Question for Jane110

[cigal]

Hi Jane!

 

A while back you advised someone to add some vinegar to help set the color in clothing.

 

I have a new pair of black shorts and I really don't want them to fade. I also have a black and white skirt that I love, but the black is starting to lighten.

 

SO - I have two questions for you.....

1. Do you have to add the vinegar to the first wash, or can you add vinegar later on to reduce further fading?

2. How much vinegar? Approximately.....;)

 

Thanks in advance Jane!! I always enjoy reading your responses. I've learned a ton and I'm sure many others have too. You are knowledgeable, helpful, and kind.:)

[JanineM]

I'm not Jane, but I have used vinegar to set colour in black jeans. I also use it to get rid of mildew in my dark brown bathroom towels & they haven't faded at all in over two years.

 

I put a cup of white vinegar in with the wash when the water is filling. If you're using a front loader then just pour it in the tub or on the clothes. Then wash as you normally would. If I'm washing garments then I'll wash them inside out.

 

There will be a residual vinegar smell, so you can add an extra rinse to the load. Fabric softener also helps, although when geting rid of mildew smells you don't use softener.

 

Hope this helps! :)

[momofmeg]

White vinegar is also good for those who have a perspiration problem. I know my daughter has to use prescription antiperspirant and she had a problem with the odor lingering in her clothing after it is washed, especially this time of year, when it is so hot. When she washes her clothing, she adds a cup of white vinegar, this will remove the odor, whereas multiple washings, minus the vinegar will not remove the odor.

[biziasabee]

Great tip, I am going to start trying this. :)

[GORDONCHICK]

Alice - I usually pre-soak by using 1c of white vinegar to 1 gal water, and then when I put in the washing machine, I dump the water/vinegar in with the clothes. But this will only work if the garments are 100% cotton (at least in my experience!).

[Langley Cruisers]

Sorry OP, I know this isn't answering or addressing your situation, but I did want to chime in here about the mildew or foul smell in towels. After suffering through this and reseaching it online, etc. etc. I read that if you wash your towels in HOT water and dry them in the dryer, the microbes lingering in the towels will be killed off and will help with the smell. Well, I'd always washed in cold water to save money, but I tried a load of towels in hot water and low and behold, IT REALLY WORKS. Our towels no longer smell bad and I am so pleased.

 

Just wanted to share what worked for us. :)

[JanineM]

Sorry OP, I know this isn't answering or addressing your situation, but I did want to chime in here about the mildew or foul smell in towels. After suffering through this and reseaching it online, etc. etc. I read that if you wash your towels in HOT water and dry them in the dryer, the microbes lingering in the towels will be killed off and will help with the smell. Well, I'd always washed in cold water to save money, but I tried a load of towels in hot water and low and behold, IT REALLY WORKS. Our towels no longer smell bad and I am so pleased.

 

Just wanted to share what worked for us. :)

 

It's the bain of the front-load washer. For me it's the vinegar plus an extra long wash in hot water, followed by two rinses and then a complete dry in the dryer. Plus, I have to "wash" my washer every month with special cleaners, clean out the gasket every couple of weeks, then leave the door open for it dry out between loads. I curse LG front loaders ...

[cruisemom42]

It's the bain of the front-load washer. For me it's the vinegar plus an extra long wash in hot water, followed by two rinses and then a complete dry in the dryer. Plus, I have to "wash" my washer every month with special cleaners, clean out the gasket every couple of weeks, then leave the door open for it dry out between loads. I curse LG front loaders ...

 

I have a front load washer too. Generally it's fine as long as I remember to keep the door open between washes. Once *someone* closed it before we left for a 2-week vacation. I had to have the gasket replaced when we got back, just could NOT get the smell out....

 

Just curious, what special cleaners do you use to wash the washer?

[JanineM]

 

Just curious, what special cleaners do you use to wash the washer?

 

Sorry cigal ... I started a hijack! ;)

 

I buy a washer cleaner called "affresh". They sell it at Lowes & Home Depot. The package has three big tablets. If you use it regularly you run a load with one tablet. If you have a smelly washer then you use two or three. They're relatively expensive - maybe $4 or $5 for the package. But they do work!

