|
Keep
Whites Bright
By Amanda Thrash
White,
always a popular color for summer fashion, has made an extra
big splash this year. However, the dingy yellow and gray stains
waiting to pounce on unsuspecting white laundry need not be
feared.
"Everybody is out there trying to find something white,"
said Linda Spaeth, sportswear buyer for Ruth Meyers Inc. in
Nichols Hills Plaza.
|
 |
Spaeth
said every designer in every fashion show she attended
in New York offered some sort of white garment.
And fashion forecasters predict white clothing will make
another strong showing for spring 2003.
If you're careful, those whites can be kept white.
Start by not hanging whites out on a line to dry.
Many times, manufacturers add optical brighteners to make
fabrics appear whiter instead of the off-white or yellowish
tint found in their natural state, according to an article
in Clothes Care Gazette.
Hanging clothes outside to dry can have irreversible effects,
because exposure to the light can break down the fluorescent
brighteners, unveiling the dingy tint.
Next, find a trusted dry cleaner.
The yellow or gray color in a garment can also stem from
dry cleaners who do not filter their solvents enough,
said Bob Guthrie, an Oklahoma representative of the Southwest
Drycleaners Association.
Another problem may be the type of stain.
"Water soluble stains won't be removed with dry cleaning,"
he said.
For stubborn stains, Guthrie recommends both dry cleaning
and wet cleaning, which is a gentle wash service provided
by dry cleaners for dry-clean-only clothes.
As for clothes washed at home, Guthrie says the first
step is simply washing with detergent.
If that does not work, upgrade to powdered bleach and
then on to the "more aggressive" chlorine bleach
for the toughest of stains -- all in hot water.
"The hotter the water temperature, the more soil
removal, but also the more increase in risk," said
Guthrie, who warns never to bleach wool and silk garments.
Contrary to common belief, the majority of shrinking occurs
in tumble drying,not in the water temperature, said Jane
Rising, manager of training and instructions for the International
Fabricare Institute. She agrees that hot water makes a
difference on stains.
Rising said most stain removal problems occur when people
use an improper water temperature, overload the |
|
washer,
improperly sort clothes and wait too long to wash clothes.
Another misconception, Rising said, is that chlorine bleach
will take out ring- around-the-collar.
Instead, use hot water and presoak, she suggests.
The key to brighter colors and whiter whites is a good
detergent. Rising said most detergents will effectively
remove stains when the instructions are followed.
According to materials provided by the institute, some
simple steps for clean laundry are to check the pockets;
pretreat the stains; sort the loads by color, construction,
fabric type and the amount of soil; select an appropriate
water temperature; select an appropriate cycle; add detergent;
and add clothing following recommended load size.
"Use the amount of detergent the manufacturer suggests,"
Rising said. "No more, no less." |
 |
|
|
| |
|
