How to Wash your Whites and keep them super bright with Rajiv Surendra 

Whoever raised this man did a phenomenal job on home training!

I like the way you present high-level domestic expertise without sounding “uppity”. Your friendly, humble personality makes domestic excellence relatable. Thank you for teaching this.

I am an old retired Home Economics teacher. You are much more entertaining than I ever was! You do a great job. I hope a lot of people watch your informative programs. You might consider showing how to shop. Choosing produce for instance

You are Mr. Roger's for adults. Your vibe, voice pitch, level, and tone are very similar to him. The background music and your ability to teach in a calm, disarming way is a gift which what made Mr. Rogers a light in this dark world. Thank you for your content.

This young man is a work of art. He is doing laundry and evokes the same feelings I get when watching a good ballet… or admiring a painting…

When I was a younger nurse, the traditional uniform was sanitary white. Living with grandma at the time, she insisted on washing my clothes. She used a detergent called Oxydol, and a blue rinse for all whites. I can't tell you how many compliments I got on how fresh and white my uniform was.

Never can I imagine that a laundry video can be very informative, yet therapeutic and aesthetic at the same time. Thank you!

As a 38 year old homemaker and SAHM, you've just explained laundry to me better than anyone else has!

My grandma was an artist when it came to keeping whites white. There was always a bottle or 2 of blueing in the laundry room. She would sometimes use it to “take the yellow out” of her gray hair. I haven’t been able to find blueing in many years and when I do ask, most people don’t have a clue what I’m talking about. You also mentioned the water being dangerously hot…I swear my grandma had asbestos hands and could work without gloves in water that was just too hot for me to handle. I think people today use bleach to try to make clothes white and it can actually discolour some fabrics. If she had a stubborn stain on whites, she would put lemon juice and salt on the stain and put it in the sun. Worked every time. Thanks, good to know I can get the blueing online. Also, you get an A+ in penmanship, it’s beautiful.

I’m so glad you have your own channel, Rajiv!

I love this guy! The washing machine isn’t as pretty as this sink…he’s so adorable. He turns washing whites into something sacred.

I want Rajiv books, masterclasses, shows on Netflix, and anything else he creates! I’ve learned doing things with patience and love. Really taking the time to do things well and right in my life. I have adhd so staying calm and doing things deliberately and skillfully do not come easy for me but these videos are so perfect for slowing down and elevating an otherwise mundane task to something that is fulfilling.

I love that you can teach super basic things, but you are never condescending. This provides such a safe space to learn

In the UK older ladies used to finish off their hair-do with a blue rinse. They were affectionally called ‘The blue-rinse brigade’. I am a 62 year old ex lawyer who is moving in to household management. I agree with everything you have said. It’s invaluable and kids in school should get a lesson in this along with how to clean their room/house and money management.

I worked in adolescent treatment homes where many children never had a parent that taught them home skills, maybe they never had them taught to them. We did many areas of educating them on how to live independently from taking care of yourself to how to manage money and making meals from scratch, not packaged foods. It was a blast. Made me feel great to pass on that knowledge, just like Rajiv is so awesome. I love watching you. Thank you.

When I heard "szorować" I screamed! I'm from Poland and it made me really happy

This is the start of something very special ♥️🎉 so happy you have your own channel now. Video ideas : • your cleaning schedule and habits • how you choose your art / hanging system • table manners • apartment tour (i know you have done one on another channel but an updated one would be nice!) • cooking videos • more etiquette videos Can’t wait to see more videos from you !

So therapeutic! The frame and set up is everything… the breeze through the curtains, the sound quality… amazing! Well done on launching 👏🏼

If you had told me that I’d sit here and watch someone clean their whites by hand I would’ve laughed. Now I’m here and you may laugh at me. I’m 50 and I keep learning so much from this man.

It would be amazing if you could do a whole video on proper washing and laundry techniques. Laundry is the only house chore that gets me frustrated because I never get the end results I'm looking for. You've helped me a lot already with your videos I'm actually sorry to be asking for more, but that's just how much I value your teachings and tricks !!!! Thank you so much in advance

My great grandmother who started out as a scullery maid in a big English manor and worked her way up to housekeeper taught her daughters about bluing who taught their daughters. I am one of those proud daughters and I use bluing.

