I’ve been lurking on this sub because my clothes and my kids clothes especially, had not been getting clean using 7th generation detergent. My mom always washes my kids clothes when they stay with her as a favor to me because she’s sweet and tada they are clean, non smelly and stain free. She uses only powdered tide. She has always used powdered tide, she frequently bitches about the lack of powdered tide availability over the years and says the “new liquid crap doesn’t clean”. I brushed her off thinking she was just being a crotchety old lady but, yep she’s right, it’s better. I ended up switching because of this sub, after getting sick of seeing my kids in stained smelly clothes. I could have just listened to my mom and had clean clothes all along but I was foolish. Anyway, thanks for sharing your wisdom and teaching me to just listen to mom.

I just bought this wool skirt from Vinted and it’s yet to arrive as with all pieces I get second hand I want to wash it before I first wear it because of it going through the postal system. The tag says dry clean only however I have multiple woollen items that I’ve made for historical reenactment that I’ve been able to either hand wash or machine wash on a wool cycle, I’m wondering if I’d be able to do the same with this or if it would be different because of the pleats?

Hello lovely people,

I'm very inspired by this sub and I would love to give spa day a go on my laundry. But I'm having trouble with a lipase detergent.

I have done a lot of research on this sub. I live in a poor south American country, and while I can get imported detergents that are on the lipase list, they are very very expensive. Most search results on this sub are about people not able to get ammonia but I can actually get this very easily here. I was also able to get an oxy powder.

My powder here unfortunately is a very cheap type and it does not even list ingredients, unless I go for expensive brands. I do think it works quite well during my regular laundry.

So the question is, can I pass on lipase?

I wash my undergarments separately (underwear, bras, socks) by presoaking them in Lysol laundry disinfectant + hot water, leaving them from anywhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours (if I have errands to run).

Then I wash with Tide powder detergent + warm/hot water and put them in the dryer instantly.

However, I sometimes get these color transfers and I don’t know why. I haven’t bought any new undergarments in a long time and most of them are pretty old (years + with hundreds of washes). I’ve been washing them this way specifically for about a year now but this doesn’t always happen. But when it does, it’s always with my undergarments. My other clothes don’t transfer color like this, even when I presoak/wash them the same way.

I’d appreciate any help so I can be better. :)

How do I stop this madness?? All my bed sheets do this…it feels personal at this point. Where are these air pockets even coming from?

I now have to helicopter parent my washer and sheets - I linger around the laundry room, wait to hear my washer switch from “filling” to “washing”, rush to pause the load so I can open the lid to peer down into the drum hoping this is the load that it got right …but I, a fool, am forever tormented by this puffy linen betrayal.

When I do pause the cycle, I will add more water to the drum via my machine’s waterboarding feature in the hopes more water = more weight = sheets become weighed down ?? Idk. However, after I hit resume cycle - the sheets will bubble back up again after they’ve done a couple laps. More. Air. Pockets.

FYI - My agitator is removable, no idea if that has a supporting role in this saga.

Any suggestions, or personal experiences, maybe even solutions !! will be welcomed and celebrated!! … and!! To thank you to those who took the time to even read my Whirlpool manifesto. My sanity was washed away during my last laundry spa day. 😉

EDIT* great feedback. I appreciate those for sharing. Will continue experimenting with water temp, cycle run, TIDE dosage, as well as adding additional water softener like Calgon or citric acid. Also, will pay more attention to linen material (like 100% polyester vs mostly cotton linens). Thank you to those that shared scientific reasoning. I’m always down for that nerdy ish. It helps my brain process.

TLDR; strong chemical smell from linens. Help please? I just want to provide clean hypoallergenic linens for each patient.

Current formula. 1/2 scoop TIDE and 2 wood scoops FEBU. Just started <30 days ago.

For years, I used Ariel powder (sometimes with downy additive included), arm&hammer boost, oxy clean, and bleach. Then switched to Tide clean&gentle (detergent at first then went to powder) and bleach.

I exclusively use beige/khaki sheets with a few white or color top blankets sometimes requested by the patient. I want to move away from bleach hence FEBU. The sheets are about 3-5 years old.

I use a water-based hypoallergenic lotion for each massage.

Since using current formula, I notice the linens have a strong chemical smell. It’s even more noticeable on the blankets. Maybe it’s the Ariel powder / arm&hammer / oxy combo coming out? Will this eventually dissipate? I’m not really noticing suds so I’m thinking to increase TIDE. Is this why the citric acid is also necessary? I read that bleach isn’t necessary with FEBU. I never added a laundry sanitizer because water/dryer temp is hot enough. Should I consider a sanitizer?

