# white cloths turning gray



## samjesse (Apr 22, 2013)

Hi
I read few complains about white cloths turning gray when laundry soap is made using the mix of Borax, Washing Soda, Bar of soap, Baking Soda and optional OxyClean. Any body knows why and hot to modify the mix to avoid this problem?

Many thx


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## lizflowers42 (Apr 22, 2013)

They are gray in comparison to detergent wased clothes because there are added optical brightners in them. Try soaking your clothes overnight in oxyclean and if possible, dry them outside in the sun for further natural sun bleaching (advise you only sun your whites!)


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## lsg (Apr 22, 2013)

Homemade laundry soap mix does not rinse out well with our hard water.  The gray may be residue left from the soap mixture.


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## houseofwool (Apr 22, 2013)

I will add a splash of bleach to my whites every couple of weeks to help keep them from looking dingy.  Probably not the most environmentally friendly solution, but I figure a bottle of bleach lasts me most of a year and I don't purchase my laundry detergent anymore so it is not such a big deal overall.


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## green soap (Apr 22, 2013)

We add vinegar in the washing machine receptacle for the rinse, otherwise we do the same (liquid soap instead of bar soap) and no oxyclean.  Perhaps we got used to our clothes not being super white?  they seem fine though.


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## Miz Jenny (Apr 22, 2013)

I add oxyclean to my whites.


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## Lilahblossom (Apr 26, 2013)

You know there used to be a liquid bluing that you could buy. I don't know if it is still made or not. You'd have to be careful with it.


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## Genny (Apr 26, 2013)

Lilahblossom said:


> You know there used to be a liquid bluing that you could buy. I don't know if it is still made or not. You'd have to be careful with it.



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NEMV3Q/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

You can also get it at some grocery stores & some Ace Hardware stores


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## lsg (Apr 26, 2013)

My mom used a wringer washer with two rinse tubs when I was a kid.  She put the bluing in the last rinse tub and hung our clothes on the clothes line.  Her whites were really white.


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## Miz Jenny (Apr 27, 2013)

I used Mrs. Stewart's Blueing, when I lived in Fairbanks AK,  and it does work. Gonna get some.


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## happymom (May 8, 2013)

I have somewhat hard water - I used the Fels Naptha recipe for a long time and it does make whites a little dingy so every few weeks I would use reg detergent. However recently I made a batch of basic lard soap and it works great even in an HE washer. I mixed it up with some Borax and use maybe 3 T - I can't tell the difference. And you can scent it with whatever you want.


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