I stumbled across this deep dive article on how laundry was done in Japan at the turn of the 20th century and thought this sub might find it interesting - I certainly felt quite grateful to own a modern washing machine and easy care clothing after reading it!

https://oldphotosjapan.substack.com/p/1900s-how-do-you-wash-a-kimono

G'day ya fucken cunts mate.

Following the support of this post I made asking for the sub to add more distinct international countries, such as the Asia-Pacific region, our delightful admin overlords caved obliged, and we now have an official Australia & New Zealand user flare for the sub - HOWZAAAAT!!!!!

What this means for the sub:
It will help add clarity to Persil versus Persil. I wasn't aware of this, but Persil NZ is different to Persil US.

Also, cultural exchange. I am hoping the things I say make more sense with the awareness that I am from a completely different side of the globe. I also hope you don't look up the timezone when I am giving chaotic advice...

Anyway. I have never been so proud to be an Australian since Steven Bradbury won the winter olympics that one time.

Everyone say 'Cheers u/KismaiAesthetics, you deadset legend.'

Cheers, have a good one. Yewww.

I think it's a shame that there aren't any washing machines with a transparent casing. It would certainly be interesting to see how everything works.

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I bought a used shirt and can’t get this stain out of the white half. I’ve tried bleach but it didn’t help. The pictures aren’t great, but it’s a large brown stain

Hi, I'm new to this sub and was wondering what detergent is best for my needs?

-I'm a heavy sweater with very oily skin

-I live in the UK, and in a hardwater area

-I wash things on mostly mixed cycle with 30c (I'm a broke student)

-I'm a goth so my clothes are mostly different types of fabrics, and mostly dark colours. My whole wardrobe is thrifted

-Accessibility is important to me, so it needs to be easy to get and not extremely expensive

-Ideally something cruelty free

Any help is appreciated thank you so much :)

I found a beautiful, lightweight, Merino wool cardigan in a thrift store. As part of my effort to remove the artificial laundry detergent stink, put it in my front loading washing machine on a gentle cycle, through the label directions.

It was inadvertently put into the dryer, and shrunk at least once size smaller, and it no longer fits me. 😢

Now that I have mostly recovered from the initial shock and dismay, my research says that is possible to soak it in warm water and wash, or hair conditioner (or vinegar, which seems a bit harsh), and re-block it to regain its original dimensions, or close to it.

Are those Youtubers on to something, or is it nonsense?

TLDR: Spa day test run worked but I'm looking for suggestions on how to make it unscented but still affordable.
Questions at bottom.

EDIT: I guess it is obvious from the comment above - but the musty smell was gone from the shorts.

I recently learned that 'old people smell' (2-Nonenal) is a real science backed thing.
I used to think it was just a joke referring to the stale piss smell you get in some rest homes.

After reading about the various spa day methods I chose method 1 due to it being both fairly simple and inexpensive.
For the detergent - Tide Ultra Oxi powder, and ammonia for the rinse.

I did a test batch with a pair of denim (blue jean) shorts and a few pairs of underwear that were mixed synthetic. The shorts were the main target and the underwear was just to bulk it out a bit so I wasn't washing a single item.

The shorts have long had a sort of musty smell that doesn't wash out. I assume that is the neonatal smell. Not 'nasty', just mildly annoying that they smell a bit like a thrift store.

All items were more or less clean. Had been worn since being washed, but only very light duty. Sit and visit a friend in her living room and a grocery shopping trip.

I used a 6 gallon bucket, about 3 gallons of hot tap water, 3/4 cup of the Tide powder.
I filled a 1 gallon jug with hot water and set on top to keep the clothes under water.
This also helped a lot to keep the water warm. I let it soak for 5 or 6 hours and the water was still pretty warm when I dumped it.

Dirty Blue Color -
The water had a blue tint and also a 'dirty' look as if there had been literal dirt / mud in the clothes. I would not have expected blue dye in the denim to leach out as the shorts are about three years old and have been washed numerous times. But maybe?? due to the different chemicals?