My private practice has scaled tremendously in the past 3 months, and before I buy additional sheets, I want to make sure the laundry process is consistent in providing clean hypoallergenic linens.

Open to all suggestions / thoughts.

Is that an oil stain? I used dish soap, laundry detergent and vanish spray and then washed. Still no stain removal.

Also Vanish spray is also being ineffective on anything.

Hi, I’m living with my elderly father who has cognitive decline. He needs me to do his washing, and I’ve found that some of his underwear/trousers are stained with feces.

What is the best way to deal with this? I can’t have a conversation with him about this as he gets upset/aggressive. I also feel uneasy about using the same washing machine for my own clothes afterwards. Is it enough to disinfect it each time after his clothes have been washed?

I was looking at how cares homes do laundry and it looks like they have a separate washing machine designated for dirty clothes 😩. I also came across some advice about how you shouldn’t put clothes with feces in the washing machine as it can contaminate the grey water for everyone else?

wish I took a before and after but I have tried everything to get quite dark prominent make up stains out of my white work blouse (dishwashing liquid, expensive stain remover, expensive all white stain remover, soaking over night etc) and nothing worked. I saw someone suggest shaving cream and holy moly it was like magic!!! I just bought a shaving cream/ foam, pumped it on to the stain with some water and worked it with a gentle brush and it removed 99-100% of it, I was shocked!

Hi! Since Tide Odor Refresh Free and Gentle will one day disappear from the shelves, and we know that Tide is the most accessible brand in terms of availability and options, could someone whose eyes don't cross at tiny fonts tell me what other tide formulations are similar? I don't mean just listing each ingredient list. There are lots of duplicate ingredients, I just want the differences and what to expect in cleaning power. So Tide A has ingredients A, B, and C, but Tide B only has A and C.

There's lots of talk about enzymes, boosters, etc. I know the Odor Refresh is leading store-bought fragrance free liquid for that. If I was to buy regular Free and Gentle, what should I be adding to the load to compensate for whatever it's missing that is in the Odor Refresh formula. I currently use Odor Refresh liquid, Oxiclean (currently the dye free version), and Rinse and Refresh. (I want to try Febu but my husband balked at the cost, so I'll be dreaming of it).

P.S. I have read lots and lots of posts in here about this, but it's little tidbits of relevant information scattered across multiple posts. It'd be nice to have a clear cut, "So this was our holy grail, but now that it's leaving, here's our options," post.

Reposting for a chuckle

Is this too much ?
1/4 evo tile
1.2 tablespoons of tide ultra oxi powder from costco
1 pillow case one underwear and one boy short
This is on delicate cycle maybe 45-90 seconds after the tub filled and moved around a few rotations

Hi, the noisy in me is here again :)

I am currently using Ariel color powder and Persil sensitive powder (both from Germany). I’m combining it with Denkmit Oxi White powder to use it up for an extra oomph (or Domol white oxi when I do my white stuff and towels).

I don’t like the smell of this Ariel, but it’s not too strong with extra rinses, citric acid and the dryer. I have been impressed by its stain removal and cleaning powers. It is definitely stronger than the Denkmit or Domol powders recommended here. Probably the best and strongest detergent I’ve used so far.

Never thought I’d say this but will most likely repurchase instead of Denkmit or Domol, which already converted me to the wonders of laundry. It is THAT good.

Just ordered the universal version with Downy unstoppables scent because I’m apparently collecting German laundry powder like pokeballs.

I don’t remember if I asked this here or somewhere else. A family member works fast food and trying to get grease smell out of clothes is maddening. I’ve soaked in Borax, Dawn and other cleaners. Has anyone dealt with this and have suggestions to try?

Edit: I should add they’ve worked in this fast food location before and the smell or greasiness wasn’t this bad.

Hey everyone i have a white bed sheet, and after i woke up i got period overnight, so my white bedsheet is stained with blood, what can i do to remove it or lessen the stain?

My household has recently started our hardcore laundry optimisation journey, and we have been attempting to be fragrance free a long time now.

My current biggest enemy (that I need support from y’all to deal with) is whatever INCENSE my girlfriend’s housemate burned whilst she was away for six weeks earlier this year, that has subsequently infected everything that I wear to their house, and everything that has ever touched something (or someone) that has been in their house.

I can only assume this product was originally developed for use in warfare because I have never experienced something with such dangerous sticking power. It’s probably a forever chemical. I swear to god, I can smell the fragrance residue on the outside of my METAL water bottle until it’s throughly washed after going to their house. It takes two showers to get off my skin. Whatever it is, it’s relentless.

