A method for the fluorescent whitening of cotton in a discontinuous process comprising contacting the cotton, I an aqueous bath having a pH value of 6 or less, with one or more compounds of the Formula (I) wherein R1 represents an —SO2R3, —SOR3, CO2M, —CO2R3, —CONR3R4, —CN or —NO2 substituent, R2 is —NH2, —NH(C1-C4alkyl), —N(C1-C4alkyl)2, —NH(C2-C4hydroxyalkyl), —N(C2-C4hydroxyalkyl)2, —NH(C1-C4alkoxy)(C1-C4alkyl), —N[(C1-C4alkoxy)(C1-C4alkyl)]2, NHC2—C4alkylsulphonic acid, morpholineo, piperidino pyrrolidino, an amino acid or amino acid amide residue from which a hydrogen atom on the amino group has been removed, —OC1-C4alkyl or —OC1-C4hydroxyalkyl, R3 and R4 each, independently, represent hydrogen, C1-C4alkyl, C2-C4hydroxyalkyl or C1-C4alkoxyC1-C4alkyl and M is H, Na, Li, K, Ca, Mg, ammonium, or ammonium that is mono-, di-, tri- or tetrasubsituted by C1-C4alkyl, C2-C4hydroxyalkyl or a mixture thereof, some of which are new