I use Purex Triple Action liquid laundry soap for my whites. They are several years old and still as white as new. If you try it, it may take a few washings to get them white again.

ALWAYS read the label before using bleach on the towels/other items. Many say to not use bleach. Items may turn yellow permanently.

Try washing towels in hot vinegar water to remove detergent residue. About 2 cups white vinegar to washer. Put in wash and rinse cycles.

Then, soak towels in Oxy-Clean water for 24-36 hours. Best to use warm or hot water in order for Oxy-Clean granules to dissolve.

Every few hours turn washer to agitate for a minute to keep solution mixed.

WORD OF WARNING: Soaking clothes in a washing machine for long period of time may end up with gaskets leaking water down into the motor area. All depends on the washer being used.

Using the bathtub would be a good alternative.

This post was edited by krissie on Tue, Mar 4, 14 at 14:37

I bought some good thick kitchen towels at Big Lots last week. When I cut off the tags I read the label....do not dry with heat!!!! Ridiculous, I did it anyway and they were fine. I was more worried about the color fading to the other towels, but it didn't do that either. The towels being white I would have thought you could bleach them, but now they make fabrics out of so many different things, you do have to be a bit careful. I personally would not set out dingy towels so I wouldn't have anything to loose if it did ruin them.

Are they white cotton towels? If so, I would wash them in hot water with detergent and liquid bleach. If you don't want to use the bleach, try hot water, detergent and oxy-clean.

A remote, but provable, possibility..... Natural cotton is off-white and it has to be dyed to make it white. The more the dyed towels are used and laundered, the dye can fade.

-Grainlady