When it comes to linens and bedding, almost everything in my home is stark white. I just love the clean look of a crisp, white fabric. Recently, I noticed, every trick in the book for “making whites brighter” only proved that some of my whites were a bit….gray. So what did I do? The usual for me…lots of research. And I realized: I, along with throngs of others, have never even heard of the tool folks before us kept in their tool belt to ACTUALLY make white fabric brilliantly white again. I studied textiles in college…surely I learned this?
It’s called “Bluing.”
Yes, apparently, that is a real thing.
You see, a hint of a blue tone makes a white fabric appear whiter. In other words, “bluing” a dull, gray towel creates a brilliant effect. I was shocked…I was sure I tried everything.
I soaked my towels overnight in vinegar. I washed….and nope.
I tried hydrogen peroxide and….nope.
Bleach, borax, OxyClean…I tried it. They were all still grayish in tone no matter what I did. Then I read about bluing and decided to test it on my own towels. So, after going through all of these processes, I threw the towels on the floor and took a “before” picture. I am honestly surprised myself at the “before and after” comparison. This is the what I used to “blue” my whites. (Can we come up with a less annoying term?)
Pictures alone speak to the results. I will be “bluing” everything wearable/usable/washable that is white in my home.