 

Now back to the original programming. :)

[cruisemom42]

Sorry cigal ... I started a hijack! ;)

 

I buy a washer cleaner called "affresh". They sell it at Lowes & Home Depot. The package has three big tablets. If you use it regularly you run a load with one tablet. If you have a smelly washer then you use two or three. They're relatively expensive - maybe $4 or $5 for the package. But they do work!

 

Now back to the original programming. :)

 

 

Thanks, I'll look for it.

 

(Sorry for the U-turn! :o)

[cruzisme]

thanks for the info re using the vinegar, how to get rid of that nasty smell in some towels, and the hazards of front load washers. after researching the latter and its problems ie gasket and smell, we chose to purchase the top load model again.

 

now back to the OP:

[GORDONCHICK]

It's very funny the variety of things we learn here!

[Hoyaheel]

Washing towels on hot - for me, I find I don't have to do that every time I wash them - just maybe once a month? The rest of the time I can wash on cold - and we don't have the mildew smell in them. I call it the bane of living in the south/humid region - even with a/c and a great vent fan in the bathroom - it takes a while for the humidity to dissipate:rolleyes:

 

Years ago - I had one of those bi-color Benetton rugby shirts (anyone else in grade school in the early 80s remember that fad?) White shirt, blue or red stripe in the middle? We soaked in salt water to "set" the colors before washing the first time....Seemed to work!

[cigal]

Sorry cigal ... I started a hijack! ;)

 

(Sorry for the U-turn! :o)

 

That's okay!! It's keeping it on the front page so that Jane110 will see it when she decides to grace us with her presence.....:D:p

 

Interestingly, I have a front-loading washer and I haven't had any of the mold/mildew/odor problems with mine.......

I do keep the door open between uses, don't know if that helps....

We were just gone for over 2 weeks. I ran the washer on the "clean washer" cycle before I washed any clothes. All I added to the washer then was bleach - per the instructions.

Maybe it's a Brand thing - mine's a Kenmore.....

 

Now I'm doing it.....:eek:

Is it hijacking if the OP does it too???:D

[Chester & Brewster]

Just curious, what special cleaners do you use to wash the washer?

 

You can just run a hot wash (empty) with a cup of white vinegar in the drawer, every now & then, saves buying special cleaners.

[Milaandra]

We used to use salt water to keep our blue jeans from fading.

 

Now if I may continue to hijack on a similar towel issue...

 

How do you keep whites white without over-bleaching them? My husband has a dirty job and obviously has a problem with lather-rinse-repeat... Our white handtowels get really grubby from his hands and they just don't seem to want to come clean. (I spend a lot of time cleaning light switches, too!)

 

We have white sheets, too, and I actually burned holes in them with using bleach too often.

 

I'm sure I'm just missing something! Please tell me what it is? (everything is 100% cotton and good quality, by the way...minimum 600 thread count sheets, turkish cotton towels)

[Hoyaheel]

I have a front load washer too and don't have mold/mildew/smell problems - I only do laundry one day a week and it's open the rest of the time to air out. We had a Maytag - it was a lemon so we trashed it after a couple years and bought a Whirlpool and no problems:D

 

For whites - I only use bleach every few washes - for the other times, I use borax or oxyclean - I don't think they're as hard on fabrics. But bleach is the least of my worries when it comes to my husband's white t-shirts - he'll rip them himself before the bleach does a number on them:rolleyes::p

[JanineM]

OK - more hijacking here.

 

BTW - I wonder if Jane110 is either moving or she's overseas on her cruise?

 

Anyway - I believe the LGs have the worst reputation for mildew smells. Hoyaheel - we used to live in coastal NC and I thought it was humid there but it's much worse in Florida so my towels constantly smell bad unless I do the vinegar thing every other wash. I have to leave DampRid in my closets and bathrooms year round to get rid of the excess humidity in the air!

 

I've recently been using the Cheer for front loaders and have been really impressed. My colours truly look brighter. I only use bleach for whites, but will wash other loads in hot water if necessary. The Cheer actually seems to help.

 

And again ... back to our regular programming!

[Lois R]

OK - more hijacking here.

 

BTW - I wonder if Jane110 is either moving or she's overseas on her cruise?