I could watch Rajiv all day long. His videos are so soothing, informative, and interesting 😊

It's not only what he does because you can make teach how to do it in a short video on RU-vid, but is the way he CARRIES himself. Just amazing. ❤

A year later, now with white curtains that have yellowed, I'm back with Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing in hand to get the details on the method. Thank you, Rajiv! So grateful for having stumbled upon this video and all your videos that came after!

Wow, does this take me way back! I grew up in rural Africa, long before automatic washing machines. Everything was washed by hands those days in big zinc tubs. I remember my mom had these little blue cubes she'd put into the rinse water for the whites and she'd let it soak for a while. And the final magic for the whites, not only to bleach but to properly sanitize, was letting them dry in the sun (I think it also compensated for the absence of hot water.) Worked wonders with my young twin brothers' nappies, which were all of cloth those days!

Thanks for explaining HOW and WHY this works. My mom always used bluing and hung her laundry in the sun, and her laundry was whiter than you can imagine. When dad passed away, she donated ALL his clothes to the church, and the minister was so grateful to have such new looking undies to share with the less fortunate because NOBODY has clean enough undies to donate - a testament to stain removal and bluing. Ace hardware ordered a bottle for me - arrived the next day. I noticed they carry bluing when I looked on line, but they do not stock it in the store. When I picked up my order, the gentleman who helped me exclaimed "no calls for this product for years, and 2 hours after you came in another lady came in and ordered a bottle." Rajiv, you are "making your mark" on the world. As Eleanor Roosevelt said ": “Some people are going to leave a mark on this world, while others will leave a stain.” Thank you for explaining the things I was never wise enough to learn from my mom.

I have four almost adult kids and have run a household since forever and i'm sitting here taking notes like a new bride...lol...I love it ! Also, yes, my grandparents used blue on their white clothes too...the clotheslines were blinding to look at on wash day

My first time here... My grandmother (Caribbean) used the little blue "pods" that kept our clothes always pristine white! Thank you for that memory. And what a delight, to see someone who can write in cursive so perfectly! It's a shame they don't teach penmanship in school anymore... it does take time and would slow children down to be more in the present moment... almost an art and very beautiful... Walk in Beauty, Rajiv, and stay well. Thank you...

These is not just any back to basic but a way of slow, conscious & preserved way of life bring taught by Rajiv. Love this series, highly recommended. I could see this old - style aesthetic way of life become a trend!

you’re adorable, says this soon to be great-grandmother... I was born to older parents and remember when my mother washed all of our clothes in a wash pot over an open fire she had built (another story) .. she always hung out her wash and the smell of fresh dried clothes from the clothesline always takes me back to her.. and one of my favorite memories is hanging out clothes with her when my oldest child was very young and I would visit with her and we would do the laundry together. The Sun and fresh air (when no pollen) is still my favorite drying source. Your video warmed my heart. I have given each of my sons and grands packs of clothespins.. made a small clothesline on my deck to show my youngest grand how to ‘hang out’ clothes, using her favorite napkins.. thank you for sharing a ‘neglected art form’ Clean Clothes 101. sweet memories!

this is the most aesthetically pleasing video about laundry i've ever seen

You do everything exactly as I do, as my Mom taught me 50 years ago! I have all-white bedding and towels (cotton and linen), partly to simplify things (all towels can go in every bathroom, for example), but mostly so that I can wash them in the hottest water every time. It’s disgusting when I go to someone’s house and they have those bacteria-laden stinky towels. I also tend to separate my medium-color loads into color families, usually a blues/greens/grays load, a browns/taupes load and a pinks/reds load. Browns can dull other colors, as can washing complementary colors together, like red and green (which makes brown). The better the sorting, the better the results. I just let things accumulate until I have full loads, I have a little laundry area for that, and I have plenty of other things to wear or use meanwhile. Every time I do laundry, I miss my Mom, who died last June. She taught me everything I know about keeping a beautiful home.

You always inspire me to live a little better, Rajiv. And by better I mean taking the time and care in being mindful of the things I do. Love that you’ve started your own channel.

