20 mule team borax (borateam). I soaked some old smoke-browned table linens including a crocheted tablecloth, and they came out beautifully. The tablecloth was as brown as tobacco before soaking. Turns out the thread was actually a pale ivory color. The white embroidered pieces returned to their original white. There was a small tear in one piece and it did not get any worse from the soaking, nor was any of the fabric harmed by the borax. I just saw a big box of it in Walmart on the laundry soap aisle.