Tony Blue

Tony Blue is a colloquialism and a brand name that has historically been used to refer to bluing agents added to laundry. These agents were used to counteract the yellowing or dinginess that could occur in white fabrics after repeated washings. The blue pigment in the bluing agent would offset the yellow tones, making the whites appear brighter and whiter.

While the term "Tony Blue" specifically refers to a particular brand, it often became a genericized trademark, much like "Kleenex" for facial tissues, where the brand name was used to refer to all similar products, regardless of manufacturer.

The practice of using bluing agents is less common today due to improvements in laundry detergents and the availability of optical brighteners, which work through fluorescence rather than color correction. However, bluing products, including those marketed under names reminiscent of or directly as "Tony Blue," are still available and used, particularly for restoring vintage linens or maintaining the whiteness of certain fabrics.

Historically, the blue pigment used in bluing agents was often ultramarine, a naturally occurring or synthetically produced pigment derived from lapis lazuli. Modern bluing agents may utilize other blue dyes.