Among the large number of colored, patterned and multi-colored embroidered curtains, snow-white tulle remains at the peak of popularity. Delicate, airy fabric fills the room with light, purity and radiance, so housewives will never refuse white curtains for their home.
But after some time, white tulle acquires a dull gray color or yellowness, and even intensive washing in an automatic machine (for some types of tulle, only a gentle cycle is recommended) cannot solve this problem. However, there is a way out, and experienced housewives are ready to share their advice on how to bleach yellowed tulle yourself without damaging the fabric. For example, if you begin to lighten the curtain with chlorine-based bleach, it will very quickly become unusable.
Why is new tulle always snow-white, but after several washes it acquires a gray tint? It is not about washing, but about the fact that the fabric fibers absorb dust, soot, cigarette smoke, while simultaneously fading from the intense impact of sunlight. That is why regular machine washing will not give the desired effect. It is necessary to use other, more effective and safe methods.
Content
3 Simple But Effective Ways to Whiten Tulle
Bleaching curtains with improvised means at home is not difficult. If the tulle curtain is new, then a regular wash with soaking will be enough to make it clean and white again. It is not worth treating the tulle with high temperatures (boiling), since some types of fabric will not withstand such a procedure.
Please note! All bleaching methods that involve soaking in water with special ingredients must be carried out only after pre-washing the curtain in the machine.
How to restore the color of an old curtain with hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green and potassium permanganate
Effective ingredients that will help quickly wash tulle, including nylon, are considered to be hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green and potassium permanganate. They can be used both separately and in a composite composition.
Important! There is no need to worry that the manganese solution or brilliant green will give the corresponding colors to the tulle. They will be used in small proportions and will affect the fabric fibers, lightening them but not coloring them. However, you should be careful, stir and filter the composition thoroughly so that undissolved crystals do not color the fibers.
- Hydrogen peroxide together with ammonia is an effective way to remove dullness and yellowness from fabrics and give them a shiny look. Take 5-6 liters of water at a temperature of 30-35 degrees, to which add ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (sold in pharmacies) in a ratio of 1:2. Soak the tulle (make sure that all the fabric is immersed in water), leave for half an hour, then rinse in clean water and hang in a sunny place to dry.
Use rubber gloves to avoid damaging the skin of your hands. - Brilliant green + salt is another effective method for getting rid of yellowness. Dissolve 3-4 level tablespoons of table salt in 0.5 liters of warm (up to 40 degrees) water and add 6-8 drops of brilliant green solution. Leave for 5 minutes to dissolve the salt. Carefully pour the resulting mixture into another container, trying to leave the salt sediment and green stains at the bottom. Add the solution to 5-6 liters of warm water and leave the tulle for 5 minutes. The fabric must be turned over several times, then taken out and lightly squeezed without twisting movements.
The main thing is not to overdo it with the green stuff, otherwise the curtain may take on a greenish tint. - If you have tried several methods and do not know how to quickly whiten tulle at home from yellowness, choose the most effective: a solution that includes hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate. It refers to substances in which a violent chemical reaction occurs with the release of oxygen, on the basis of which the bleaching effect is carried out. Make a weak manganese solution: add a few crystals of manganese to a cup of warm water, achieve a light pink color. Add 2 tablespoons of peroxide and pour this mixture into the water for soaking. Leave the curtain in water for 20-25 minutes, then rinse and hang to dry.
A mixture of potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide removes even the most stubborn stains
A way to revive a curtain using green paint and blueing
Blueing is an old method, tried and tested by our mothers. It gives white fabric items a shining snow-white shade. Unfortunately, this method is used quite rarely, since it was most often used for bed linen. But white sheets and duvet covers are a thing of the past, so blueing rarely appears on sale due to decreased demand. If you still have old stock or managed to buy it, do the following:
- Add 0.5 teaspoon of blueing to 8-10 liters of warm water. Stir the solution to avoid lumps and rinse the curtain in it. Perform the final rinse in clean water.
