Most Common Laundry Mistakes & How to Fix Them

3 Common laundry mistakes and simple ways to fix them

Moldy Washer

There’s nothing as lovely as the scent of freshly washed laundry… unless your clothes have been washed in a moldy washing machine. Excess moisture trapped in the gasket is where mold often grows, but with these simple steps, you can clean the mold and get back to fresh-smelling laundry!

How to clean mold from a washing machine

1. Purchase an anti-mildew cleaning agent or mix up a solution of hot, soapy water in a spray bottle.
2. Spray the cleaning agent over the mold on the rubber gasket and scrub it away! Protect yourself by wearing rubber gloves and a mask for this step.
3. Clean detergent and softener dispensers.
4. Run a hot, cleaning cycle.

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Dye bleeding

If you’ve ever taken your white load of laundry out of the washer to discover it’s now a pink load of laundry, you are well-acquainted with this laundry mistake. Instead of relegating all of the pink products to the trash can or the donation pile, try these tips to remove the stain:

1. Remove the culprit that caused the dye bleed and any items that weren’t affected.
2. Rewash the formerly-white clothing at the highest temperature according to the clothing’s care instructions with oxygen bleach according to the directions on the package for your washing machine type.
3. After the wash, check clothing for any residual stains.
4. Soak the discolored items in oxygen bleach for at least 8 hours.
5. Rewash.
6. Repeat if necessary.

Fabric softener and dryer sheet stains on clothes

We use fabric softener and dryer sheets because they add moisture to the wash and dryer, resulting in softer, less wrinkly clothes. However, the very nature of the chemicals in those products can leave unsightly grease stains. Clothes shouldn’t come out of the laundry with more stains than they went in with… but if they do, here’s how to fix it.

Fabric softener stains

1. Remove any excess fabric softener that’s dried on top of the clothing.
2. Use cold water to wet the area of the garment with the fabric softener stain.
3. Rub a little bit of laundry detergent into the stain. (Depending on the strength of the fabric, you can use a brush to scrub the area.)
4. Without removing the detergent, throw the item back into the wash with similar items on the highest advised temperature setting according to the item’s care instructions.
5. Remove stain-free clothing after the wash concludes!

To avoid stains in the future, be sure to never pour fabric softener directly on clothing.

Dryer sheet stains

Dawn dish soap has saved more than 75,000 animals over the past 30 years, proving their soap is strong enough to clean up tough oil and grease, while being gentle enough for animals… or your clothing.

1. Pour a small amount of Blue Dawn Dish Soap on the stain. Don’t use too much or your laundry room might just turn into a bubble bath during the wash cycle!
2. Rub the soap into the stain and let it sit for a few minutes.
3. Without removing the soap, throw the item back into the wash with similar items according to the item’s care instructions.

To avoid dryer sheet stains in the future, never mix the dryer sheet in with wet clothing. Instead, add directly on top of the laundry immediately prior to starting the dryer.

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Happy Laundering!