Cleaning the White Coat

[niener]

Anyone have any advice/product recommendations/techniques for getting the white coat clean? I've tried pre-treating the stains with our homemade laundry detergent, with a Fels-Naptha bar, I've tried dousing the entire thing in bleach. Before I go to the store and start buying random cleaners I thought I'd ask here first. The neckline is really bad, and of course there are ink stains (most of which the bleach got out, but some it didn't) and whatever random other nastiness those things pick up. Laundry is not my forte.

Why can't they have black coats? Gah....

[scrub-jay]

We do shout for general grime and hot washes with bleach, followed by hot rinses.

[HouseofWool]

Use rubbing alcohol on the ink. It does work best if you do it before laundering, but it can at least improve it.

As for the rest, I just used what ever stain remover I had on hand, typically Zout. It worked fairly well, particularly when combined with oxyclean.

[corn poffi]

His program cleans them for the residents. Best. Perk. Ever.

But, in med school, his mom would soak in oxyclean for like 8 hours. It never came completely clean, but it was passable.

[MissCrabette]

No advice, but I'm very curious to see what others have to say. Also, how do you get the wrinkles out of the dang thing? Or do you not even bother anymore?

[BonBon]

That's weird, because we wish all our clothes were like DH's white coats. They can be filthy and one trip through the wash has it pristine again. I think they're coated in Teflon or something. If bleach isn't working , I don't know what to tell you!! (we use tide, btw)

[SoonerTexan]

Hmm...I took DH's to the cleaners once because I didn't want to iron it and I wanted it to look nice.

Then again, it hasn't really seen a lot of grim/gore yet.

[Pollyanna]

We send them to the dry cleaners. They come back like new every time

[scrub-jay]

We bought an extra so that I could keep it clean. Having him empty out his pockets is a PITA though... he keeps way too much stuff in there.

[Thirteen]

Hot wash hot rinse with our soap (Allen's).
We also steam clean them with a steamer we own.
Every once in a while, we take it to the cleaners (which, coincidentally, is happening today!).

[scrub-jay]

Slight hijack - what do you do with ties, especially the silk ones?

[Thirteen]

Steam clean silk ties.

[v-girl]

Ties are taken off as he's leaving and folded then put in his satchel. Right now there are 3 on top of the bookcase by our front door. LOL

[MarissaNicole]

Slight hijack - what do you do with ties, especially the silk ones?

We have DH's ties dry cleaned, I hear they are the WORST when it comes to germs since they don't get washed as frequently as other clothes.

[scrub-jay]

Thanks guys!! (Wildfin - what kind of steam cleaner do you have?)