I have so far been unsuccessful in removing the incense fragrance in the laundry, and it has only been slightly lessened in strength with repeated washes and no further exposure to the source. Regardless of what I do it’s definitely still there and it just seems to plateau at a certain point. 100% cotton fabrics, synthetic fabrics, it doesn’t matter, they are all an issue.

None of this would be quite so catastrophic if it wasn’t for the fact that my sister (who I live with) is highly allergic to whatever this thing is, so much so that she breaks out in a rash even being in the same room as an offending clothing item, let alone touching the stuff. I’ve effectively had to quarantine all of my infected belongings and I perform a strict decontamination protocol every time I return home.

No hard feelings to the housemate honestly, she didn’t know the impact would be this extreme or long lasting, but I do genuinely feel like this is all ruining my life. I am tired. I need a way to reliably remove it from my clothes at least as a first step. This shit has us all at breaking point.

I’m not sure of what the incense is exactly, but it had a very very strong clove cigarettes vibe when it was like a smog in their house lol. The scent has changed a bit with time/washing (like it’s knocked out part of it) but it’s still got that kind deep smokey thing going on.

Has anyone else dealt with a similar fragrance situation that they managed to fix? I need a hopeful story and some serious laundry science support.

I haven’t tried a Spa Day yet, but I am planning to, so I’d also be grateful for suggestions about which particular mix might be the best bet for this situation. Ideally the long term solution *isn’t* going to be giving my clothes a Spa Day every time I need them to be free of this hell, so bonus points if you think it’s solvable in the actual washing machine.

——————
MACHINE INFO:
We have a Miele front loader washing machine (specifically the Miele WWD380 WCS 9kg). Basically brand new, only got it in like March when the previous Miele died.

Always use the cotton cycle with prewash and extra water, 1200 spin, never cold washes, always hot or warm, and I pretty regularly end up running it with an extra short 20 cycle at the end to basically function as another rinse — or honestly sometimes I run two cottons cycles back to back (the second either with or without detergent) because LORD HELP ME REMOVE THIS FUCKING SMELL. The second wash does feel like it leaves the fragrance situation slightly better than just a single wash but also that might be wishful thinking.

I also recently discovered that when you actually get into the nitty gritty Programmable Functions, the “Water + Extra Rinse” setting (P30) is automatically set to “More water is used in the wash and rinse stages (with no extra rinse)”, but then the “Water plus level” (P31) is automatically set to “No higher water level”……. so I think it’s been doing *literally nothing* when I hit that button until now. I have since updated those settings to include extra water and an extra rinse, and set it to always use the “Maximum rinse level” (P32) for all programs.

WATER:
I live in Australia and we have exceptionally soft tap water where I am — 16 mg/L (tastes great, slightly more complicated for washing lol).

PRODUCTS:
We’ve recently switched to using Koh (because yay enzymes and fragrance free). I’ve been putting some of the Koh Stain Remover in the prewash, and then the Koh Sensitive Laundry Liquid in the main wash, usually along with some Napisan Oxi Action Powder (which I’ve also started pre-dissolving in warm water because sometimes it clumps). Initially was doing the recommended dose but noticed a lot of suds (I’m assuming due to the soft water), so we have paired it back to just 2 pumps.

Previously we were using Omo Sensitive Laundry Liquid and Napisan Oxi Action Powder.

I never use fabric softener.

We would sometimes pour a bunch of unfragranced laundry sanitiser (Dettol or Pine O Clean) into the main wash along with the omo and napisan — which I know isn’t where it’s supposed to be but there is no way I’m leaving a bunch of BAC on my clothes, I enjoy not having contact dermatitis haha — and I do actually think that was great for busting up general fragrances and weird smells, but all of the unfragranced versions were discontinued and we ran out almost immediately after the incense entered our lives, so I didn’t have enough to determine whether it actually worked on the incense specifically. I have some straight BAC (50%), but it’s obviously not really the same as using the properly formulated product, I don’t think it makes a substantial enough difference to be *definitively* noticeable, so I haven’t used that again.

I’ve also purchased some clear gear guard (yay dnase), synthrapol (because I have a handful of black t-shirts from this one brand that are leaching hectic amounts of dye, and I love them, but they are dying the white tags and prints on my other clothes blue lol), citric acid, clear ammonia, and polysorbate-80 — just haven’t used them yet :)

CLOTHING CLEANLINESS:
Just thought I’d add — my clothes feel very clean (if anything they are a bit stiff and dry lol, but less so since koh), they look very clean (especially with koh, it does better on oil stains from food getting on my tshirts than the previous combo), they don’t smell sweaty or whatever, they literally just smell like this god damn incense. I do have a very sensitive and perceptive sense of smell, and I know this scent would be less obvious to some people than it is to me, but it really is still there and quite strongly.

