Bluing Tips

Bluing helps make your whites look whiter.

Bluing is a process through which white clothes and materials are made whiter by washing them in water to which a light blue dye has been added. The resulting clothes will not have a blue hue; instead, they will appear whiter than they did before they were washed with the bluing liquid. The reason is an optical illusion. The brightest white is blue-white, because blue intensifies the color of white. When cloth gets a dingy or yellow hue, bluing them makes them look white again. Though it is a fairly easy home process, there are a few bluing tips to make the process easier.

Always Dilute the Bluing Liquid Before Adding to Laundry

You should never pour bluing liquid directly into a load of laundry. Doing so could prevent the liquid from diluting properly. If the liquid does not dilute, it can cause spotting on your clothes. Dilute the bluing liquid according to package instructions before adding it to the wash to prevent this from happening.

How to Remove Excess Bluing

You should always follow directions when using any kind of dye, including bluing. However, mistakes happen and if you add too much bluing to your laundry, your clothing could end up looking blue instead of white. To correct this, get a five-gallon bucket with a lid. Make a solution of 1/2 cup ammonia and 1 quart cold water. Pour this solution into the bucket along with the clothes. Add enough of the liquid to completely submerge the clothes. Quickly cover with the lid and let the ammonia and its fumes remove the bluing. After 24 hours, remove the clothes and put it through a wash cycle with detergent.

Never Use Bleach While Bluing

Bleach is common for use with laundry, but it can ruin the bluing process. Never use bleach while using a bluing liquid. Another note about bleach and bluing is that sometimes with excess bluing, a person may try to use bleach to remove it. This is a mistake, as it will only set the bluing in more permanantly. If this occurs, do the same process as in step 2, but increase the ammonia amount to 1 cup per quart of cold water. You may have to repeat this two or even three times to get the bleached bluing out.

Do Not Use a Dispenser for Bluing

There are devices on the market that allow for fabric softener to be gradually released into a load of laundry as it washes. They are generally small balls filled with the liquid that releases as the washer agitates. These are convenient, but should never be used for bluing because they release at different intervals that may not allow proper dilution to occur. Without proper dilution, spotting can happen. To avoid spotting, never use bluing in laundry dispensers. Only dilute it properly according to package directions.

References

• Chest of Books: Laundry Blue Compound
• Mrs. Stewarts Bluing: Instructions
• Teacher Source: Liquid Bluing
• Mrs Stewarts Bluing: Removal of Excess Bluing