How to Add Liquid Bluing to Homemade Laundry Detergent

Laundry bluing turns naturally gray textiles to a bright, gleaming white. With time and washing, the bluing added by manufacturers washes out, and your whites start to look dingy. You can purchase liquid bluing and return your clothes to like-new brightness. You shouldn't add it to homemade detergent, however, as it must be properly diluted so it doesn't ruin your clothing. You can safely use it in conjunction with your homemade detergent, thought, and it may even help you get the most cleaning power out of your own recipe.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 gallon pitcher, jug or jar
• Teaspoon

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Fill a 1/2-gallon container with clean, cold water.

   • 2

     Add 1/4 teaspoon of bluing to the 1/2 gallon of water if you intend to add it to the wash water. To use it in the rinse cycle, reduce the amount by half, to 1/8 teaspoon of liquid bluing per 1/2 gallon of water.

   • 3

     Cap the container and shake it to thoroughly dilute the bluing. Failure to dilute it completely can cause unsightly spotting on clothes.

   • 4

     Pour the entire contents of diluted bluing into the appropriate cycle. The water should appear a light sky blue.

   • 5

     Wash your clothes as usual.