Is the dark / 'dirty' color a chemical reaction?
I find it difficult to believe there was enough actual dirt or soiling to account for it looking like I was washing muddy play clothes.
It doesn't really matter either way - I'm just curious.

I then ran a normal wash with extra rinse cycle in my HE front loader using some tide powder tossed in with the laundry and some ammonia in the fabric softener cup. My understanding is the fabric softener is added during the rinse cycle. I don't use fabric softener so had not really looked into that.

EDIT - YEAH, I SCREWED UP - AMMONIA GOES IN WASH, NOT RINSE.
I'LL DUMP IT ON THE CLOTHES NEXT TIME. 😄

My normal laundry soap for years has been Kirkland (Costco) Free and Clear.
does a pretty good job on average soiling of clothing / sheets, but I didn't know liquids lack the chemicals to get the neonatal.

QUESTIONS:

1. Explain the 'dirty water' look if you know. Not a big deal though.
2. Is there a scent free version of this that is not too expensive?

I don't like scented laundry stuff and the Tide made me congested even though I tried to avoid breathing it. But a couple of the additive products I've seen recommended in this forum are rather expensive. I looked up one and it was $12/pound. ($24 for a 2 pound bag). That seems like a lot for a chemical that is likely very cheap to produce.

I could faintly smell the ammonia during the rinse cycle but that isn't a big deal to me.
If you know a good scent free method - which method and which specific products please?

1. If you use a Sous Vide unit, how do you clean it?
   EDIT: ANSWERED - put SV in a pot of water and set the pot on top of the spad day water.
   I'm sort of embarrassed I didn't think of this on my own. 😄

The instructions mentioned using a Sous Vide unit as one way to keep the soak water hot. I own a clamp on unit and considered it, but was concerned about using it on Tide and then on food. While the food itself is separated from the water, the pot I clamp it to is one I use for cooking. I find the Tide water a bit hard to wash off my hands, which made me wonder if getting it thoroughly rinsed out of the the Sous Vide unit would be a hassle.

Possibly I am overthinking it. Maybe just letting it run for a while in some fresh hot water would be enough to remove the residual Tide.

1. If you use a powdered detergent in your HE front loading washer - where do you put it that works for you?
   My washer has a small partition in the soap tray to remove if using powder. So obviously the manufacturer is okay with powder being added to the tray. But I've always wondered if it really gets dissolved / washed down well enough. (Admittedly, I have not tried it)
   I've never had a problem with powders not dissolving when just tossed into the main wash chamber. This was the first time I did it with laundry soap, but I've done it a number of times with baking soda and a few times with borax or oxiclean powder.

Thanks for any input.

My family members tend to get oily stains on their shirt fronts which come out pretty well with the regular spray pretreatment products we use at home. When we travel, though, we don't want to have a spray bottle with us and would prefer an alternative that won't leak in a suitcase. Washing the shirts at a laundromat or hotel laundry room without pretreating leaves those greasy ghost stains no matter what detergent I'm using.

I feel like there used to be a bunch of stick type pretreatments, but all I saw was the Tide pen when I tried to find something on our last trip. The pen seems like it might be good for a smaller, better defined stain area like a ball point ink mark; I need something to put all over most of the front of a shirt. What would you recommend?

Hi fellow Aussies!

Where are you sourcing FEBU from?

I need unscented products due to a medical condition and FEBU looks like the wash booster I’ve been missing from my lineup.

___________

Edited to add:
\ At home: top loader WITHOUT agitator.*

\ Currently in temporary accommodation for another month or so — the machine here is a top loader WITH an agitator.*

\ I’m allergic (severe rashes, even with repeated rinsing) to many standard laundry detergents.*

\ I’ve been using Cold Power Advanced Clean laundry liquid for the last 10+ years. I don’t react to it in terms of skin reactions, but it is sometimes more fragranced than my body can handle.*

\ It contains “a unique blend of enzymes”, which they don’t name. A Reddit user contacted them and they confirmed lipase.*
https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/s/5RhuCV7mNZ

\ That product still doesn’t always fully break down oil / sweat, leading to some odour rebloom on certain items like pj’s (especially if they’re packed away for a season, even if they were fully dry when put away).*

