Whitening Tobacco-Stained Whites

When I was a smoker I had to get rid of several of my favorite clothes as a result of the nicotine that seemed to get everywhere. After a while, I got a little tired of hearing the same bit of advice which always seemed to go like this: "Well, quit your smoking and buy some new shirts." In my quest for finding out the best way to get rid of the stains, I came across several products that have worked wonders. Here are the results of my search and how each seemed to work.

• Rit Color Remover. Rit color remover works great for those white garments that are safe to bleach and have no additional colors on them. At a cost of only a few bucks for a two-ounce box it is a relatively cheap product to use, and can be found locally. Simply follow the directions for best results.
• Rit Color Brightener. Another great product to use. Since this product is safe to use with colors, this one will work great on those colored garments or shirts that have more than one color. An example of this would be white t-shirts that have colored logos on them. The cost for a two-ounce box is only a few bucks and it can be found at most local grocery stores.
• Rit White Wash. Perfect for those delicate whites that just cannot be bleached in any way. Again the cost for this product will be just a few bucks for a two-ounce box, and for the best results follow the instructions posted on the box.
• Oxygenated Cleaners. Cleaners such as OxiClean, which can be purchased at most local grocery stores, work great. Simply mix two scoops of the cleaner per gallon of water and soak the clothes overnight. In the morning wash as normal, and be amazed at the results. A word of advice though—I would suggest that you test the solution on an easily hidden piece of the clothing before immersing. This allows you to see if there will be any adverse reaction with the cloth (i.e. bleeding or other form of damage).
• Formula 409. Use only on those clothes that are designed to take a bit of punishment. I say this because this product will cut through most anything (it is designed to go after industrial grease and dirt). As such it may damage your clothing. Test it on an inconspicuous corner of the material to see if the cloth is damaged in any way. The results, again, are simply amazing.