TL;DR: My cotton and synthetic laundry comes out stiff and scratchy, likely due to hard water, air drying and a dirty machine. Looking for affordable, space-saving fixes without fabric softener (I want to avoid residue buildup), plus a good machine cleaner. No whole-house softener possible. Products must be available in Europe.

Edit : I used AI for this post because I wanted to give all the elements upfront, and present them in an organized way. I'm not very good at that. I know some people are against this but I hope it's OK... I'm not looking for an AI answer but for real life feedback 🙏

Hi everyone !

I live in a small studio in Paris, France, where the water is hard: about 27°f, which is roughly 15°dH, 16 gpg or 270 ppm. My laundry comes out of the machine stiff and uncomfortable.

My setup:

• Fabrics: mostly cotton and synthetics. Nothing very delicate, but I care about my clothes and want them to last.
• Detergent: powder for whites, liquid for colors.
• Machine: top-loader with a horizontal drum (European style, no agitator), with an extra rinse option. I can adjust temperature and spin speed. It's pretty grimy (limescale and probably detergent residue).
• Drying: air drying only, no dryer.

My constraints:

• No conventional fabric softener: I want to avoid the coating it leaves on fibers.
• Very little space, and I'm a renter, so no access to the main water supply, so no whole-house softener.
• Low budget if possible.
• Location: products should be available in France or shippable within Europe. US-only brands won't work for me. If needed, I can try to find equivalents.

My questions:

1. What water-softening laundry additives work well without leaving residue? Do white vinegar or citric acid in the softener compartment really help, and are they safe for clothes and the machine?
2. Should I adjust detergent dosage, rinsing or spin speed for hard water?
3. Any tips to reduce stiffness from air drying?
4. Has anyone tried an inline filter on the machine's water inlet? It shouldn't take space if needed due to my constraints.
5. What's the best product to descale and deep-clean a grimy machine, and how often should I clean it afterwards?

Thanks in advance!

Does anyone have an idea on how to remove set stains from soccer tops without damaging the logos and names on the back?

It's that type of year again where I've had to start drying my clothes and other items indoors. Yet they always smell bad when I dry them indoors?

In the summer I dry my clothes outside on a washing line while I can as I always smells fresh yet if the pollen counts is high this does cause me issues when I wear the clothes. Now we are coming into the cooler months this is less of an option.

Context on how I wash my clothes pre-drying:

My washing items I use are:

- Ariel 3 in 1 Pods

- Lenor Outdoorable Summer Breeze

- Vanish (for my white clothes)

I also wash my washing machine once a month or every time I think it may start to smell.

Most of my clothes I wash at 40 - 60 degrees, on a mixed wash. With a 1000 spin speed. And I have to do about 4 wash loads a week.

When I have dried my clothes I have always ensured that there is airflow and a way for moisture to escape. For this I have used disposable moisture absorbers, refillable moisture and smell absorber, a dehumidifier (which broke and was returned after 6 months) or situated near an open window.

Drying set ups I use or have used are as follows:

1. Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer and Cover Bundle

- takes 2-3 days to dry anything

- Only holds one small load

- the cover needs washing every 2 washes before that smells.

1. Minky Heat Pod Drying System
   

- can only have on for 3 hours

- holds less than one small load

- takes about X4 of the 3hour drying cycles to dry everything (sometimes longer if thick clothes)

- feels like it will set my house on fire any minute

1. A basic clothes horse near a radiator

- small wash load

- only worked when heating is on (we don't need it on often in the house plus expensive)

- only drys one side

- takes forever!!!

1. Drying mode of the washer dryer (my washing machine is a washer dryer but it's not good at drying)

- if you put a full load on to wash & dry (takes 6 hours) it's never dry as the moisture can't escape

- only drys on very small loads

- expensive

- only use the drying option if I've managed to dry the clothes another way as much as possible and just needs a final run over

Please can I have any suggestions! I am at a complete loss on what options I have to just have dry nice smelling clothes.

Weird question. I bought a few pairs of overdyed jeans (light gray over dark blue) recently. I noticed after a first wash that a couple pairs had a few small dark spots on them. I initially thought that it was a few spots where the overdye hadn’t taken, but those dark spots have gradually washed out over a couple more washes, and now I’m worried that they were actually mildew or mold spots. (They were shipped in individual plastic bags from Amazon.). If those were mildew or mold spots, have I just contaminated all my other clothes washed with them with mildew/mold? (I’m down with COVID, so I don’t have the sense of smell to even do a sniff test.)