\ A presoak in lectric washing soda (sodium carbonate) has helped, but isn’t fully effective.*

\ I’d love to change (or boost) my “laundry team” to something more effective, while still being gentle on clothes, and gentle on my body.*

\ Oh! Also have a huge issue with trying to get fragrances OUT of clothing so I can safely wear it e.g. if I purchase something from the OP shop (aka thrift store for you US peeps), or even a brand new item that a heavily perfumed person tried on before me.*

\ I’m disabled, and financially struggling, so products need to be affordable.*

The recommendations currently seem to be:
* Coles Ultra Oxy-Action powder as a booster
* + GearGuard Advanced for the enzymes
* + citric acid in the rinse.

(I could try those with my current detergent, and then experiment with a different detergent if that’s not enough. I do also have unfragranced ForAll Laundry detergent here, but haven’t tried it in an actual load of washing yet.)

Thanks Laundry Kings/Queens!

Bleached/stained by what I think must have been battery acid. Looking for tips. Thinking I'll just stick the whole trousers in black clothes dye. Never done this sort of thing before so any tips or advice appreciated.

What would be an appropriate alternative to spa day for sheepskins? Located in Australia, but it would be good to get a global consensus on methodology as future reference for natural fibre laundry nerds everywhere.

I know short wash cycles are better for wool including sheepskins, but it doesn’t really allow for sufficient enzyme contact when the skin-oil grimey grubbiness has built up over a looooong time. Could spritzing Gear Guard Advanced prior to washing be helpful at all? Is the only real option just repeated short wash cycles?

What about ammonia - probably ok as a once off to do some heavy spa-day lifting? Could it be said it’s likely ok on the odd occasion eg once a year but not, say, every month/every wash? Trying to get a rough idea of cost vs benefit across the lifetime of the item.

I've recently tried ammonia for sweaty gym fabrics and it works far better than white vinegar. Thing is I dont have a washing machine so I have to go to the laundromat to wash clothes. So my main concern here is it safe to use ammonia there not knowing if the washer has bleach residue from the users before or anything like that? Or do I just open the lid and air it out a bit before removing the clothes to be sure?

So, we are a trash family. A family of 5 that hauls garbage but refuses to LIVE like garbage. What products would you use for daily wash that is covered in mystery garbage juice every day? I keep FEBU on hand for super smelly things, BIZ for hunting season (we are that family too) and do an occasional spa day when work clothes get the funk but I'm still curious what others would recommend for everyday dirty jobs as not to break the bank.

I have been lurking and reading posts, current and past, about all things laundry and it has really upped my laundry game!

For health reasons, a while ago I had switched to “all natural” options. Over the years, my clothes were suffering from these products and I didn’t know why. A couple years ago, I no longer needed to be concerned about common household product ingredients any more and only recently did I realize - wait, I can start using regular things again!

I also started purchasing garments in cottons, linens, wools, and silks and wanted to change my approach to care for these items in a way that would lengthen their wear life.

Enter r/laundry!

I have switch all products, introduced spa days, deep cleaned my washing machine and created a little spot clean kit. Thanks to everyone who has shared their knowledge and experiences. I am so grateful!

Last year I developed contact dermatitis on my forearms, I went through a process of elimination with finding what was causing hives and itchiness on my forearms. It was the Downey. I switched to the Kirkland free and clear laundry detergent and I use Vinegar in my washes as well.

I tried to use some tide pods on some blankets yesterday and it had downey in it which caused an immediate break out on my arms.

My question: Are there any smell good options that wont cause a flare on my arms? My laundry just has a dull smell. I've tried the wool balls with drops of EO in the dryer but it's very subtle.

Does someone mind explaining the difference between:

-laundry cleanser

-sodium percarbonate

-citric acid

-soda crystals

I really don't understand what's the purpose of them all, when to use them and which you actually need tbh

Bought a new container and it has a noticably stronger scent and now has blue, red, and green beads instead of just blue beads in the white powder. Anyone know if it still contains lipase??