You can use dry blueing or liquid concentrate. - If you can't find blue, use pharmaceutical green instead. To enhance the effect, add 2-3 tablespoons of salt.
Bleaching tulle with brilliant green is one of the oldest folk methods, tested by our grandmothers
Relevant! If you want to minimize the time of washing and bleaching tulle, then start a regular machine wash, but with the addition of special ingredients. Add salt (2-3 tablespoons) or hydrogen peroxide (for one wash you should take 6-10 tablets) to the compartment with washing powder, and then the bleaching process will occur automatically along with the wash.
How to Renew Tulle: Universal Ammonia
Ammonia (ammonia) for restoration of white tulle curtains is used in tandem with hydrogen peroxide. This tandem guarantees an amazing snow-white effect. However, if the curtain is not very dirty, then ammonia can cope with the problem on its own.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of ammonia to 5-6 liters of cold water. Wash the tulle in the machine and put it in the solution for 15-20 minutes. Rinse the tulle in several clean waters.
Warning! Be careful with ammonia and do not inhale it. Be careful when adding it to hot water, because ammonia vapors can easily get into the respiratory tract.
Store-bought whitening products
The easiest way to renew an old curtain is to use store-bought products. They are convenient and easy to use and do not require any additional measures. Bleaching agents are added to the conditioning compartment of the washing machine or together with washing powder.
But store-bought products have not only advantages, but also disadvantages. Thus, these products cannot be classified as cheap goods. But this is not the most important thing - they can also ruin the fabric. Most often, the effect of store-bought bleaches is aggressive. They use complex chemical reactions that "eat away" at fabric fibers. Of course, the tulle will not be destroyed by one use, but if you use them constantly, your tulle curtain will not last long.
The most popular store-bought chemical bleaches
- Belina, Liby, Ace – chlorine-based bleaches. They give a quick effect, as a result of which the fabric becomes snow-white. However, the use of these products, due to complex chemical reactions, thins the fibers of the fabric, making them brittle. After several uses, they become ineffective, and the tulle gradually turns yellow again.
Any chlorine-based bleach can damage fabric. - Vanish, Persol, Boss, Amway, Dr.Beckmann – oxygen products. Do not have a destructive effect on fabrics. Suitable for bleaching many materials, including curtains. The products are effective for several uses, after which they stop working.
All oxygen bleaches have one drawback in common – their high price. - Heitmann, Vanish – products containing light-reflecting particles. As a result of use, the tulle acquires a perfect snow-white color. Unfortunately, the effect does not last long. In addition, actual bleaching does not occur, only an appearance is created.
Heitmann bleach in an economical package for 1 wash
Using store-bought products gives a short-term, albeit quick effect. In many cases, folk remedies for whitening are much more effective.
Features of bleaching nylon tulle
Nylon is a delicate, airy fabric that requires delicate handling. If you don’t want to get rags out of the washing machine drum, wash the nylon tulle in a gentle cycle.
This means that it is better not to set the washing temperature above 30 degrees, and the spin speed should not exceed 400.
Naturally, you should forget about chemical store bleaches. But you can use potassium permanganate, which will help remove yellowness and give the fabric a pure white color.
- Make a solution of potassium permanganate of an intensely pink color (a few crystals per 0.5 liters of water). Let the mixture sit, then carefully drain it, leaving the sediment at the bottom. Pour it into 3-4 liters of water at a comfortable temperature for your hands (it should acquire a delicate pinkish color) and soak the nylon tulle for 5-10 minutes.
Potassium permanganate dissolves better in warm water. - To bleach nylon, a solution of ammonia with the addition of hydrogen peroxide and salt is effective.
The ingredients are mixed in 5-6 liters of warm water, the tulle is immersed in the liquid and kept for about 30 minutes.
Before you bleach tulle at home from yellowness, determine the type of fabric. The easiest way to do this is to study the label. It always provides information about the fabric and how to wash it, and indicates cleaning methods. From the label, you will understand how exactly you can renew the material, what products to use.
As a result of the right choice, your tulle will again become perfectly white, pleasing the eye with cleanliness and freshness.
