Bluing Square

Liquid Bluing is also known as laundry bluing, bluestone (a modern, non-toxic replacement for older formulas), Blue Balls, or anil. It is a longstanding ingredient in folk magic for cleansing, purification, and protection. Historic recipes may call for “bluestone,” which referred to toxic copper sulfate; contemporary liquid bluing serves as a safer substitute in spiritual practice.

In Hoodoo and Spiritist traditions, bluing is added to spiritual washes for floors, walls, and the body, creating what is often called “blue water.” This practice is linked to older Mediterranean beliefs in which the color blue and the element of water were used to ward off the evil eye and dispel harmful influences. Some protection rites call specifically for blue water to keep a residence clear of malevolent spirits and lingering miasma.

Bluing is frequently combined with other spiritual cleansers such as Florida Water and cascarilla. A spiritualist method of household protection involves placing a bowl of water with a few drops of liquid bluing, some Floria Water and cascarilla mixed in it near the front door to cleanse yourself and visitors from tracking in any crossed conditions. While not recommended for full immersion baths, it may be used in spiritual bathing rites where water is poured over the head and body for purification and protective blessing.