Repairing 6 Common Laundry Mistakes

“The only people who don't make any mistakes are those who don't do anything.”

― Kelvin Wong Mistakes happen, unfortunately when it comes to laundry mistakes can happen a lot.  Here are a few of the more common mistakes people make with laundry and how to repair the issues.

Mistake #1 – Set Stains Once a stain has been dried it can be extremely hard to remove, but it may be possible to get it out. Try a bit of stain remover several times, once may not be enough.  Soaking the item may also be required for stubborn stains.   For white clothing/items use a bit of lemon juice on the stain and put it in the sun.  The combination of the leman and sun will work as a bleaching agent. Rinse items thoroughly and wash normally.

Mistake #2 – Dull Whites After time white fabrics can become grayed or yellowed and look dingy.  For seriously dull whites follow these three steps.

1. Soak in a solution of water and 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap and rinse.

2. Soak in a solution of water and 2 tablespoons of ammonia, rinse thoroughly.

3. Soak in warm water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar, rinse thoroughly. After soaking allow the item to dry, wash as usual.
   

Mistake #3 – Pink Whites Washing your whites with a misplaced red item results in what appears to be a catastrophe, but these pink whites can possibly be fixed.  Grab some Rit Color Remover and follow the directions.  Rit Color Remover should help removed the pink tint from your whites.

Mistake #4 – Washed & Dried Sticker Who hasn’t left the sticker on that new t-shirt and run it through the wash?  Any sticker that goes through a wash and dry cycle can result in sticky residue.  Grab an ice cube and “freeze” the stained area, then attempt to scrape away the sticker from the item with a spoon.

Mistake #5 – Shrunken Sweater Washing a natural fiber sweater in hot water or tossing it in the dryer will likely result in a ridiculously small sweater.  There is still hope for the item to return to normal size.  Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of hair conditioner to a bucket of room temperature water.  Soak for around 5 minutes.  Lay the item on a towel and gently pull to stretch the fibers while reshaping the garment to its regular size.  Leave to dry flat on the towel.

Mistake #6 - Mildew Smell Wet items that sit too long will start to smell.  Washing the items in the hottest temperature recommended for the fabric with chlorine bleach (for whites) or color-safe bleach (for colors) should help to remove the stink. Source:  The Spruce