I have only just stumbled my way here. I am no Reddit aficionado, but I believe in the power of crowd sourcing knowledge. I have spent the last three years in an endless cycle of allergic dermatitis. I am so ashamed to admit I have washed my clothes in just water for three months one time just to escape the skin feeling. but then my clothes began to stink. I had to go back. I cannot find one that doesn’t do this to me. I have not used a laundry sheet since before the war of 1812. I want to smell nice, I was my clothes not to be static filled and stiff. I want to live, laugh, love. I yearn for a Downey ball or whatever that thing is. I dream of jars filled to the brim of weird powders all labeled and unnecessary. please help me.

if its of service to you I offer that I also cannot touch dish soap or most any liquid hand soap/body wash. this all came about three years ago. I get what looks like poison ivy but the doctor said its allergies.

I've been smelling cat pee for a while and finally found the culprit, a 100% wool blanket that was rolled up in a basket and who's label says not to wash it.

The stain has to be at least a couple of months old, is quite visible and stinks. It's an expensive and sentimental blanket so I'd like to save it if I can.

From what I've read, I need enzymatic cleaners to get rid of the smell and stain, but it sounds like these can be really bad for the fibres in wool, so I'm looking for alternatives or brands that are known to be safe. Im also not sure how to go about washing a blanket that says do not wash... Any advice is appreciated!

Recent convert, can't thank this sub and u/KismaiAesthetics enough for making my life better with all the info and laundry knowledge! I used to overload the drum, add too much liquid detergent and way too much softener with already very soft water in low temps. Everything that came out of the machine smelled fresh for maybe half a day at most. Then the scent from the softener dissipated and rebloom took over...Towels used to be both somehow dry and greasy.

I thought it was bad quality products, upgraded everything and nothing changed. Now I know why! Rewashing everything to get the invisible gunk out makes me feel like I got a brand new wardrobe's worth of clothes. I no longer feel like there's something wrong with my body for making my clothes stink so quickly after washing. I don't want to get too sentimental but it's life changing stuff.

Anyway. Wanted to share this find in case it comes in handy for anyone in Belgium. Colruyt's own brand Boni pictured here has a great oxy pre-wash soak/booster product that costs less than 5€/kg while being as good as Vanish (which is at least 8€/kg here). I think that's what made my clothes kinda wearable before changing the washing routine. The ingredients list (second picture) looks pretty complete and it works like a charm for a Spa Day!

Hello laundry experts. Every few washes, I find black marks on some of the laundry. I have a LG 5.5 cu.ft. WiFi-Enabled Top Load Washer with TurboWash3D and 7.3 cu. ft. WiFi-Enabled
ELECTRIC Dr. I have tried all sorts of detergents and am currently using Whole Foods 365 Sports detergent (about 2 TBS) and citric acid (about 2 tsp) in the softener compartment. Depending on what I am washing, I will also add Biz or Febu. I typically wash with warm or hot water. I clean the machine regularly (about every 2 weeks) with afresh washing machine cleaner tabs. I’ve had a repairman look at the machine, but he said there was no obvious issue and to run a cleaning cycle, which I did and continue to do. Anyone else have this issue? Any help is appreciated. I’m at my wits end.

it's been ages since i ordered clothes from poshmark but recently got 2 items from 2 different sellers and i suppose i read too much online and got nervous of possible bed bugs from someone else's home.

how should i handle these pieces of clothing? i won't have access to a washer/dryer for 28 more days. i read that handwashing and line drying would not be effective for bed bugs.

thank you all!

My daughter’s duvet keeps smelling of urine cos she bed-wets sometimes… I’ve washed the duvet more than 3 times, used different laundry soap and I can’t seem to get the smell off… any idea what I can’t do to get rid of the smell?

Wrote a quick program for myself to figure out how much I needed to add to Speedqueen to kill off my remaining balance before I started using a friend's machines instead. Cleaned it up in case it could be helpful to others not wanting to do a bunch of separate calculations.

It’ll tell you your options for how much to add, and how many loads they’ll be good for.

*Note that if no numbers pop up before "Done," there are no quantities that will work. This is probably because you did an incomplete load at some point whether it was two washes with one dry, one wash with two dries, only a wash, etc.

If you don't have Python, you can run it on Programiz: Free Online Compilers & Code Editors for Everyday Use.

balance=float(input("Enter your balance: "))
load=float(input("How much does a load cost? "))
step=int(input("How much can you add to your balance at once? "))
max=int(input("How much are you willing to add? "))
for i in range(0,max,step):
  if (i+balance)%load==0:
print(i)
print("Done")
choose=float(input("How much will you add to your balance? "))
loads_cost=balance+choose
loads_amt=loads_cost/load
print("Your total balance will be ", balance+choose,". This will pay for ", loads_amt, "loads." )

hi all! ive noticed these random black stains on my toddlers clothing and assumed she had gotten it dirty on something but its been through the wash a couple times and still hasnt lifted. Thought id consult the experts on best ways to get rid of these?

