Clothes Turned Yellow from Using Too Much Bleach.

Updated on March 13, 2013
C.G. asks from Columbia, MO
13 answers

I decided to bleach a few white towels and all of our white socks. I used an off-brand of bleach for the first time and I just poured it in the hot water without measuring. I think I used too much. Everything came out yellow looking and some of the towels had darker yellow spots. I rewashed everything, which didn't help. Any suggestions on how to get the clothes white again? Thanks!

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D.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I just read an article lately about putting 1 asprin in the load and it even takes out the yellow underarm stains some people get it is worth a shot. It may have been in LUCKY MAGAZINE.

D.

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T.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I would suggest rewashing everything in Borax powdered bleach. I hear this stuff is the best for anything that needs bright whitening and is not so harsh on clothing. It's what they used in the "good old days" I hear .. good luck

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P.H.

answers from Wichita on

I have to agree with Amy, laundry bluing should take the yellow out. Just read the directions. We used it every other time with our whites when I was a kid, we also used it to whiten the "socks" on our horses for 4-H, cause sometimes even when they were clean the white hair would have a yellow tinge. LOL

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A.R.

answers from Kansas City on

You might want to try old-fashioned laundry blueing. It's a blue liquid that they call an "optical brightner". It makes dingy, gray or yellow clothes look bright white again. It should be in the laundry soap section of a place like WalMart.

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L.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I too heard about putting an aspirin in with the wash for the underarm stains. With your whole load, though, you may need more than one!

Isn't it wonderful all the advice you get on Mamasource? You can ask just about anything hear and get great suggestions! I'm curious to know if you try any of the things the other moms suggested. Let us know what works!

M.A.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi C.,

I damagged so many things!!!! I would try all the other mom's suggestions....but I am afraid that you might have burnt the fibers, any kind of Clorox no matter the brand burns, it is also dangerous for your skin and inhaling it, try milder whiteners next time.
I use everything naturally based and never had that problem agian, I use mela bright from melaleuca, but I am sure that you can get other brands, not sure about the prices in store though. If you like naturally based products for a safer home then melaleuca is the best. I used them for over 3 year snow and couldn't be any happier.
Hope you can find a fix!
Mariana Abadie
www.MaiaCreations.ecrater.com
www.MyKidsFirst.com

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C.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I diffently agree off brand bleaach is no good. I will turn your whites yellow. I Always use Clorox it doesn't take a lot, But remember to much Bleach will also make your white seem a little thiner after two many washes with bleach. I have recently try Arm & Hammer landuary soap with the oxi-clean and I like it. Hope you find your solutions.

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Y.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Use a peroxide & a whitener....kind of like a dye. ALWAYS measure your bleach & stay away from the off brands. They have clorox at the dollar store.

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J.G.

answers from Kansas City on

I recently read an article advising against using bleach on whites. Most whites clothes have "optical brighteners" and are not 100% cotton and that is why they turn yellow w/ bleach. Never use bleach on anything synthetic. I use a 1/2 C. or Borax in every load of laundry and have never needed bleach again. RIT makes a Whites Brightener that you can try to get them white again or a dye remover.

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A.F.

answers from Lafayette on

can anyone help me on this one.

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D.G.

answers from Joplin on

The only time that has happened to me is when I bleached something that says not to bleach. And believe it or not a lot of white things have do not bleach on them. And the other times have been when I use off-brand bleach. It doesn't clean other things as well either. The difference is worth getting the name brand. Clorex has always worked better than Purex. Don't know why it just does. I use oxy-clean on most of my whites. And anytime you have a stain that did not come out don't dry it in the dryer makes it harder to get out.

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B.G.

answers from St. Louis on

I recently had the same problem with some white socks and t-shirts that I used off-brand bleach on. I re-bleached them in Clorox using COLD water (I never use hot water with bleach as it doesn't seem to work as well for me), and I use either a plastic tub or the porcelain bathroom sink. My kitchen sink is stainless steel, and sometimes it seems to discolor the items, I'm not sure if the steel is reacting with the bleach or not, but it always works better for me to use the plastic tub or bathroom sink. It worked for me, and my whites look brand new again! Good luck to you.

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S.G.

answers from Kansas City on

My mother always soaked yellowed clothes in lemon juice and hung them outside on a very sunny day.

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