White clothes looking dull and dingy? This $5 laundry hack totally transformed my grossest white T-shirts. Between sweat, makeup, self-tanner, and sunscreen, my white T-shirts tend to only last a few seasons of wear before I have to replace them. No mixture of baking soda and vinegar or magic whitening laundry detergent seemed to do the trick, and I’m too scared of the damaging effects of bleach to clean my clothes with it.
Thankfully, a friend of a friend mentioned that you could dye your grayed or yellowing whites blue to help restore them to their just-bought brightness. Naturally, I was intrigued, and a quick search brought me to Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing and its thousands of glowing reviews. I’m a born skeptic, so my hopes were low that this solution could do anything to help my grimy whites. But at just $5, it was worth a shot to see if it could save my tees from the trash.
Introducing Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing
First introduced in 1883, Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing is specifically designed to revive white clothes. With just a few drops of the liquid bluing and some cold water, you can create a diluted solution to add directly into your load of white tees, towels, or sheets to visually enhance brightness.
How It Works
You might wonder how a blue dye can make your clothes appear white. According to Mrs. Stewart’s website, there are hundreds of shades of white, but blue-white is the one that looks the brightest to the human eye. By adding blue dye to white clothes that have yellow or gray tones, light reflects differently from the fabric, making it appear whiter.
The directions included on the bottle of bluing liquid are straightforward: dilute a few drops of the blue concentrate with 1 to 2 quarts of water and add it to your laundry during the wash or rinse cycle. To avoid the risk of dyeing your clothes blue, I started with a small batch of my dingiest white shirts in my sink. After washing with regular detergent, I mixed the diluted bluing in fresh water and let my clothes soak for about 20 minutes before air drying.
For subsequent washes, I followed the same process in my washing machine by using the fabric softener compartment to add the diluted Mrs. Stewart’s mix during the rinse cycle, ensuring it wouldn’t stain my whites. Dilution is crucial; make sure to do it over a sink and keep a paper towel handy to wipe away any residual blue drops.
Visible Results Over Time
In total, I washed the same four shirts three times with Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing, allowing them to dry fully between each wash. All shirts were cotton tees, but this product is safe for both synthetic and natural fabrics. These shirts varied in thickness and state of distress; one Everlane tee was in such bad shape that I couldn't believe I was wearing it.
Like many effective solutions, patience is key. After the second wash, I began noticing gradual improvements—my shirts shifted subtly away from their grayish tones toward a brighter white, though a casual observer might not see much difference. The thicker shirts, a Uniqlo T-shirt and Zara tank top, showed results faster, likely because the blue dye had more fabric to cling to. After three washes, these shirts looked significantly whiter, though they might need a few additional rounds of washing to eliminate all discoloration.
Value for Money
A little bit goes a long way with Mrs. Stewart’s Concentrated Liquid Bluing. Even after three loads, the bottle appears almost full. The recommended amount for larger loads is just 1/4 of a teaspoon, which means that a single 8-ounce bottle can last for over 190 washes. For only $5, this product is a wise investment that can serve your laundry needs for years when used weekly.
Points of Caution
While there is much to love about Mrs. Stewart’s Concentrated Liquid Bluing, expect it to add a couple of extra steps to your laundry routine. Not quite as simple as tossing something in the washer, it may seem cumbersome at first, but using it becomes second nature over time. Keep your mixing tools—like a 1-quart mason jar and a small stirrer—stored with your other laundry supplies.
One limitation is that this bluing solution does not treat stains. The brand emphasizes that bluing is not a stain remover, meaning some prep may be necessary for freshly stained clothes. Products like OxiClean Stain Remover work wonderfully for this purpose; I treated my shirts’ problem areas with it before adding the bluing in subsequent washes.
Product Synergy for Best Results
Combining Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing with OxiClean has proven effective in achieving brighter whites. The stain remover addresses and lifts deep-seated stains, while the liquid bluing evens out any remaining discoloration, further enhancing the freshness of your garments. Be cautious about using liquid bluing and bleach in the same load, but since I added the blue mix to the softener compartment, this concern was mitigated, as it was introduced after the stain treatment.
The Bottom Line
A definite win, Mrs. Stewart’s Concentrated Liquid Bluing can revitalize your whites, achieving optimal results with repeated use alongside proactive stain treatments. Your laundry day will feel more rewarding, and I gladly look forward to refreshing my next batch of lifeless whites. This $5 addition is not only a cost-effective solution but also promotes the longevity of your clothes, towels, and sheets, preventing waste.
Why trust CNN Underscored? They rigorously test every product and emphasize transparency in their processes. Their skilled team manages a portfolio of several years of testing experience, ensuring every article is meticulously edited and thoroughly vetted. They consult experts as necessary to guarantee accurate evaluations while recommending only trustworthy products, weighing the advantages and disadvantages carefully.