So entertaining… I would get that washer with steam setting so you would come over and do all the laundry!!! Love it!!!!

My mom had a glass jar of this bluing under the kitchen sink for whites. If we got a mosquito or ant bite she would also bring out this jar and use the cork-attached-to-bakelite top in it to put a round circle of bluing on the bite to take away the itching! Edit: As far as I know, we only ever had that one bottle - it lasted forever.

I know for a fact this channel will soon be one of my favourites here on RU-vid. Can we please get a video on ironing and floral arrangements too? 😊 I always learn something new with you Rajiv 🤗.

My mom used blueing when i was growing up. But I know that if you live in an area where you can hang your clothes outside, that does a lot for keeping things white, and here is something that I discovered when I had my first child, when I washed her bib after eating pasta with tomato sauce, the red didn't come out in the wash but it did come out after it hung outside in the SUN. Works everytime.

I'm loving the subtle music in the background and the wind gently blowing the white curtains, along with his calm voice. It all makes a cool video.

I'm so glad you shared that your bottle was over 20 years old. I just did a load of whites with a bottle of the bluing that I didn't remember I had. It could easily be as old as yours. My whites turned out so bright! Thank you.

My Mom used to use bluing. She even bought a ringer washer because she felt the new machines didn’t do a good job! And sometimes hang the bedding outside to dry. Bringing back memories from my childhood 🥰👋🏿 from Canada 🇨🇦

I was taught to sort clothes in 4 piles and I was taught about bluing. So glad to see someone else doing the same

Rajiv is all of all of that. Enjoy him so. I search for his vids even though subscribed. I want more because he is so refreshing. Makes me smile.

your videos bring me peace. i live in self hatred and fear, so i strive and search for wonderful people like you to convince me of something good out there. thank you

Great first video ! More laundry questions: • how often do you wash all your laundry in a regular week ? • do you do different piles on different days ? Or do you have 1 day when you do all your laundry ? • do u use drier ? Or do u hang clothes ? • what are your folding techniques ? • what do you do while waiting for laundry ? • what about sheets, pillow cases ? Kitchen hand towels ? Bath mat ? How often do you wash them ? • what is your laundry schefule like ? As you can see, we want more laundry videos ! ❤

Rajiv is truly a comfort person. I love learning the domestic and artistic tips and skills he has to offer and he just has such a calming space and presence that melts away my stress. Can't wait to see more!

I love using bluing and even so with your video I learned so much better how to enjoy caring for my stuff and myself. Thank you for the way you showcase things in a thoughtful and encouraging, fun way. The most comforting way of learning to shepherd of myself and my space on the internet.

this man makes the simplest video topics so beautifully done.

Rajiv, I am the one on Instagram who suggested the washing the white idea! This is so incredibly cool! I am so glad that you are starting your own youtube channel and my best wishes for you in year 2023. Love, Meng

This brought back a wonderful memory of my darling Bichon. Years ago I was giving her a bath in my laundry tub and accidentally knocked the bottle of blueing into her bath and there was enough product on the outside of the bottle to tint the water and her white hair light blue! Of course it was summertime and we had a lot of laughs with our little blue baby. Miss you Pumpkin❤️

You're such an inspiration Rajiv! Thank you for your incredibly informative and beautiful videos. You treat everything like it is sacred...It's like you took the Marie Kondo approach and took it a step further by infusing the things you already have with even MORE joy! Thank you for the effort you put into your content.

Excellent info and demo. I have heard of bluing, but never understood it until this video. Thanks so much!

Learned something new! In addition to sorting clothing by color, since I do a ton of laundry for a family of 4, I also sort by fabric. In general, I wash all jeans or rougher fabrics together. It makes clothing last longer. I've noticed my shirts don't look as old fast.

Watching my Mum boiling up the "copper" (no washing machine) and adding the Rickets blue bag to the rinse water every Monday morning to do the week's washing are things I remember from my childhood. My Mum took pride in being the first woman in the street to have her washing out, and it being the whitest. Wash days had a special smell as the copper was in the kitchen. Mum also used to put the blue bag on my brother's bee stings. Another nostalgic video Rajiv, cheers, Muffy from Oz (Australia

So impressed with this young man. I am old enough to remember bluing, but have not used it in a long time. Thank you for the detailed instructions.

