How to wash tulle until snow white - 10 modern methods

Even today, delicate curtains decorate private houses and apartments, creating a feeling of cleanliness. However, housewives regularly think about how to wash white tulle from gray without spoiling the thin and fragile fabric. What funds should I take? Can I use a washing machine or should I wash the product by hand?

How to bleach tulle?

Previously, our mothers and grandmothers returned the whiteness of tulle using folk remedies: they boiled the product in water with the addition of laundry soap, soaked it in solutions of salt, hydrogen peroxide with ammonia, starch and even potassium permanganate. Such methods are not without drawbacks.

1. Boiling destroys the structure of the fabric. Today, synthetic fibers are often added to tulle, which can instantly crumble or melt when washed in hot water.
2. Low efficiency. Housewives on forums and in comments to articles about housekeeping often claim that folk remedies do not get rid of gray tulle.

Perhaps the only advantage of folk remedies today is their low price. However, the development of the chemical industry does not stand still.You can easily find modern products on sale (including budget ones) designed for bleaching tulle at home.

Types of bleaches

Bleaching agents for curtains and tulle are divided into three types depending on the composition of the components and the principle of operation.

Chlorine-containing

The composition includes sodium hypochlorite - an aggressive compound that penetrates deep into the fabric structure, destroying dirt and grease. The main advantage of chlorine-containing bleaches is their low price. However, chlorine is harmful to the respiratory system, causes burns upon contact with skin, and can lead to allergic reactions.

Another serious disadvantage of chlorine bleach is its short shelf life (up to 9 months). The product partially loses its properties due to exposure to direct sunlight and completely when frozen. Therefore, do not place a bottle of liquid on the balcony or in the basement during the cold season.

Chlorine-containing bleaches are completely unsuitable for bleaching tulle containing the following threads:

• silk;
• synthetic (polyester, polypropylene);
• nylon.

You will not wash nylon tulle, curtains made of tulle, chiffon, or organza with it. A reasonable question arises: what products can be bleached with a product containing chlorine? Only 100% cotton or linen tulle. Although they are found in houses and apartments, they are rare. In other cases, use other bleaches.

Chlorine products generally should not be used to bleach fabrics in the washing machine. It reacts with the metal trim of the drum and destroys the rubber outlet pipes.

Oxygen-containing

Available in the form of liquid concentrates and powders. Suitable for washing machine use.The composition includes hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate, other additives - surfactants, fragrances. During washing, the active substance disintegrates, forming oxygen bubbles that oxidize gray plaque particles. The product does not leave an unpleasant odor on the curtains.

It is oxygen-containing bleach that is excellent for ridding curtains of gray plaque. On the packaging (bottle) of each product it is written which materials can be bleached with its help.

Optical

Contains particles with reflective properties. In fact, optical brighteners do not remove gray plaque, but mask it. But visually the tulle looks snow-white. As a rule, curtain washing products contain some percentage of optical brightener. The downside is the high price.

General washing tips

Regardless of the product chosen for bleaching tulle, there are a number of rules that must be followed when washing, otherwise the product will quickly deteriorate and will have to be thrown away.

• Wash tulle at a temperature no higher than 30-40 degrees. Hot water, and especially boiling water, “seals” the gray plaque into the fabric.
• Always select the correct wash cycle. There are several modes that determine how to wash tulle in an automatic washing machine: Directly “curtains” mode, delicate fabrics mode, sensitive wash, “delicates” mode, hand wash or “wool” program. The main thing here is to maintain a balance between intuitive choice and the modes of a particular machine.
• Before soaking in a solution with bleach, shake the product thoroughly to rid it of dust, or use a vacuum cleaner with a special attachment, setting the power to minimum.
• Lower the curtains into the container (drum of the washing machine) in a straightened form.It is recommended to fold the tulle into a rectangle. If you leave the curtains crumpled, then after washing there will be creases on them that will be impossible to iron.
• If you add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water, the tulle will shimmer with white light in the sun after washing. But this option is not suitable for washing tulle with synthetic fibers.
• Do not wash curtains with other items.
• When using a washing machine, do not set the spin speed to more than 400 rpm.
• Don't twist the tulle, just shake it.
• Do not iron curtains: high temperatures will permanently damage the fabric. We recommend hanging curtains on windows slightly damp. Then the folds will straighten out on their own under the weight of the product.
• Do not dry curtains near heating appliances.

Sometimes tulle is so dirty that you can no longer believe in the possibility of cleaning it from gray plaque. Try soaking the curtain overnight in a solution of water and washing powder first. And the next day, use bleach.

Tools Overview

It's time to find out which commercially available bleaches will help remove gray tulle from white tulle. The chemicals listed below have many positive reviews and have been used by housewives for a long time.

"White"

This product is first on the list because of its popularity, availability and low cost (from 20 rubles per 1 liter). The composition includes 95.2% active chlorine. If you are the owner of cotton or linen curtains, you can occasionally use “Whiteness”. Most often it is produced in the form of a translucent light yellow liquid, and sometimes as a gel.

Pros and cons of “Whiteness” bleach:

How to bleach tulle using “Whiteness”? The procedure is as follows.

