens, but I'm sure that it must be available elsewhere. I always bring a small container of Zout with me on vacation as well.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I use Zout also. It even works on set in stains. I don't even rub it in though. Just spray it on, let it set for 10 to 15 mins. then launder.

 

[SusanD]

The detergent that got the highest rating for cleaning was the Kirkland brand from Costco (also one of the least expensive).

 

[LoveWDW]

I don't know if you want to do this to your clothes, but when my husband's white shirts, undershirts, and other underclothing or linens need whitening I run a tub of hot water, mix in a good amount of bleach, add the clothing and agitate a couple minutes with detergent, close the lid, and leave it overnight. Then I finish the cycle and wash a second time from the beginning.

 

[KeepSwimming]

I know you'll hear some negative things about OxyClean, but I recommend it. I also have a white shirt wearer in our family and I presoak all the shirts in a big bucket of cold water and OxiClean (he takes them off, puts them in the bucket, and I let them soak overnight). Then I wash them in a load with our regular detergent (Gain) and another scoop of OxiClean and that REALLY works for us.

HTH!

 

[gary4jenn]

I have found that I end up adding too much bleach and then my stuff turns yellow. Any hints there?

I like shout and my new favorite is Oxy Clean. The trick is to soak it in VERY HOT water. I saved many items using this one.

 

[lizziepooh]

I'm not much help with the stains, but I never have figured out why some schools require white shirts for kids. I'll bet whoever set the policy isn't doing the laundry at home.

 

[Jockaroo]

My mom worked in healthcare and that meant white uniforms. These are some of her tricks. Ballpoint pin ink--use cheap (like AquaNet) hairspray with an old towel under the stain to absorb. I think this has something to do with the high alcohol content. Will take several applications but works pretty well. For blood (hopefully this isn't a problem for your little boy) use peroxide on the stain. It will bubble and you can blot and reapply. Our water greys out our whites, so I use calgon water softener in all white loads. For really bad stains I soak in hot water and Oxyclean, then run the load with a little bleach, but honestly, bleach scares me a little. I will hunt for some Zout next time I buy detergents--I've never heard of this.

 

[stczt]

I like spray n wash oxy dual fighter. DD dropped salsa on a shirt and then we lost the shirt (she's a piggie) anyways we found it a week later and I squirted the stuff on it and washed it after it soaked a hour the stuff came out. One thing I have noticed is if you leave it on colors over night without soaking in water, it leaves a whitish stain. not very noticable.

 

[Mickey527]

I got this hint from Heloise over 28 years ago when my oldest was a baby. I used it then on all his borrowed clothing and it cleaned out even the old formula stains.
I use it with my whites all the time, especially socks. It takes all the stains out so they look like new. And my boys still walk around without shoes, even outside in the grass.

Fill the washing machine with the hottest water you can.
Add 1 cup detergent, 1 cup bleach, and 1 cup dishwashing powder (I use Cascade but you can use any type you like)
Run the load through the wash cycle, stop before the spin cycle and let the clothes soak overnight. Finish the cycle in the morning.
You can add softener if you want but I always run the clothes through another cycle of cleaning to make sure I have all the detergent remnants off the clothes, then I use softener.
I hang the clothes out on the clothesline if I can because the sun does whiten clothing more, but the dryer works just as well.
It really works even for old stains. Peggie

 

[NotUrsula]

I also recommend preventative maintenance. When you buy the shirts, wash them once and then ScotchGard the heck out of them before he wears them.
It is much easier to get stains out, because the SG keeps the stain from soaking completely into the fibers. It's not foolproof, but it helps a lot.

 

[tbelfonti]

What works best for me is treating the stain as SOON as possible. My daughter had written on her uniform collar with magic marker. As soon as she came home I used Zout on the stains and let it sit. Then I rinsed it and soaked it in oxyclean and hot water.

Just a heads up that Kohl's sells uniform shirts that are stain resistant!

 

[scorpad99]

My kids wear plain white polo shirts for school and my son is a slob. I put 1/2 water -.1/2 bleach in a spray bottle and spray each shirt b4 i wash ........it seems to work HTH

 

[ncbyrne]

HOT water, a cup of Tide (powder, not liquid) and a cup of household ammonia (it's the cheapest stain remover you will find!) Wash on the longest setting and use the hottest rinse water.This will get all garments clean. (DO NOT mix bleach with ammonia...the fumes are highly toxic!)

 

[Disney Doll]

I have good luck with the Clorox oxy spray...OxyMagic I think it's called.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I've read all the posts, thanks for the tips!

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

I had good luck with clorox oxy spray cleaner. I think it's really a cleaner for the bathroom , but DD got a bloody nose at school and it took the blood right out. It probably depends on what type of stain it is but adding a cup of baking soda can help brighten whites too.

 

[sk!mom]

I recommend Tide. In my experience if you rub it into the soiled area and then wash it- it will get the cleanest possible. I've actually had several students do a Science experiment over the years comparing Tide with lower priced brands and the Tide always turns out to be the clear winner. As a money saver, you might use Tide on his shirts and the lower priced brands on everything else.

You could also use a little bleach since they are white.

 

[MayMom]

Another vote for Zout- I get mine at Target and I buy 2-3 bottles at a time. I keep one in everyone's bedroom closet and I try to spray stains as soon as the kids take their clothes off. Then it sits in the hamper until I wash.
I also use a bleach pen on small spots, but I have gotten a few yellow stains from it, so beware.


I have been having trouble with yellow sweat stains on the underarms of DH's shirts- what will help with this??