The backsplash behind that sink is wonderful! From countertop to bottom of cabinets. I’m in the early stages of remodeling my kitchen. Because of watching Mr. Surendra I shall be taking little ideas from this and that, to design the kitchen. I have visited many old home museums in search of ideas. Oheka Castle (Long Island) ~ St. Clair Whitman's house 1920’s (Florida) and all places in between. Even a airplane control tower that was brought to Virginia from Goxhill England. Always looking!

Home Ed classes will all be putting these videos on from now on, I guarantee it. Everyone will pay attention!

I grew up without a mum and just kind of got by. Now, I'm finally able to be present and start to enjoy looking after myself and my things. I'm truly grateful for your videos... Who would have thought that a guy doing washing would be so fascinating to watch. There's something so soothing and comforting about your voice and the way you teach. Awesome vid, I'll give the bluing a try. Thanks for the explanation and tips 👍

I have just found him. I have learned so much. Thank you for such a great channel. I am having a marathon of watching .❤️

This video popped up in my "feed." It seemed like just the sort of thing I'd like to watch, and you exceeded my expectations. What a beautiful and useful channel you have created. Thank you.

This is the second video I’m watching and I am an awe of the class this gentleman exudes! So we’ll spoken, intelligent, classy, responsible with his things!!!!

Growing up in Colombia, my grandmother and her housekeepers used to wash all the clothes by hand. Always one of my favourite memories. I loved helping out with the the water and bubbles and scrubbing over the washing stone. The first step with whites was scrubbing them with a block of bright blue soap called “El Rey,” and then leaving them wet in buckets in the sun, until it was time to wash them by hand. I still do this with with my whites, and then throw them in the washing machine. I’ve always had bright whites. ❤️

I learnt my lesson years ago with reds, they always get washed separately to everything else. I love that you explained how to use the blue rinse. I always new how great it was on whites, but I never learnt about it and was too scared to use it. Then you come along. Thankyou

My grandmother used this. I still do. You’re amazing!

I used to love using blueing liquid in my whites. Also half a cup of lemon juice in the water will keep towels and sheets white. White vinegar in the rinse water makes towels nice and soft.

This video takes me to my childhood. I have watched my dad use Robin blue powder (நீலம் in Tamil) to wash his white shirts he wore to his work. Yes, and the collars- he used a brush and sunlight soap to clean them after soaking them a little before washing. I’m am in absolute awe to hear about this from a young person in detail. I just realized how disconnected I am with my childhood memories. I’m going to start using blue again after viewing your video. Thanks 🙏🏾

Amazing, this man covered ALL the bases and explained everything in such a simple manner. Washing whites doesn’t seem so intimidating anymore and now I’m excited to try in the future!

Beautiful handwriting! I discovered bluing years ago and swear by it! Nice video!

I have been using that same bluing for over 40 years. In my front load machine I add water to the fabric softener dispenser and some bluing. Works well!

I have actually started steering away from buying white clothes because of the dingy yellow look they can get. I also heard that HE washers can cause your whites to turn to yellow. When I heard that you were getting your own channel, I was so excited! It was like a wonderful Christmas present!❤

I asked and the algorithm delivered! Thanks for this, Rajiv!

Just brilliant. I remember the 'dolly blue' my grandmother used to make the cotton sheets super white. Love your videos, hope to see more. Love from Australia

My Mum used to use Dolly Blues on all the white wash. These were like single serve items, wrapped in cloth, and were dropped into the wash. There was also a dye works in Ancoats, called the Maddocks, which made the blueing dye. Sadly, the local canal/river was often that shade of blue. Lovely way to start 2023, cheers Rajiv x

Love this! We still use Blue (in the form of soap bars, liquid, powder) in the Caribbean to whiten our clothes and cleanse our spirits

I have to tell you how great this video is, and thank you for posting it! Since I watched this I have been adding the bluing to my whites and they are so much brighter! Thank you so much for this great content, you are a blessing to Planet Earth! And Yes, you do remind me of Mr. Rogers, and that's truly meant as a nice compliment! God Bless You!

