Laundry Problems and Solutions
The tips below will help solve several common problems when you use a washing machine and clothes dryer. However, before using any laundry product or washing an item, read all labels to ensure the product is safe for the material. Follow the instructions for proper cleaning, wash water temperature, cycle type, drying methods, etc. When using a stain remover, check for colorfastness to make sure it won’t cause colors to bleed. Apply it to a small, inconspicuous part of the item before treating it fully.
Your Laundry Doesn’t Come Out Clean
Sometimes your laundry just isn’t as clean as you expect it to be after washing. First, consider your laundry detergent. Whether you’re using a liquid laundry detergent, a powder or capsules, make sure you’re using the right amount.
- Using too little laundry detergent doesn’t allow your washing machine to give your clothes a deep clean. The cleaning agents in laundry detergent are designed to bind with dirt and oils and pull the grime away from the fibers so it can drain out of the washer during the rinse cycle. If there’s not enough detergent to bind with the dirt in the laundry, clothes will come out of the wash still looking and feeling dirty.
- Using too much powder or liquid laundry detergent hinders the action of garments rubbing together during the wash cycle to remove dirt from the fibers. Adding too much detergent can leave deposits on your clothes that keep them from looking bright and clean and make them uncomfortable. And, excess laundry detergent collects in your washing machine, trapping dirt and odors that can affect your next loads.
Bleach can help your laundry detergent get clothes clean. Just make sure you’re using the right kind for your fabrics.
- For chlorine-bleach-safe clothes, you can add standard bleach to your laundry along with your detergent. Depending on the recommended concentration you use, the bleach will help sanitize, remove stains and keep your whites bright.
- For clothes that aren’t safe for chlorine bleach, you can also find laundry boosters and oxygen bleach or non-chlorine products that work with your laundry detergent to help remove dirt and stains.
You Have Hard Water
Mineral deposits from hard water can cause your laundry to look dull, feel rough and collect dirt and grime.
- Look for a heavy-duty detergent designed to bind with the minerals and prevent them from collecting on your clothes and linens.
- You may need to use more of a standard laundry detergent to keep the minerals away and get clothes clean.
- To reduce hard water before it reaches your laundry, consider installing a water softener. Learn about the different options in our water softener guide.
Your Clothes Become Yellowed
If you notice your white items begin to yellow over time, laundry detergent alone likely won’t solve the problem, but the right type of bleach can help.
- Soaking whites in a solution of oxygen bleach and water can restore the original bright white look. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for mixing the solution and soak the items overnight. Wash them as normal with laundry detergent, using the highest a temperature acceptable for the fabric. Depending on how dingy the items are, you may need to repeat this process.
- For a chlorine-bleach-safe laundry item, mix a solution of chlorine bleach and water using the ratios specified on the bleach label. Soak the item for a maximum of 5 minutes. Next, wash the clothes, with detergent and bleach according to the product instructions at the highest safe water temperature.
Your Laundry Is Stained with Dye
If you accidentally wash light laundry items with darker items (particularly if the dark items are new) dye may transfer to the lighter items, leaving them with an undesirable tint. Deal with the problem as soon as you discover it and before you dry the items.
- For a colored item that picks up an unwanted tint, rewash it with oxygen bleach and laundry detergent in cold water. If the dye remains, soak the item in a solution of water and oxygen bleach according to the manufacturer’s instructions for as long as 8 hours. Once the unwanted color is gone, rewash the item as normal.
- It the laundry item is white, check the label to see if there’s a caution against using chlorine bleach. If the item is bleachable, you can try to remove the tint with a solution of three tablespoons of bleach mixed into a gallon of water. Soak the item in the solution for up to 5 minutes. It the color is gone you can rinse the item thoroughly or run it through a regular wash cycle. It may take several soak and wash routines to remove the unwanted tint sufficiently, but don’t let the item soak for longer than 5 minutes each time.
For spot treatment of different types of stains, you can find liquid and spray-on stain removers. Be sure to match the stain remover to the stain and the fabric. There are products for removing tough stains such as tomato sauce, grease, blood, ink and more. We also have a how to with instructions for getting rid of common types of laundry stains, including tips on using some do-it-yourself stain removers.
You Notice Excessive Wear
If you notice your laundry is showing more wear than it should after washing, liquid fabric softener may be a solution.
- Fabric softener, also known as fabric conditioner, helps reduce the friction that can cause premature wear of fibers as clothes and linens rub together.
- Fabric softener can also help reduce wear in the laundry by maintaining colors and helping reduce stretching.
There Are Lingering Odors
If your clothes still smell bad after washing, the problem may be the result of deposits in the washer that trap odors.
- Use the correct amount of laundry detergent and fabric softener.
- If you have a high efficiency (HE) washer, make sure you’re using HE laundry detergent. This type of washer and detergent work together to clean your clothes with fewer suds, resulting in less detergent deposit and less odor.
- If laundry detergent or softener deposits are causing odor problems, remove them with a washing machine cleaner.
- Adding scent boosters to your laundry is another way to get odor out of clothes.
- Once the clothes come out of the wash, you can use an odor-eliminating fabric freshener or deodorizer to keep them smelling great.
The Clothes Still Need Work: Wrinkles, Lint and Static
Even if your laundry comes out clean, bright and smelling fresh, you might find your clothes still need some effort to make them presentable. Static electricity makes clothes uncomfortable to wear and attracts dust. Wrinkles and lint simply make freshly-laundered clothes look untidy. There are several ways to get static out of clothes and reduce lint and wrinkles.
- Dryer sheets and fabric softener are two options for fighting static and lint. These products also condition the clothing fibers to reduce wrinkles and make your clothes more comfortable.
- Dryer balls are an alternative to sheets and fabric softeners. They reduce static, soften clothes and are available without the scents and chemicals that dryer sheets and fabric softeners use.
- You can find touch up sprays that treat clothes for wrinkles and static after you take them out of the dryer.
Make Sure the Solution Fits the Fabric
There are many different types of laundry detergents, laundry treatments and stain removers available and there may be many different types of materials in your clothes and linens. Keep in mind: all products aren’t compatible with all fabrics.
For example:
- You shouldn’t use chlorine bleach with items that contain spandex, polyester, nylon, wool, leather, silk or mohair.
- While it’s safe for many colored fabrics, don’t use oxygen bleach with wool, silk or clothes with wood buttons.
- Fabric softeners and dryer sheets aren’t suitable for use on items with moisture-wicking, absorbent, flame-resistant or water-resistant properties. The product will reduce the effectiveness of these features.
- Some stain removers aren’t suitable for some fabrics and dyes and can cause them to bleed or can lighten the color.