I found this sub this summer. I switched from Charlies Soap to Tide, adjusted the amount for trace suds, added citric acid instead of vinegar to the rinse (sometimes) and then kept doing my laundry like usual.

Clothes got cleaner, wash by wash. No overnight miracles but definitely improvements.

Now its cooling off and I’m getting out the warmer clothes and bedding that hasn’t gotten any Tide washes and oh my goodness some of these things have a long way to go.

The regular wash cycles will catch them up, but I am tempted to do a spa day on some of it for a quick fix.

Hi everyone,
My wife and I just moved into a new house, and as part of the lease, the washer and dryer were considered to be “gifts” that we are responsible for should any repairs come up. Well, we discovered loads of black mold not only all over the door seal, but inside of the detergent slot. Our property management maintenance guy is hesitating because the machines belong to the house owner, but per our lease, we should just be able to toss those duds and bring in whatever machines we desire.
The reason he is hesitant is mostly due to the lack of a spot to store them. But this seems like a safety issue and not really an option for us to not have working laundry. My whole point of all of this is to ask, is there a simple way to clean out the machine from all of this neglect? Is it even worth the time to try and clean it out? It’s pretty gross and hoping to either fix this ourselves or just push even harder on replacing them. Any help would be great, thank you!

***Edit: Spoiler Alert: Soup photos at the end!***

I’m going to preface this by saying I am by no means a laundry expert, I just wanted to try the laundry stripping method. I will also add that there was a yellow, orange, and baby blue towel in this mix with white, tan and beige-ish coloured towels, which could explain the greenish colour. I currently have them in the washing machine (with no detergent or laundry softener). I’m excited to see how they feel out of the dryer!

I used this recipe from GoCleanCo minus the Calgon water softener because I couldn’t find it lol:

NEED:
- 2 cups (or use the scoop that comes in the box) of Tide® Powdered Laundry Detergent
- ¼ cup of Borax® Laundry Detergent and Booster
- ¼ cup Arm & Hammer® So Clean Super Washing Soda
- ¼ cup Calgon® Water Liquid Softener

HOW TO TACKLE:

- Fill a bathtub half full with water - as hot as possible!
NOTE: More clothes - more water in the tub.
- Add CLEAN sorted, like-colored clothes or bedding
- Add in the mixture: stir until it dissolves
- Let soak for 4 hours
- Stir once every hour
- Drain the tub and wring clothes out. Transport to the washing machine (use a bucket so you don't drip everywhere!)
- Run a full cycle - DO NOT add soap or fabric softener (there is already plenty of soap in the clothes)

First photo: After stirring the first hour
Second photo: Second hour
Third photo: Third hour
Fourth photo: Right before I took the towels out
Fifth photo: The after with no overhead light
Sixth photo: The after with overhead light

I have tried all 3 of these brands' free and clear type detergents and I can't really tell the difference. I usually use cold water. Usually it's fine but none of them get the stink out of my towels.

I have been going through my clothes, have now switched to Tide clean + gentle after my first attempt at switching to a lipase containing detergent caused the worst stinky mess in my clothes! I am pretty happy with how things are coming from the laundry except for my shirt 🙈 the butyric acid smell is strong. I generally does go away after a second wash, but who has time to be washing everything twice? (+it gets pretty expensive). I have seen people on this sub talk about how Native deodorant causes the re-bloom, I don’t use native but I do use an aluminium free deodorant. The smell is strongest on the arm pits of the shirts, so it must be coming from the deodorant. Is there an alternative that does keeping having to wash my shirts twice?
thanks!

Right out of the laundry, my clothes smell fine. But anytime I travel I can immediately smell the “old house smell” on them as soon as I open my suitcase.

My house is 105 years old and I haven’t been able to find a way to get rid of the smell, so now I’m hoping for some laundry tips to keep my clothes smelling fresh after I wash them. I tend to use scent free detergents and avoid fragrances, so I’m not using anything that would help mask the smell. Is that my only option? Are there other laundry things I can do to help? I’m paranoid about smelling like an old musty house and I think I’m so used to it that I don’t notice it on the day-to-day.

Heard from City of Toronto staff that the city’s water supply is “medium” hardness. If you’re a renter you cannot install water softeners obviously. So what do you guys do to soften the water? Washing soda leaves a residue apparently. So what now?

I have a queen size down duvet that could really use a wash. Manufacturer says not to wash/dry at home, as duvet too large for residential machines and may not dry correctly, resulting in damage/mildew/etc. How are folks washing their down duvets?

There has to be an easier process than what I’m doing, and probably a process that actually works. When my toddler comes home from daycare her shirt is inevitably covered in some kind of food stain (usually red sauce or grease or something). She also likes the random snack of any type of cheesy chip or cracker and those orange-ish stains also everywhere.

I pre-treat by soaking in Dawn, I’ll move it to soak in oxi clean. Wash with tide free and gentle, with more oxi clean; on delicate cycle with warm water so I can activate “steam for stains”. You think the stains come out? NOPE.

I’ve tried the pre treatment sprays but wound up with shirts that got bleached (?) because I guess I left them it on too long. I’m trying to not do laundry everyday for a stained shirt.

And yes I send her in cheaper clothes to daycare most of the time but still would like it not to all covered in red/orange stains.