I appreciate that even in your beautiful life, you still have shared laundry in the building. And still, you make everything that you can affect so wonderful!

Rajiv, your attentive, detailed, approach to the nuanced, basics of life, will inspire and empower many. - thank you kindly

Hello from a hot summer day in Australia. I’m drinking a glass of rosé and eating cheese in a tent in the shade and watching new Rajiv videos! What a great start to the year. Love this! Thanks!!

I find you so pleasant to listen to. I remember bluing years ago. It's so nice, that you as a young man, know and use this method. Thank you for sharing "Class" again.

Szorować!! Wow I did not expect to hear my native language in this video! Rajiv I love you more and more with everything I watch. I also read your book and it was an incredible account of your experiences. You are so inspiring I love your outlook on life. All the best!

Love this. I’m always learning from you. I’ve been using the Australian version called Bluo all wrong now that I’ve seen this video. Thank you for showing the way. My Mum always boiled our tea towels separate from other items because our kitchen was a sanctuary of sterilisation & cleanliness. I still make ‘tea towel soup’ to this day. We call those ladies the ‘blue rinse brigade’ in Australia.

Best new year’s day gift ever!! So glad you’ve started your own channel, Rajiv ❤

These videos are like Sesame Street for adults into home care; inclusive, kind and educational with a lovely soundtrack to make me almost want to sing along. 🥰

This guy knows what he is talking about hands down!!!! Great job

I can't tell you how much this delighted me! Not because you are a man doing your own laundry, but because you are so thoughtful about the process and are are careful to explain the proper techniques to actually care for the clothes. Thank you!

Traditionally washing blue that was a small block (about 1 inch x 1 inch x .5 inch) and the block of blue would be placed in an old sock. The sock with the blue would be put in the rinse water and removed after the water turned blue and used again.

It feels like so much knowledge has been lost, and you are uncovering it for us. Thank you.

Great video, a lost art and so useful- I remember three elderly maiden aunts who lived into their late 90’s- they used bluing and also put some lemon juice onto stains and laid the clothes out on the privet hedge in the sun all day. You are right, whites no longer look white, going to do this. Many thanks

One of my new years goals is to learn how to do laundry properly. Perfect timing! Thanks Rajiv!

Many washing machines in Europe have a boil or sanitize setting. I absolutely love that it's a standard setting. Perfect for towels and bedding! I first discovered bluing when I lived in the Caribbean. It came in little cubes and I just chucked a cube in... I ended up with blue patches on all of my clothes. 😆 It was a learning experience but it works fantastic when you do it right!

I really enjoy seeing how you clean things. The amount of information you share mixed with how thoroughly you break down the process is very helpful!

You are a natural born teacher. You have a gift for sure!

Hi Rajiv, thanks for the veteran moves, senior Caribbean women have also used this method for years. Thanks for bringing it into the 21st century.

Thrilled you have your own channel. You are one of a kind and I cannot wait to see what you put out next!

What a joy! Also so very informative. Thanks for sharing your passion with the world Rajiv!

Ahhh, blueing! Reminds me of my grandmother and mom! Thank you for sharing these detailed instructions!

Awesome! Finally you have your own show. Lots of people have been waiting for that. Congratulations 🎉

Love that you started your own channel and you're showing us all the things we've forgotten and taken for granted!

I bought the bluing, rewatching the video to remind myself how to use it! I’m doing my white comforter tonight 🤩🤩🤩

Thanks for a great video, showing the old traditions. You took me right back to my childhood days. Growing up in England, my grandmother and mother used "dolly blue" which wasn't a liquid like the one you used, but individual powders which you used in the rinse water, as you said. I remember my Mum boiling whites on the stove top, and I have done it myself when my family were young. Also, older white haired ladies had a "blue rinse" at the hairdressers, to keep their white hair from looking dingy. So many don't separate their wash loads too, then wonder why their clothes don't look so good.

I can't thank you enough, some of these things can be seen as so basic and mundane but you breathe so much life into them. The notorious ring on the collar is the bane of my existence! Thanks for being thorough and sharing your techniques.