 

Anyway - I believe the LGs have the worst reputation for mildew smells. Hoyaheel - we used to live in coastal NC and I thought it was humid there but it's much worse in Florida so my towels constantly smell bad unless I do the vinegar thing every other wash. I have to leave DampRid in my closets and bathrooms year round to get rid of the excess humidity in the air!

 

I've recently been using the Cheer for front loaders and have been really impressed. My colours truly look brighter. I only use bleach for whites, but will wash other loads in hot water if necessary. The Cheer actually seems to help.

 

And again ... back to our regular programming!

 

Oh Janine,:) Jane and her hubby are sailing on July 31st and I am

not sure when they are leaving for England.....and you are right,

maybe they are moving now too? She usually replies to threads

that are asking for her help.:)

[pcur]

I've been using vinegar to set colors since I started sewing when I was a little girl. That's about 40 years!!

 

Yes, the vinegar should be used in the first wash, but can also be used anytime during the life of the garment to stop fading.

 

I have always used COLD water to set the colors with vinegar, because hot water tends to make colors run, which defeats the whole process, right?

 

Rinse well, also in cold water, and then wash as usual.

 

Salt works good, too, but in some fabrics can cause spotting, so I always use vinegar.

 

After a while, as the OP says the black has faded, a color safe brightening rinse can be used. Sometimes the fading is just residue detergents. The brightener gets rid of it all. Actually, a good rinse in............yes.............VINEGAR might help, too!

 

Oh, it's WHITE vinegar, too.

[nanner10]

To continue with the hijack, lol, here is a link to a great forum on laundry: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/laundry/ . It has a number of posts about the smelly washers and smelly towels but the info is generally what has already been posted here; leave the washer open between loads, use vinegar and use products like Affresh.

[cigal]

Oh Janine,:) Jane and her hubby are sailing on July 31st and I am

not sure when they are leaving for England.....and you are right,

maybe they are moving now too? She usually replies to threads

that are asking for her help.

 

She was moving - right around when I started this......

I thought I could catch her before she got too involved in the move, but apparently I missed my window of opportunity.....:D:p

 

Then, she jetsetted to England and went on a cruise! What a lucky lady!!:)

So I'm sure she'll check in when she gets back, but I think she had a few post-cruise nights somewhere too

 

So no worries Jane - I know you're not ignoring me!!:D

 

BTW - thanks to all those who filled in for Jane while she is off having fun!! I learned a lot of random stuff about washers!:)

[Gathina]

Well, I know I advised that recently so I'll chime in. I add it to all of my washes, from the first one on, and don't use the dryer. I add about a cup per wash.

 

Hi Jane!

 

A while back you advised someone to add some vinegar to help set the color in clothing.

 

I have a new pair of black shorts and I really don't want them to fade. I also have a black and white skirt that I love, but the black is starting to lighten.

 

SO - I have two questions for you.....

1. Do you have to add the vinegar to the first wash, or can you add vinegar later on to reduce further fading?

2. How much vinegar? Approximately.....;)

 

Thanks in advance Jane!! I always enjoy reading your responses. I've learned a ton and I'm sure many others have too. You are knowledgeable, helpful, and kind.:)

[Jane110]

Hey All!

 

I'm here, now.

 

Sorry I haven't been around.

 

Here's what's happened in the last month of my life:

 

1. Packing to move - got a herniated disk. Couldn't walk for 2 weeks. Still going to Dr. 3X a week and in intense pain.

 

2. Haid to hire the movers to pack us, which added $3,000. to the cost of the already expensive move. <sigh>

Packers pack *everything* and then label most boxes "misc", and then write only on top of boxes. Hence a pile of 5 boxes shows no labeling whatsoever. We still haven't found DH's shoes and had to go buy him a pair of his everyday loafers.

 

3. Had to cancel my free cruise/trip to London. THAT was as painful as the herniated disk! :(

 

4. Didn't have phone or internet service for over a week.

 

5. Apt still looks like a Rubicks Cube of boxes!

 

AARRGGHH!!!!

 

Cigal - I think that everyone has probably answered your vinegar question by now.

 

Hope everyone is having a better summer than I am!

 

Jane

[Lois R]

Jane, omg.....I am so sorry to hear all of this:eek::(...I hope you

will be healing quickly and really sorry to read you had to cancel

the trip.

Sending you all good thoughts and best wishes!!!!!!!:)