When it comes to linens, I’m a purist. I like white. My bath towels are white. I still use flour sack, cotton towels exclusively to dry dishes. I prefer white dishcloths and white washcloths to remove my make-up and though I have some patterned sheets, my favorites are white. I just find that they are easier to keep clean and there’s something satisfying about bright, white linens snapping on the clothesline!

Before you protest, let me explain. While whites will show stains more readily, unlike some colors, whites can be washed in piping hot water. They can also be bleached to kill germs and eliminate that musty, mildewy smell that develops when a wet towel is left in a heap on the bathroom floor (not that my kids would ever do that!)

None-the-less, white can also pose some challenges. Not too long ago I was changing a bed for one of my daughters. I don’t normally do this. All of them are more than capable of changing their own beds, but for some reason that I’ve now forgotten, I was doing it. I was shocked to see her white sheets looking gray and dingy. They weren’t just a little off-colored. They were really bad!  In fact, I was ready to toss them into the trash can and head to Target. The Shabby Chic percale sheets at Target are my all time favorite. If you’re looking for sheets, you can read my recommendations here.

The only problem was that the sheets were not that old. They still have plenty of life in them. They just looked terrible. Because throwing away perfectly good sheets seemed wasteful and waste really rubs me the wrong way , I decided to see if I could actually revive them.

Thus began my quest to whiten and brighten whites. I’ve always felt like I had reasonably clean whites. I separate my laundry and soak and bleach my whites. But this was something different. This was going to force my laundry game to a whole new level and I hoped I was up to the challenge.

I started with a visit to Google.  I found lots of suggestions and as you might guess, some of them were contradictory.

Suggestions included: vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, Borax, Tide Brights and Whites, Oxi-clean White Revive, Original Oxi-clean, Bluing, Rit White wash and good old fashioned bleach.

I decided to start with things I had on hand.

Step 1 – Oxi-Clean

First, I filled my canning pot with water and Original Oxi-clean, added the sheet and brought the whole thing to a boil. When it was boiling good and hard, I gave the sheet a couple of stirs, turned off the fire and left it to soak over night.

The next morning I drained off the excess water and washed the sheet on hot with Tide detergent. When the cycle was finished, I hung the sheet on the line and let it dry. At this point, I could see significant improvement.

Step 2 – Bleach

Next, I repeated the wash cycle with hot water and Tide, but this time I added bleach. Normally, I would have used bleach the first time, but my research informed me that bleach can interact with body oils and actually cause yellowing. Bleach is an effective whitener, but only after oils have been removed from the fabric. How did this fact escape me for so long? I’d been using bleach incorrectly for my entire adult life!

Step 3 – Rit White Wash

At this point, the sheet was looking pretty darn good and I probably could have stopped there. However, during my quest, I learned about a product called Rit White Wash. My local Walmart didn’t have it, but I’d found it on Amazon.

So, though I was happy with the sheet, I decided to try the Rit White Wash just to see if it could get even better. And guess what? It did! I can’t believe I wasn’t familiar with this product. It did such a phenomenal job!

So, what about those other suggestions?

Vinegar. Vinegar is an effective anti-bacterial and anti-fungal solution and it’s cheap. It also eliminates odors, softens clothes and does a pretty good job at whitening.  It’s all natural and safe to use, even around small children.

However, the reviews on vinegar are mixed. Some think you can’t get a high enough concentration when using it as a wash additive. Other’s swear by it. Some claim in helps keep your washer clean and functioning well. Other’s claim the acids break down it’s rubber components. Though the jury is still out on vinegar, I’m inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. I like it as a household cleaner. If you’ve used vinegar as a laundry whitener, let me know how it works for you.

Borax. Borax is a natural mineral found around the world. It boosts your detergent by raising the PH level, or softening the water. Though I did not use it on this experiment, years ago I used to make my own laundry detergent and Borax was one of the key ingredients. I’ve also used it to soak cloth diapers. It’s relatively inexpensive and it really does help your clothes come out whiter.

Tide Brights and Whites. I’ve never tried this product but the reviews are excellent so next time I need to whiten a dingy, old sheet, I think I’ll give it a try.

Oxi-clean White Revive. For my test, I used plain ‘ole Oxi-Clean. I already had it on my shelf and at the time I didn’t realized Oxi made a special formula for whites. Like the Tide Brights and Whites, I’ll try this product next time around.

Lemon. Lemon is actually an effective whitener and has the added benefit of being all natural and safe.

Baking Soda. I can’t imagine this hurts, but I’m not sure how helpful it really is.

Bluing. I really wanted to try this, but after step three, the sheet looked so good it seemed pointless. Like the Rit, it wasn’t available locally, so I did order some from Amazon. Next time I’m whitening, I’ll give it a try too.

It took a little effort, but I’m so glad I didn’t give up on those sheets. They are as good as new, but more importantly, I’ve learned some new things about whitening clothes! After my success with the sheet, I can’t wait to tackle the rest of my whites!

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