Linen Discoloration

Linen Discoloration

You might have noticed visible color discoloration between new linens (eg. bed sheet), compared with the old linens even though they are from the same manufacturer, type and materials.  The older linen appear yellow, while the new inventory is bright white. What causes this discoloration?

Yellowing that occurs on older or repeatedly washed linens usually results from a breakdown of the original brightener/fluorescent-whitening agent. New items normally contain brighteners, and will appear whiter and brighter than the older linens.

Loss of brighteners can result from several sources. Possible sources may include repeated washing with high alkaline detergents and/or bleaching agents. In addition, some brighteners will break down and discolor as the fabric ages. Water quality will also affect the brightness of the linen after repeated washing, especially if the water is not treated for iron and manganese.

At Vivaglo, our water is actually drinkable, it is filtered for impurities before being treated with Reverse Osmosis System. Our lab test, showed a very low TDS value of below 40. TDS stands for total dissolved solids, and represents the total concentration of dissolved substances in water. As a guideline, normal bottled drinking water has a TDS value of around 170.

Combined with Vivaglo’s specially designed washing process, we are able to maintain the integrity of the color better than most of our competitors. We are able to produce brighter white on old linen using our specially designed washing process, without the use of chlorine bleach.

 

Source: DLI