I have always been curious but I have never seen bluing for sale....I was always told to line dry and let the sun add its own bleach to whites....

By the way I mention Mrs Stewarts because that's the one I always see.

Haha mama, I don't have any whites. I'm not good with them. Years ago I tried bluing on my white t-shirts and it made a mess of them. The blue stuck to the underarms. Where the deodorant rubs off. After reading your post I understand why. Also the bluing stuck to the thick cotton part of the collar.

Mama all my t-shirts, underwear, sheets, towels and clothes have color. No dingy here. And I bought Tide Turbo when I went shopping on Labor Day. LOL.

Paw...your movin on up..to the east side..to that delux apartment in the sky..lol...let me know what you think of the tide turbo.

It's funny you mention Sun Detergent. My BIL had a white t shirt on and it looked brand new. I even asked my sister and she said no. I asked how she got her whites so clean, what she uses for her laundry and she said Sun and bleach. I do believe using bleach has yellowed my white t-shirts. My whites consist of my t-shirts, towels and socks. Other than that we were a lot of dark clothes, mostly cotton.

Do you use store brand bleach or Clorox? If you use blue top Clorox it is stronger than the "flavored" varieties, although the blue top is the only one that kills germs. Maybe your Sister uses the milder formula. I have used the Clorox Premium and really like it. It is milder and not so much bleach scent afterward. Do you add yours when you start the washer? If so you need to wait 5 minutes into the cycle to add OR machines with timed dispensers add it the last 4 min or so of the wash cycle OR to the 1st rinse on front loads.

Paw Print: I use bluing now and then. Haven't had a problem with it. I mix it in a plastic glass and I use 7 drops most time. I have added it to the rinse as it is intended but I have added it to the wash instead. I think it says not to add with bleach BUT that is when I add it. Seems to do a much better job when added with the bleach water. I also am using a front loader. I wouldn't mix it with fabric softener in the rinse water if you choose to ever try it and use the rinse cycle as intended.

When I say I add with the bleach water, I don't mean I pour both in at the same time. I let it finish filling, then pour in the bluing mixture, then the bleach adds later because mine does dispense the last of the wash cycle.

Always1 IMO chlorine bleach has a place in the laundry room, but it needs to be used properly. It can whiten like magic, and it can yellow and rot fabric also..LCB should be used in the last 5 minutes of the wash cycle, all of its benefits take place in that 5minutes, after that all its doing is eating away at the fabric. It also needs to be rinsed well, as it will remain on the clothing, eating. The main cause of yellowing from chlorine is because it wasn't rinsed properly, and over using it. Otherwise its fine for occasional use IMO....now if you keep whites white to begin with you will be ahead of the game and really only need LCB if you need to disinfect.

I have found White Brite Laundry Whitener works wonders!

I have used the White Bright. Best I remember it worked well but the smell was awful when first added. That dust off the powder would get you if you didn't watch out but it did work well. I had forgotten about that stuff.

@ sparky.....Come to think of it, now I remember my Grandma using White Brite (and Mrs. Stewart's Bluing).

I can see and hear her in my mind opening and using White Brite!!! She would say...Wow Nellie!!! Stand back kids, this will eat the hair in your noses!! LOL Awful smell, most unpleasant!!!

So far I like the Tide Turbo. The suds are great. It looks sudsy but the suds dissipate quickly. But I still say $18.00 for that little jug is highway robbery.

@pawprint1, You've got to start shopping Super-Target, a 64 load bottle is only $11.99 ;)

I have a few bottles of "White Bright" at home. IT Does do a number, on dingy whites. But... you have to be super careful with the dosing. It's strong, and I've found it to be very hard to rinse :)

@pawprint1...do you have hard or soft water?

Do you use a front loader (looks like you do from the pic).

If you have soft water you can probably double the 72 load per bottle.

I use so little in my Electrolux it's ridiculous (maybe like 2-3 teaspoons).

I dose by suds level of previous loads I've done.

I can no longer by those big economical jugs/boxes of detergent. They simply would last forever.

I fill mine below the "MIN" line so it just touches the lip of the "MIN"/"MAX" guide (were the red arrow points to).

I've never had hard water so I don't know how much more you would have to use but "MAX" seems like a ridiculous amount.

Oh no..Paw is in some T-R-O-U-B-L-E...2 new detergents, Paw you better clean out a closet, this is how it started with the rest of us, a box of this a jug of that, and before you know it, you can't stop. Lol.....

Paw I don't know what that powder Is, is it a store brand? It looks interesting, what store did you get if from?

George, yes I have a front loader. I would say I have hard water. Be never had it tested. Just regular city water.

My detergent dispenser doesn't look like yours. No lines. So I just use the caps on the bottles of detergent for measuring.

Mama, it's Kroger store brand powder. It smells nice. I'm just not a good one to judge these detergents. I work in an office. Other than the occasional coffee stain, my clothes aren't visibly dirty. I rub fels naphtha on the stain when I get home and it's gone.

I have 2 old electric blankets in the basement. 1 on top of the other which my dog pees on while I'm at work. The first thing I do when I get home from work is put the electric blankets in the FL & wash. Been using the Sun & a little Clorox. I pull them out, they dry over night and I lay them back down for him when I leave for work.

Potty pads don't work. I spent $10 bucks on them & he destroys them. I came home to blue shredded potty pads all over the house. So these thick blankets absorb just enough for me to work & come home.

Long story short, the urine comes out of the blankets fast & no stain. So I don't really know what works for laundry or not. Sorry for the long story.