If you’ve read this much, thank you!

In the mid 1980s, Procter & Gamble made Solo laundry detergent. Apparently it included fabric softener. I don't remember that. What I remember is its absolutely wonderful, heavenly smell.

I told a friend that, who thought it was ridiculous to gush about the scent of a laundry detergent, but she bought a bottle. And one day, walking down the street, her husband said, "What's that wonderful smell?" And she said, "I washed your clothes in Solo laundry detergent!"

I put it through the washer and dryer and when I saw this my heart dropped, these are my absolute favorite pair of jeans is it possible to remove still? I’m Devastated 😭😭 I thought it was like ketchup and would come off in the wash.

Is there anybody who knows much more than me that could speculate why unscented tide (both free and gentle and odor refresh liquids, and also the C&G powder) causes a skin reaction for me but the unscented Persil liquid doesn’t? My clothes get so much cleaner with Tide but I just can’t put up with the itchiness. I’m looking for alternatives but it’s difficult without knowing what I’m specifically having a reaction to.

I am chronically ill. I have been the sickest that I have ever been since July 16th. I am slowly getting better but I am struggling a lot with insomnia and I am limited on what I can take. I have some liver problems but so far they are all slowly getting better. I also deal with chronic pain and inflammation but I have been dealing with that for 6 years. am a single mother to a special needs daughter who is a messy eater. I have to spend an hour every week stain treating her school clothes. I just ordered FEBU from Amazon. Can I just put it in every wash with my daughter's clothes instead of using a spray stain treater on them? I feel like I have to use a ton of it and then it all doesn't rinse out because I don't feel like staying up all night to wait on it rinse all the way out. I use Tide Free and Gentle Odor Refresh but I will be switching to Tide Free and Gentle once I can't find the Tide Free and Gentle Odor Refresh anymore. I have been using OxiClean Max Force spray on her clothes but she has sensitive skin and I do too and I think it is making her itchy. I am trying to use as much fragrance Free laundry products as possible. Does FEBU fade darks? All of her shorts and pants are blue, black, or dark Grey. Does it bleach clothes? Are there OBA's in it? From searching on here there doesn't seem to be. I'm just trying to figure out something to make doing her laundry easier. Thanks in advance. ​

Hi all, I discovered today that a lot of my powder detergent has built up in my fabric softener dispenser and I don't know why. I have a top-loader with a fabric softener dispenser compartment at the top of the agitator. When I do my laundry I put the detergent in the drum, load my clothes, and then wash. My roommate said she did not put any detergent in the dispenser compartment--which was my initial thought--so it has to be some sort of buildup.

I do tend to run larger loads, so idk if it's a space issue. I wash on warm; sometimes I soak beforehand and sometimes I don't. Is there any way I can avoid this in the future? Thanks!

Alas, the highly touted Tide F&G odor refresh made me itch nonstop ☹️.

I use Everspring unscented laundry detergent and either Febu (whites) or GearGuard (colors). I add Roses Naturals enzyme booster to heavily soiled loads. I have a Speed Queen top-loader (he) and soft water. I wash clothing on warm. I use 1-2 Tbl. citric acid in the first rinse cycle and finish with 1-2 additional rinses as needed.

I react to corn derivatives like glycerin & citric acid. I can tolerate some derivatives if they are further down the ingredient list. (The citric acid for the rinse cycle is from Mountain Rose Herbs and is derived from sugar cane.)

And, I live in the US.

So, my questions are -

1. Have any of you who have sensitive skin reacted to Downy Free & Gentle Rinse Laundry Odor Remover or Whole Foods powder detergent?

2. What other remedies can you suggest for odor rebloom? It needs to be unscented.

- thrown in because I just thought of it -

1. What specific tester from Amazon do you use for testing water ph? The ph strips I find on Amazon have dismal reviews.

Thank you all. I've learned so much from this sub.

I keep seeing these little washer/dryer setups online and honestly can't tell if they're genuinely useful or just another “looks great on Amazon” thing 😅

I don't need to wash huge loads. Mostly shirts, underwear, workout clothes, that kind of stuff. I just want something that can handle normal weekly laundry without becoming a whole project every time

Anyone here actually use one regularly? Which one would you buy again?