"What's the secret to getting whites really white? I tried bleach, but my towels are still dingy. Is it time to get new towels?"
Here are some suggestions for getting the best results from bleach:
- Use a good product. Generic or house brands vary in quality. I prefer Clorox.
- Use the right amount. You need about a cup for a normal load, 1-1/4 cups for a heavy load.
- Don't pour bleach right onto clothes. Dilute it: 3 cups water to 1 cup bleach. (Put aside an old, clean milk carton as a measuring tool).
- To get brightest results, first add detergent to washer, then add clothes, then start machine, and add bleach only after agitation starts. Adding bleach early may destroy enzymes and whiteners that make detergent more effective.
- Don't bother to soak items in bleach more than fifteen minutes. It's ineffective after that and may damage fibers.
- Some items (though usually not towels) yellow when chlorine bleach is used on them. Check the label.
If you have followed all these instructions and your towels are still dingy ... you may need new towels.
