Navy Whites

[Owen]

What is the best way to get the yellowing out

of WWII vintage Navy Whites?

 

Thanks,

Owen

[Got da Penny]

I bought a small "tub/jar" of OXI Clean Powder and soaked them in the tub over night.

This took care of 90% removal of the stains/foxing.

I then wringed out by hand. then washed out with shower head. squeeze wringing a final time.

then hang dry overnite till dry.

 

Hope this helps.

 

CS

[Owen]

I tried OxiClean and it sure helped, but they still need

some help. I guess I'll try it again. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again,

Owen

[Bones]

I have not tried this but an old sailor told me to use Ivory soap. I would do the same as you did with the oxy clean, 1 item first to try it out.

[fortworthgal]

I know this is an old thread, but aside from Oxyclean, try to locate a product called Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing. It is a bluing agent that you add to your rinse cycle and it really brightens whites and counteracts yellowing. I use it each time I wash a whites load! Most grocery stores sell it near the laundry supplies, or you may look in a small hardware store. It is also a very old product, over 100 years I believe. I have a bottle from the 1920s that I picked up at an estate sale and I've actually used it - the product was still good! Good stuff.

 

I should advise that if you use this, BE SURE to add the bluing to the water by itself (no clothes) and let it agitate for a minute so that it is fully dissolved before you add your whites. Because if a spot of the bluing gets on a piece of clothing, it *will* stain. (I have a couple of sheets with blue dots now.) Make sure the bluing is fully and completely dissolved and distributed in the water before adding the whites.

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

I have always had luck with color safe bleach. It helps get rid of the yellowing but does not harm any insignia that may be on the uniform.

[normaninvasion]

Just as a note. I cleaned a white USMC dress cover with bleach and tried to be gentle about it, mixed with cold water and a cold water rinse after. When dry I put the cover on the frame, which was no easy task and the material around the band started to tear :crying: Anyway, maybe my mixture was too strong, but remember bleach is a harsh agent. So be careful!!!!

[Dave]

OxyClean works pretty well, but be careful...I've had two bad experiences. First, I let a white hat "pancake" sit for too long (about 48 hours) in a mix of Oxy and water. Unfortunately, the yellowing seemed to leave the fabric and transfer itself - in concentrated form - into the threads of the cover! So, I had beautifully white fabric, with dark yellow thread. Ouch!

 

My second accident was a set of early Army general's whites. I let them soak for about 24 hours in cold water and Oxy and for some reason, they shrunk. I took them to get drycleaned afterwards (they were really wrinkled) and even they couldn't stop the shrinking. Needless to say, the cotton shrunk, the satin/rayon lining didn't...now that was odd enough to try to explain when I sold the uniform!

 

Just my two cents to be careful whenever you get around water and old cotton...

 

Dave

[topdcnut]

I use generic oxy clean on navy white items, never on wool or leather. I do not soak over night as I noticed that the first wash, the water turned dirty fairly fast so I dumped it and mixed a new batch and generally up to three washes. I usually start with warm water and get cooler with each batch I weight cloth down and stir occasionally then rinse 2 or 3 times, then air dry usually in sunlight. I know the sunlight part will send up a red flag but this is the last time the item the item will see it. Remember,if the stuff needed a long soak Billy Mays never would have sold much.

This is more labor intensive but I have never been disapointed yet.

 

John