1. Dissolve 2-3 tablespoons of the product in 10 liters of water at room temperature.
2. Immerse the tulle in the liquid and leave for 25-30 minutes. You cannot hold it longer, otherwise the fabric will deteriorate.
3. Rinse the product thoroughly in clean, cool water (maybe with vinegar) until the smell of bleach disappears.
4. Wash the tulle as usual: by hand or in the washing machine.

Please note that fabric quickly gets used to chlorine bleach. If you use “Whiteness” once, the tulle will stop reacting to softer products.

When working with Belizna bleach, it is important to follow the following precautions:

• remove extraneous things;
• use protective gloves;
• make sure that the product does not get on the skin and especially in the eyes and mouth (if it gets on the skin or eyes, rinse with running water, and if you accidentally swallow a drop, drink 2 tablets of activated carbon);
• open all windows in the room.

Store bleach in a dark and dry place at room temperature. Make sure that the bottle does not fall into the hands of children.

Frau Schmidt Super White Tulle

This is a French-made product designed specifically for whitening curtains and tulle. Available in the form of tablets (1 pc.= 1 wash). A package of 5 tablets costs 250 rubles.

The composition includes the following components:

• oxygenated bleach;
• optical brightener;
• nonionic surfactants;
• polycarboxylates;
• enzymes;
• flavoring

Unlike anionic surfactants (which are most often used in cleaning products), nonionic surfactants are less irritating to mucous membranes and skin and rarely cause allergies. They also have better cleaning properties and are more resistant to hard water.

Advantages of Frau Schmidt bleach:

• suitable for white tulles made of any materials (except silk);
• does not destroy fabric fibers;
• the product can be used frequently: once every 2-3 months;
• after washing, the product becomes crystal white (thanks to the optical brightener in the composition);
• long shelf life – 5 years;
• smells good;
• suitable for washing machine use;
• Each tablet has individual foil packaging.

We recommend not to waste time on hand washing, but to use a washing machine. Bleach tulle as follows:

1. Remove the tablet from the package and place it inside the drum.
2. Load the machine with tulle.
3. Set the following settings: temperature – 30 degrees, spin speed – 300-400 per minute, mode – delicate, time – 50-60 minutes. Turn off the automatic drying function, if provided.
4. Pour the washing powder into a special container.
5. Turn on the device.

After washing and drying, your tulle will be clean and snow-white. It will look like you just bought it at the store and hung it on your window.

Splash for tulles from General Fresh

This product is a simplified version of the previous bleach. Produced in Poland. A bag of powder weighing 30 grams costs 25-30 rubles, it is enough for one wash.The composition includes oxygen-containing bleach (15-30%), optical particles and perfume composition. Suitable for tulle made from natural and synthetic fibers. It is not recommended to bleach silk products. The shelf life is much shorter than the previous bleach - only 12 months.

How to remove gray stains from white tulle using Splash? When using a washing machine, the procedure is the same as described in the previous section.

Hand washing includes the following steps:

1. Dissolve the sachet in a bowl with 5 liters of slightly warm water.
2. Immerse the tulle in the liquid and leave for 30-40 minutes. Stir the product periodically so that the bleach is evenly distributed over the surface.
3. Rinse the tulle several times in clean water, shake and set to dry.

It is not necessary to buy Splash to whiten curtains, because it is not always available on sale. This tool has analogues:

• Beckmann – German bleach, contains anionic surfactants, a package with 3 bags of 40 grams costs 220 rubles;
• Krofix – a budget Polish product, the price of a bag weighing 50 grams is 25 rubles;
• Ax - another oxygen-containing bleach from Poland in powder form, the price of one bag weighing 35 grams is 15 rubles.

Elixir for tulle and curtains “Cashmere”

This is a Russian-made washing powder intended for the care of tulle made from natural and synthetic fibers. A package weighing 300 grams costs only 40 rubles. More suitable for washing kitchen curtains, on which a lot of grease and odors (smoke, vinegar, nicotine) settle. Although housewives in their reviews claim that “Cashmere” also removes gray plaque from tulle.

The composition is more “chemical” than previous products:

• anionic surfactants (5-15%);
• nonionic surfactants (less than 5%);
• optical brightener;
• soap;
• phosphates;
• citrates;
• polycarboxylates;
• foam regulator;
• silicone polymer;
• fragrance

Suitable for washing tulle by hand and in the washing machine. The dosages of the product are indicated on the packaging.

How to wash tulle with silk threads?

You probably noticed that most of the chemicals listed in the article are not recommended for use on silk (for example, delicate organza tulle). Indeed, delicate fibers are destroyed by any bleach.

Special gels for washing silk items will help remove gray deposits from curtains:

• Uniplus (Germany, 500 rubles per 1.5 liter bottle);
• “Laska 3D wool and silk” (Russia, 300 rubles per 1 liter bottle);
• Organic People (Russia, price for 1.5 liters - 825 rubles).

When hand washing white tulle, add 2 caps of product to 5 liters of water (temperature 30 degrees), soaking time is 5 minutes. And to wash one product in a machine you will need 1 cap of gel.

What to do if tulle with silk threads is not washed off from the gray coating? Alas, you will have to give it to professionals for dry cleaning, because if you bleach with strong store-bought products at home, you will simply ruin the product.

conclusions

Now you know how and with what to wash white tulle from grayness. But remember that any bleach (even without chlorine) destroys fine fibers, albeit slowly. Do not allow curtains to develop a dark coating - regularly use delicate detergents.