Laundry
A blue rinse is a dilute hair dye used to reduce the yellowed appearance of grey or white hair. The blue rinse gained popularity after Jean Harlow's appearance in the 1930 film Hell's Angels.
Bluing, laundry blue, dolly blue or washing blue is a household product used to improve the appearance of textiles, especially white fabrics. Used during laundering, it adds a trace of blue dye (often synthetic ultramarine, sometimes Prussian blue) to the fabric.
As color experts would explain it, the proof can be seen in the spectrographic comparison of the two whites — the one with blue added will reflect more light, making it appear whitest. This is why homemakers looking to return their white clothes to their original sparking white color use Mrs. Stewart's Bluing.
Bluing has an indefinite shelf life, so if your bottle still has bluing in it, it will likely work just as it does today. MSB is water-based so evaporation can occur easily.
Adding 1/3 cup of bleach to your washing machine's bleach dispenser or directly to your load of white clothes can help restore clothing whiteness.
Dirt and oils further the discoloration, which no amount of bleach can combat. Used for centuries, old-fashioned laundry bluing is the most effective and environmentally friendly way to whiten your whites.
A: Oxi clean is a powder and boosts cleaning power in general. Blueing is a whitener.
If the drawers on your washer lock, we recommend that you dilute MSB as directed on the bottle and then put as much diluted bluing as will fit into the bleach dispenser (to use with your wash cycle) or the fabric softener dispenser (to use with your rinse cycle).
Stewart's® Bluing (MSB): for over 110 years, the most effective, safe, versatile, economical laundry whitener available! 'MSB' has continued to be the favorite fabric whitener for generations.
The ingredients in MSB consist of water, a blue iron powder (a pigment), and a very, very small amount of an organic biocide / pH balancer that is added as a preservative and to keep algae from growing in our tanks and in the bottle. It is safe for you to handle when doing laundry.
Hairdressers used hydrogen and ammonia to turn tresses pale yellow, but the secret to achieving that silvery shimmer was a blue chemical solution called a “blue rinse.” It wasn't an outrageous idea, since people were already accustomed to brightening their white linens with bluing agents.
Always dilute bluing (it is highly concentrated) in cold water before adding to any type of washer. Never pour it directly into the machine because it can permanently stain fabrics. To whiten whites in a standard or top-load HE washer in the wash cycle, stir 1/4 teaspoon liquid bluing into one quart of water.
I mix just one or two drops in approximately 1/4 cup of water. Use whatever your maximum amount of liquid your machine uses for the rinse cycle. I pour it into the rinse cycle compartment.
Borax increases the stain-removal ability of your detergent. For super-stained items that have become dingy gray, pre-soak them for 30 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of Borax per 1 gallon of warm water, or add 1/2 cup of Borax to a pre-soak cycle.
Natural Whitening Action
The oxygen-releasing properties of hydrogen peroxide brighten white fabrics without harsh chemicals. Pre-soaking whites in a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water maintain their brightness by preventing yellowing.
After testing detergents, we found a few key winners: HEX Performance Laundry Detergent was the standout for stain removal, while Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty 10x Free Power Pods worked great on heavy loads. And All Free Clear Liquid 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent is a nice choice for sensitive skin.
OxiClean™ MaxForce™ is not designed to be used on dry clean only fabrics and should not be used on wool or silk items.
Cerakote is the global standard for firearm finishes, offering unmatched corrosion protection. It far exceeds traditional bluing in corrosion and chemical resistance, as well as durability, scratch resistance, and wear protection.
Bluing gun parts can preserve the appearance and performance of your gun. However, since bluing does not last forever, you will need to reblue your gun occasionally. High-quality bluing can last for decades, especially if humidity is low in your area and you keep your weapon dry and clean.
Baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, white vinegar, and borax are all natural and effective solutions that can help keep your clothes looking bright and clean. By using these alternatives, you can avoid the harmful effects of bleach and keep your clothes looking their best.