Domestic Goddess Question.

[sweetheart]

This isn't really a DIY it is a domestic goddess one ( and I am not a domestic goddess!).

I have some terry tea towels which despite all attempts with " Vanish", bleach, soaking in deoxy stain remover etc will not clean up. My white is grey ( or rather brownish tea stained and not looking clean) and the pattern is yellowing. I have washed them with bio washing powers and with non bio and on a 60 wash ( despite manufacturers stating 30 degrees will do - yeah like who says?) . Should I try boil washing? Or should I ditch them and start again? ( problem is I like the patterns - one has bunnies round the boarder and the other little kittens) If I do start again - how do I stop the next lot getting equally grey and stained and generally looking "washed dirty".

Does anyone at all know how to get these clean and looking good so I don't have to be embarrassed putting them on the line to dry or putting them out in the kitchen? I have guests coming, I need them to look good.

[pete]

Yup, boil them bunnies! While normal detergents are fine for clothes that have only been worn once (and therefore really don't need washing at all, unless the wearer has been rolling around in something or is a messy eater) they aren't much good at real _mans_ dirt :-) Stick 'em in your largest pan, top up with water, add detergent and a touch of bleach to taste. Bring to the boil then simmer for

40 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and a garnish.

[NT]

I /think/ oxy bleach needs to be kept down to 40, or the active stuff evaporates

NT

[The Medway Handyman]

This just has to be a troll.

[Me Here]

Use 'em as poliishing cloths and buy new ones ya tight arse !

[sweetheart]

No, it was a genuine question. Not every female in the land has been born and trained to be an expert at all things laundry you know.

[Bob Eager]

Is there not a 95 degree wash option on the washing machine? Should be good for terry items, and presumably if the design is colourfast at lower temperatures, it should be OK....

[sweetheart]

I do have a 95 degree wash on the washing machine but I have never sued it , not even for whites. I am considering it ( as well as the boil in the pan option. I am currently soaking my towels in a bowl of very hot water with some bleach to see if it makes some impact first.

I guess the stains have been there so long its going to be a lot of washing to clean them.

[ARWadsworth]

I can second that.

I am hoping that the new Government will do something about that.

Adam

[Bob Eager]

It's slightly cooler than the boil in the pan option! Worked OK for terry nappies, for us.

Do a test run.

[Gib Bogle]

This doesn't answer your question, but we gave up using tea towels years ago - we just let the dishes dry on the rack.

[Tim Watts]

It's worth using it from time to time (say for the towells wash) as it does help kill off bugs and crap in the machine. Gets the bugs out teh towells too..

[mogga]

Wear sunglasses. Buy new ones.

[The Natural Philosopher]

bleach or caustic soda.

It will rot the cotton and remove the color from any dyes, but it will get the stains out.

[sweetheart]

Thank you for the suggestions everyone. I soaked them in hot water and bleach overnight to not much apparent effect. Then I put them in the washing machine on a 95 degree wash . They aren't perfect b ecause there are still some stain patches but it has worked because most of the towels are not mostly white where they should be white. I must admit though it bought up all my other towels ( bath towels) beautifully.

I think it is misguided to keep telling people to wash on eco friendly wash cycles. Boil wash ( well near enough ) every time for me in future.

[Tim Watts]

Bing! :)

Keeps your machine smelling nice too :)

[Bruce]

We wash at 30C using Almat Colour washing tablets from Aldi, with a spoonful of oxy stain remover in each wash. We have never had our teatowels (or any other items) come out looking anything less than pristine. The colours are bright and the whites are white.

We must be doing something wrong. ;-)

[robgraham]

genews:uDvMn.19213$oi.2011@hurricane...

I do have to admire your audacity in asking such a question in a Usenet group that has a seriously high percentage of males users !

But having said that there have been two threads recently on bread making machines. The first if I remember ran to something approaching a 100 responses and there was but one 'domestic goddess' contributor.

Rob

[Tim Watts]

No, you're just introducing a chemical process to achieve similar aims :)

I prefer doing the towels at 95C as then I know any bugs are dead and the hot purge through the machine will do likewise. But I do add a drop of bleach once in a while, or one of the stain removers if I have some to hand, for the whites wash if school socks and stuff are getting grey.

I wonder if the stain removers have anti-bug properties like bleach?

[Dave Liquorice]

Wouldn't do your woollens in a boil wash... well not unless you want them to come out 50% the size they went in. B-)

Bath and hand towels, tea towels etc certainly get a vigourous wash. Be careful with towels though if they have blood(*) on them a hot wash will "set" the blood. Cold prewash first to loosen the blood then wash.

(*) Un-noticed shaving knick or other sources.