HELP. Show me a better way please.

Can you guys please tell me the difference in the effect on clothes by the plastic and dryer balls? I’ve decided to purchase some and I’m not sure which one to get. I’m preparing to wash a wool duvet and decided to get the balls to help with the drying process, but I think I need to get some dryer balls in general.

Does liquid laundry detergent go bad, or get weaker as it ages? I typically buy either original Tide (orange jug) or some random variety of liquid Persil. I know that enzymes in detergent are good, but do they get weaker over time? Through a combination of good sales, coupons, overbuying, and a disorganized laundry room, I found a few unopened jugs that I bought back in 2021 to 2024.

As you can see, the ball point pen won. This is all I have to help clean it. I’ll buy anything else if you recommend anything that could help. Or just let me know if this stain will never come out. Thanks in advance for any help.

My down comforter that I treasure for the most luxurious sleep while camping in the boat or RV got moisture that led to mold starting. Hubby found it while I was out of town, and ran it through the wash on super hot with oxy clean and then again with a laundry soap pod followed by drying on high heat with frequent fluffing/adjusting for total dryness. Yet, staining remains. I am so sad. Please help me salvage this.

1. Suggestions to remove the staining?

2. Is it likely that staining still means active mold spores or is it just unsightly and ignorable with a duvet cover?

It’s an option on my Haier washing machine I got last year but I’ve never used it until now – I had some blankets that I washed then they sat in a basket for a few days before I could put them in the dryer so I re-washed them again and then it happened again 😫 so I thought instead of giving them a full wash again, I might try the refresh cycle. They don’t really smell musty or anything but I just want to freshen them up before they go in the dryer.

Seems to be an option on the more newer models I think. It freaks me out seeing the machine going without water or laundry powder needed tho 🤣🧺

It’s a beautiful sunny day here in New Zealand so hopefully I can get them refreshed and dried on the line outside today! 🌞

I’ve been doing a slow dive into laundry. Detergents, rinses, stank spa days. The works. I first noticed a difference when I replaced my softeners with citric acid. I could BARELY stuff all my towels in the linen closet but kinda blew it off to laundry fervor. Nope. It’s real. My towels are fluffier, cleaner and my linen closet runneth over. Then I got into spa day and all the funk and glory that it beholds. Now THAT was quite the journey! THEN I got some rinse and refresh and I’ll be gawd damned but I can for real barely stuff all my undies and socks into their respective drawers. It’s crazy how much of a difference these changes have made. I’ve just received my first batch of Febu so I anticipate that this will bring forth something else amazing. This whole laundry journey has been a wild ride!

Thank y’all for being the laundry weirdos I never knew I needed. My kid is side eying the shelf of laundry products and is likely concerned for my mental health at this point but his previously gross socks and yuck athletic wear is clean and smelling good so he’s not asking questions 🤣

I usually separate whites from everything else because I'm worried about colors bleeding, especially with newer clothes. But separating every single color into its own load seems excessive, especially when you don't have enough clothes to fill the washing machine. For example, can black, navy blue, gray and other colored clothes safely go in the same load if they've already been washed several times? Or is there still a risk of colors transferring even after multiple washes?

I'm also curious whether cold water makes a big enough difference to mix colors more safely, or if separating them is still the better option regardless. How do you usually sort your laundry at home? I'd appreciate practical advice based on what has worked for you.

I just used FEBU for the first time yesterday. It made the majority of my clothes feel amazing so far. The shirts are so incredibly soft and fluffy like organic cotton feels. Does anyone know if this feeling goes away, do you get used to it feeling so good you no longer register it?

I had this same experience when we bought a new washer a couple years ago. Almost everything felt so soft and fluffy initially. However, after awhile I didn't notice that amazing feeling anymore.

I experienced this same feeling again when I first started using Down Rinse and Refresh. The fabrics felt so soft and fluffy, but eventually I didn't notice it anymore. I wonder if I just got used to it?

I recently picked up a new Carhartt OG Detroit Jacket, a washed blue colour. When I opened the parcel up, I was hit with a strong industrial smell, a bit like a glue or chemical type of smell. I've tried leaving it outside a few days but that hasn't worked. Just tried soaking it in baking soda for 8 hours but the smell is still there. I'm trying to do a wash of it with vinegar to see if that works. Any ideas on how I could remove that smell?

Hey all. This sub has been another one of those delightful Reddit surprises— how in the world did I ever manage not to know about enzymes and spa day? An eye-opener and home-freshener for sure. But it made me think of a question.

When people in the old, old days washed clothes, did they have a folk version of enzymes?

I'm curious to know how (or whether) people dealt with lipids and eDNA before laboratory chemistry.

I have a white button up shirt I want to alter and wear for a cosplay, but theres this pesky oil stain right on the front I've procrastinated on removing for maybe months now and im wondering if theres any hope! Im really hoping to save this because I can't get a another one anytime soon 😓

Can anyone identify what these stains are?

It (fleece sweatshirt) came out of the wash with these, nothing else was affected.

I've tried a stain remover (Sard) and rewashed. It may have lightened them slightly.

Best guess is a pen was forgotten in a pocket, but we did not find one, so.

Thanks in advance!