# Help! Yellowed white curtains!



## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I got enough vintage white curtains at a yard sale for my kitchen. a few of the panels are yellowed. I tried bleaching them, no luck. Any ideas with what I might have here at home to try?


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## Rocktown Gal (Feb 19, 2008)

White vinegar


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## Fla Gal (Jul 14, 2003)

Or lemon juice and sunshine, or soak them in a bucket filled with hot water and a pint of hydrogen peroxide. I use peroxide in the washing machine and let things soak for half an hour or so to keep whites whiter. It works well for me. You might have to do this a couple times. Don't give up.


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## primal1 (Aug 22, 2003)

Tintex makes a 'color remover' and also a 'whitex wonder whitener', pretty cheap but i have never used them so can't tell how well they work.


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## Wildfire_Jewel (Nov 5, 2006)

Sunshine - it took about a week on the line to get a vintage piece of white fabric I wanted to save white again.


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## patty12 (Jan 25, 2011)

wash them and while wet lay on green grass on a sunny day. my grandmother always lay her dish towel out this way which we called tea towels. don't have a clew why. we never had tea and they were used to dry dishes.


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## Dixie (Dec 10, 2002)

Here's a recipe for stain remover from the Tightwad Gazette:

1 5 gal bucket
1 cup Cascade dishwasher detergent
1 cup Clorox II (powder)

Pour 5 gals of the hottest water you can get from your faucet into the bucket, add the Cascade and Clorox II and soak the stained clothing for 24 hours. Then, launder as usual. 

I have used this recipe a couple of times, with outstanding results. I hope this helps.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Would blueing work?


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

If the yellow is grease or tobacco stains, the vinegar and sun may be enough. If not, ammonia cuts those quite well. What was that old tv ad with the dingy cafe curtains... OxyClean?


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

I agree with Lisa. My mother would soak them in Blueing, rinse them out well and hang them outside in the sun.


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## TnMtngirl (Jun 30, 2002)

White Brite powder,found mine at Walmart.


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## laurafergie (May 5, 2010)

Cascade and oxyclean in a soak bucket. Then air dry in the sun.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Bluing...it was MADE for this type thing.

Mon


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

i have a large bag of them. they were my own . turned yellow when i washed them. i tried bleach and that didn't work either. i thought several times i would throw them out but they are beautuiful with the cutwork and whatnot. i should try the blueing. ~Georgia.


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## Suzyq2u (May 17, 2010)

Denture tablets, a fold curtains and place in a small bin with enough water to cover them and a few denture tablets. Let them soak a bit, take them out and put between towels and dance on them until mostly dry - hang in the sun


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

My grandma always used blueing too. She had white sheers hanging in the livingroom and dining room and she kept them white even when the house was heated with a coal stove.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2005)

The stain remover Dixie posted is great. I saved a lot of clothes with it. I found that it was bad for satin trim on my dd's dresses though so if you have any trim on the curtains take that into consideration.

This might help too
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/02/how-to-wash-whiten-yellowed-pillows.html


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## Vintagechick (Feb 18, 2007)

The well on the farm I used to live on had very hard water. It had a high iron content. I washed my whites with a product called Iron Out with excellent results. It is sold in most major supermarkets in the laundry detergent section.


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