[Vella Gonzaga]

Reckitt’s Blue​

Remember when Mum used to ‘blue’ the water with Reckitt’s Blue to wash all the whites? I could never quite wrap my head around it – why add blue to make things whiter? It turns out that white fabrics tend to acquire a slight colour cast, often appearing a bit grey or yellow after use. Blue and yellow are complementary colours in the subtractive colour model, and adding a trace of blue to the slightly off-white colour of these fabrics makes them appear whiter. They were also good for bee stings back in the day. Mum would grab that trusty blue bag and apply it to the sting, bringing some relief. Who has fond memories of wash day using Reckitt’s Blue?

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Credits: Facebook/Australia Remember When

 

[Deborah Crompton]

I have blonde hair and after washing my hair my grandmother would rinse it with laundry blue. She said it made my hair look not so yellow. These days we'd call it a toner and pay a lot of money for it.

 

[Carleen Sing]

I have blonde hair and after washing my hair my grandmother would rinse it with laundry blue. She said it made my hair look not so yellow. These days we'd call it a toner and pay a lot of money for it.

I might try that. My hairdresser says that as we age our, now white, hair yellows.

 

[Carleen Sing]

Reckitt’s Blue​

Remember when Mum used to ‘blue’ the water with Reckitt’s Blue to wash all the whites? I could never quite wrap my head around it – why add blue to make things whiter? It turns out that white fabrics tend to acquire a slight colour cast, often appearing a bit grey or yellow after use. Blue and yellow are complementary colours in the subtractive colour model, and adding a trace of blue to the slightly off-white colour of these fabrics makes them appear whiter. They were also good for bee stings back in the day. Mum would grab that trusty blue bag and apply it to the sting, bringing some relief. Who has fond memories of wash day using Reckitt’s Blue?

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View attachment 19678

Credits: Facebook/Australia Remember When

I'm pretty sure that this is created from copper sulphate and we have some of that as an animal feed supplement. Not sure you can buy the bags from the supermarket anymore.

 

[pixiemoon]

When I was a little girl I remember a day when I went to close to a wasp nest. I had blue dots all over me. Can’t remember if helped or not.

 

[67for12]

WOW, hot summer, plying under the sprinkler on the lawn, being stung by a bee, Mum coming out with the bag of blue, out with the sting on with the blue off we would go under the sprinkler only to be stung again, fun times. Those days it was a bag of blue.

 

[Milica]

With that blue bag included, we also grew up with the old coppa - no wash machine, those cement troughs, scrubbing board and the clothes line with the wood/almost like branch in the middle to keep it up!_! It must have been hard work for my mum & many mums back then, we helped as we got older - all the cooking homemade - every now and then when we had swimming lessons in the river-we had 1 big packet of chips for all of us to share! It was a simple life, but a good life, most people that weren't wealthy lived pretty much the same in the 50's.

 

[Wandiwa]

I might try that. My hairdresser says that as we age our, now white, hair yellows.

I'd be happy with any hair, any colour

 

[Bullwinkle]

When cleaning up mum’s place after she passed away I found 6 boxes of Reckitts Blue Bags.
I have only ever had white towels and sheets, and now they will stay bright white, with the help of these trusty little bags of blue!!