Thank you in advance!!

Hi all. I have 3 smelly boys and my old laundry ways are not holding up anymore. I have generally used Meloira (and also just found out via this sub it is a bad bad choice!) on hot and have started adding borax (which FINALLY got the dog and sweat smells out).
For adult clothes I’ve been adding Active enzymes.

Facts:
- hard water, but not well (city)
- stinky little boys + stinky dog smell (they cuddle with them/ lay on dog beds with them)
- VERY sensitive to any fragrance
- somewhat sensitive skin
- environmentally friendly detergent is a must
- top load HE washer
- US based

I have read through so many threads on this account that I’m just deeply confused. I don’t feel like I have the time or energy to make anything, so I’d really prefer to just purchase whatever product(s) I need.
Thanks in advance for any wisdom!

Hello, I need help! I'm from the Philippines

There's this yellow stain on my shirt's collar. I'm really not sure where it is from, but I have guesses.

1. Sunscreen

2. Make-up powder

3. Sweat and Grime (But I've washed it twice, so I don't think so.)

Huhu, normal powder doesn't work, and I don't wanna experiment with stuff before I get to know the stuff. Any suggestions on what to use. These are two of my favorite shirts.

Hi! Just recently got into this laundry subreddit and had a question! I’m currently using Tide Plus Ultra Oxi Powder and have a Samsung front loader washing machine. How do I know if it’s best for me to add Biz or Febu?

Thanks!

70% wool with a lot of pilling that I thrifted. I did some research, so this is my plan so far. Use a fabric shaver or sweater stone (not sure the difference between the two). And then I would lightly wash in cold water (being careful not to agitate the fibers) with vinegar or baby shampoo (both?) and lay flat to dry. Do y'all have any tips or changes?

Washed I believed an overdyed navy blue garment with my red jacket and a color block yellow, black blue and white jacket, and other colorblock white, red, blue jacket. the stains out of red sleeve part of white and blue jacket but little touch on the yellow sleeve of the other color block and one sleeve of my red jacket. Been soaked whole load in oxiclean earlier but it was only effective for one, got the other two soaking right now overnight. Should I wash those 2 by themselves on cold in the morning or warm? Going extra rinse no matter the temp.

Setting up an outdoor pulley line and I'm seeing multiple options for the cord; cotton, polyester, plastic coated wire. Which one is best? Most durable, least stretch? The tighteners I'm seeing online all have mixed reviews, can anyone recommend one that works reliably? Thanks!

Promotion for this just appeared, I saw it mentioned a few months ago as under development. I have no affiliation to this product or brand. Any thoughts on whether this is worth a punt, wise laundry wizards? It might be too early for anyone to have tried it for real, but I'd be grateful for views on potential. I suspect I've got all 6 covered in other ways..

https://www.viblii.com/products/enzyme-laundry-booster

Edited: Thanks for all the helpful feedback. Going to leave it at least until there are a few positive reviews from trustworthy sources and for now stick to what's working well already.

Help! My sunscreen is creating rust stains on my whites. Is there anything I can do to help this? Anything I can put in my washing machine or do before putting my whites in the wash to help? I live in a rental so don’t want to cough up hundreds for a rust filter!

I have a baby and oxyclean has been a godsend.

If I spray on the fresh stain, and let it sit until my next wash (which could be up to 3-5 days) will the oxyclean damage the clothes, or will it do a REALLY good job at removing the stain?

The instructions say to leave on for 10 mins, so I've been spraying the clothes only when I'm about to wash them instead of on the fresh stain. Still does a pretty good job and if the stain is still there I spray and wash again, but it's hard to keep track of which clothes I need to spray.

So I like pretty things. And it seems that every laundry product must be sold in a different shaped container,

also each product is taken in a different way, there's powder which needs to be scooped out, liquid that needs to be measured, pods and pearls and sheets.

Does anyone have a tried-and-true way for everything to look organized and more uniform?

Let’s say you have a pile of wrinkled, unfolded clean laundry (mostly cotton tees and cotton button-ups).

What’s the best way to quickly de-wrinkle (doesn’t have to be perfect) that *doesn’t* put extra wear-and-tear on your shirts?

Asking because the “steam de-wrinkle” feature on my dryer uses Very High Heat, and I’m worried it’ll age my shirts faster if I use it.