Once I discovered the existence of optical brighteners, I concluded that they're why my clothes faded as they aged. So I switched to detergents with no optical brighteners. But I still haven't found any detergent that's OBA free and doesn't come with significant drawbacks. I really want to try Persil, but it has optical brighteners. I'm torn between whether or not I should bite the bullet and accept OBAs. For what it's worth, my laundry is almost exclusively colors and darks, I only do a whites load a couple times per year.

Edit: I'm in the US. And I have VERY hard water.

Hi all...I do all the laundry for an elderly family member. Thanks to everyone here, I've been pretty successful keeping things clean, fresh and stain-free. Now, there's something new and I need help!

This person is a fan of Dove Whole Body Deodorant Spray. While hanging the last couple of loads of clothes to dry, I've noticed the lingering odor of this spray. Nothing smelled dirty, but the clothes absolutely smell like the deodorant spray and it lingers after the clothes have been moved.

So, today I asked if the deodorant spray was being sprayed on the clothes. The response was, "sometimes". After additional questions, it sounds like clothing is often near body parts being sprayed. I'm 95% sure it is being sprayed directly on/into clothing.

I know if I'm still smelling it then the clothes are not clean. Any suggestions on how to address this? It's unlikely the spraying of the clothes will stop so I've got to find a way to wash it out.

I generally use Tide powder (Oxy or Clean and Gentle), Lysol Laundry Sanitizer, and citric acid for a rinse on warm with a 2nd rinse in a LG front loader. I just received my first FEBU order today (so excited!) so I have it available along with OdoBan.

Hey all, I purchased this t shirt at a festival a week ago and after a single wash the colours having gone from a deep block to a faded grey colour.

I'm trying to work out if it's just a cheap print/production issue or it's the way me/my partner do the washing. She puts the light/white clothes in on a 30 degree wash.. I have suggested a 20 degree wash but shes adamant that's not the issue yet every single time I buy a shirt like this I'm getting this issue.

I'm UK based, this shirt was bought whilst in the US but has happened with shirts purchased home in the UK too. Any advice or products I can get here in the UK that will restore/prevent this happening in the future?

Thanks

I have a 12YO Samsung washer dryer (dryer gave up about 5 years ago) and it’s on it’s way out.

I’ve also noticed some issues with my clothes where I’m washing them and my black and dark colours just seem to be super faded really quickly. I’ve washed a brand-new pair of trousers for the first time and they’ve come out looking like this.

Is this being caused by the machine? It is cleaned frequently but this looks like fibres being deposited…

So there is contradicting info about combining:  temp, enzymes, and oxygen bleach (oxi).
the trickiness is due to the enzymes riskiness, as Oxi & temp has a chance to deactivate them. 

• To play it safe, I decided stick to products that combine enzymes and Oxi, so I don't mess up the chemistry. Is this better? 

Now comes the temp & time mystery. 

• Some say: to keep your enzymes safe, kept at 40°C. But really Is 40°C enough to get the benefits of Oxi? is not 60°C better for Oxi?
• the advice saying modern enzymes can Handel 60°C, I wish I can apply it, but it dose not apply for all modern products.
• Do washing machines heat water up to the set temp. If I set it to 60°C, is the water actually cooler, like 50°C or 45°C?"
• Now time: how long should the wash phase stay before the rinse phase interrupts the enzymes & Oxi? is 1 hour at 40°C Enough time for it to tackle the different fabrics in the machine synthetic & non synthetic. Also to save energy i can just pause the wash phase to soak instead of run for 1h then resume for the rinse is this effective ?

The confusion stems from enzymes. As their chemistry differs from a product to anther.

We need to set unified Measures that allow most to all products to work effectively. The goal: zero smell+no bacteria, if there is a slight smell when I wear it will react, activate and rebloom 

my water is hard can’t use citric acid it cause a metallic smell. I hate vinegar people can smell it on you.

Until i find tide powder clear & gentle or switch to liquid + FEBU boost, I‘m using OMO Active powder, it has enzymes including lipase+ oxi. The package has no temp info, but it mentions: 45-min for antibacterial effects.