Snowy Bleach

[lydia]

I have been rejuvenating vintage (antique?) garments and linens for a friend who owns an antique shop.  I just came indoors from the clothesline w/an armload of whites.  At one time I used a Snowy Bleach and Ivory Snow mixture to soak vintage linens, etc., but Snowy seems to have flown off the shelves.  This formula was found in an ancient "Creative Needle" magazine - 4 parts Snowy to 2 parts Ivory Snow.  You could soak the garments for up to two weeks in this.  It would get very gelatanous, but it was a great whitener.  This also removed the "age spots" which abound on old, folded linens.  I won't begin to tell you what all I did to renew these items, but all turned out fine.  I hadn't needed to use this for years until I started bringing items from the homestead, thought I'd run to Meijers and get a box of Snowy.  Have looked everywhere.  The closeline/sun helped and also made everything smell better.  Had to hurry as DH was on the mower - didn't say anything, as the yard looked like a hayfield.  Anyway.....any help would be great.  (I finally resorted to some chlorine bleach.  I have a theory - if it disintegrates in the laundry, it is not worth saving.)  Before anyone gets in a dither about this, I would not do this to a fine linen or batiste Christening dress.  Then I would use conservitor methods.  These were utility and modestly embroidered little slips and some linens.  Now, I have to iron all.  Good thing I love to iron!

[IBoz]

If I remember right, Snowy Bleach was powdered, right?  Maybe you could substitute the powdered Clorox II?

[NancyDaQ]

I googled and Amazon sells it: http://www.amazon.com/Snowy-Color-Bleach-Floral-Scent/dp/B00099XLTO/ref=sr_1_1/186-9254564-0601640?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1274914080&sr=8-1 Warning: it's expensive!!

Snowy is an oxygen bleach with hydrogen peroxide. Chlorox II is also an oxygen bleach with hydrogen peroxide, so may be a good substitute. Oxyclean might also work.

[lydia]

nanflan.....thanks.  Will order it later this evening and will treat it w/respect!

[BetsyV]

Good to know nanflan, thanks!

uh, not that I have any whites like that, but you never know ...

[Lisa]

If you used cholorine bleach on your vintage whites, did you use anything to neutralize the bleach?  Bleach can continue to act on fibers (even when you've rinsed thoroughly), weakening them.   If you don't have a bleach-stop or anti-chor handy (available from dye retailers), you can use hydrogen peroxide (from the drug store). 

Here's "a link describing all three." 

HTH,

Lisa

[lydia]

What is the ratio of hydrogen peroxide to the washload?  I did use white vinegar as a fabric "softener".  I am not going to rewash this load, but if I have any more to launder, I will use the Snowy as I know this will work.  After two days of soaking in "this and that", I needed to get the job finished.  I am sure that these garments will not self destruct as I have used chlorine bleach for years (yes, on vintage garments), but thanks for the "heads up"  These garments and linens were nearly brown with foldlines and "age spots"  The gentle soaking wasn't going to budge that awful grime...........Lydia

[Laurie H]

Haven't thought of Snowy Bleach in years, but I remember my grandmother and mother using it.  It's good to know that it can still be had, although knowing that Clorox II uses the same ingredients is good.

I use Charlie's Soap laundry detergent and Oxyclean as a water softener for my laundry and the combination seems to make everything cleaner as a rule, so I think that this would have helped with those linens, but those two with the extra Snowy Bleach or Clorox II might have been a great triple threat to the fold lines and grunge.

[NancyDaQ]

With all due respect LaurieH, combining Oxyclean with Clorox II or Snowy sounds like overkill to me. JMHO.

[lydia]

Back to nanflan.....I again thank you for the info about "Snowy" on Amazon.  I have been pursuing Snowy for about five years.  Didn't think of Amazon.  I cruise Amazon for books - nothing else.

All:
Let's drop the chlorine vs Snowy, Oxyclean, etc - the garments have not self-destructed and I will iron these (using a fabric finish) this weekend and deliver.  This is merchandising, not preservation!.  Thank you for your input.............Lydia

[NancyDaQ]

Back to nanflan.....I again thank you for the info about "Snowy" on Amazon.  I have been pursuing Snowy for about five years.  Didn't think of Amazon.  I cruise Amazon for books - nothing else.

Lydia, thanks but there was no thought involved on my part--just went where Google took me! I remember Snowy Bleach from childhood. My mom and grandma both swore by it.

[Diane P.]

About 20 years ago, I was in a shop that specialized in antique linens and she was soaking some linens in Biz and said that she frequently left things soaking for weeks! I have used it since then but don't let things soak that long. Does anyone else use Biz or is there something horrible about it that I don't know?

[NancyDaQ]

I think Martha Pullen uses a Biz soak for the antique linens she collects.

[karent]

Yes, I inherited a ton of old linens from various relatives, and some of them had stains older than I (knowing my family, I'm guessing wine   ).  I used OxyClean on some and Biz on others, my dry cleaner told me to try both.  I literally filled the laundry sink and let things soak until I forgot about them, not for weeks but some for a few days.  Mostly I soaked in Biz and washed with Oxyclean (dry cleaner warned against bleach on old linens) and the vast majority came out great.  I have one crocheted tablecloth that still has a hint of a stain, but it is barely visible.  I also have some ancient linen sheets that have a couple of stains that are faint but still there, otherwise they look pretty good.  K

P.S. I have done this with crocheted (cotton I'm sure) tablecloths, a billion jacquard napkins that I'm sure are cotton, and linen napkins and sheets.  K

[Pipsy]

I use oxy clean a LOT.  For regular spots on clothes I will use a spray gel spot cleaner before placing in the washing machine.  For a really difficult and often older spot I mix up powdered oxyclean as per instructions in a bottle with a nozzle, similar to a ketchup bottle. I actually use an old peri care bottle from my years in post partum care .  I stretch the article over a cup/bowl/bucket and then squeeze the solution through the spot, wait a minute, for the action to occur then squirt again. I keep doing this until the spot disappears. Sometimes this takes quite awhile but it always works.  I always get a spot out before I iron the article.  Sometimes, if the spot shows up faintly when ironing I am back to squirting through again. I have been able to get spots, including old blood, wine and tomato type stains out of very old articles this way. Soaks work really well on yellowed or brownish linens - can spot remove any remaining stain/fold line. To get something really white, after all stains are removed on can use a Rit/Tintex (dye) colour remover. Unfortunately it will remove any embroidery or crochet colour as well. Re left over bleach or other product I find I can smell if anything is left and keep rinsing until no odour left.

Good luck. BTW, I think Biz (like Amaze) is an enzyme cleaner.  There are some fibres that it should not be used on but cannot recall which ones, silk comes to mind.