I often hear desperation in your voices when it comes to laundry problems. It’s as if you feel like you’re the only one in the world with these issues. Well, let me assure you, you’re not! The same questions come up time and time again. So today I thought I would tackle some of the most common laundry problems we all have, and how to solve them.

How Do I Keep My Whites White Without Using Harsh Chemicals?

I know, the frustrating yellowing of white towels, socks, etc. It’s enough to make you grab for the bottle of bleach. Besides not wanting that stuff to run off into the environment, did you know that overuse of bleach can cause yellowing over time?

Look no further than your kitchen for a solution to keep your whites looking white. Simply add 1/2 cup of kosher salt to the wash to help whiten whites. (Incidentally, this can also help set new colors that might otherwise run.) If it’s yellowing whites that you’re trying to whiten back up again, follow the instructions on a container of oxygen bleach (which is much gentler to the environment) and add some to your next washing cycle. For yellowing armpits on white t-shirts, make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, and apply it to the stain with a toothbrush (both inside and outside of the shirt). Let it sit overnight, then rinse and launder the shirt as usual—this is one of our favorite laundry hacks.

laundry liquid into machine

Laundry Detergent: Am I Using Too Much, or Too Little?

For some reason, people worry about this issue. My advice is, don’t overthink it. If you have a front-loading washing machine, just load it up, close the door, and use that porthole window as your guide. If the laundry is stacked halfway up the window, then you have a medium load. Look inside the cap of your detergent and choose the middle notch as an indicator of how much detergent to add. If it’s just along the bottom of the window, fill to the lowest notch. If it’s stuffed in all the way to the top, use the highest notch.

Static Cling is Making Me Nuts!

Never fear, there are a few ways to reduce and even eliminate static cling. One is to hang clothes to dry, or at least hang your synthetics. It’s the friction in the dryer that causes the cling, and synthetics are the worst offenders. Just removing these pieces will “drop the charge” in your dryer for all the natural fibers tumbling around in there. Another method is to use dryer balls. They reduce friction and fluff up clothing so that there’s no need for fabric softener. Finally (and this is my favorite hack), pin a safety pin to something in the load that will be unlikely to tear—something sturdy like a towel or sweat sock. The pin will act as a lightning rod, attracting and absorbing all the static electricity so that the fabrics are left static-free. We actually have a whole article on how to eliminate static cling.

towels and washcloths

My Towels Smell Funky!

Towels are notorious for this problem, and it’s easy to see why. We often leave them crumpled and wet for long periods of time. We overstuff the washer and dryer, so they may not really rinse properly and then dry properly. They hardly stand a chance since they tend to hang out in damp environments, like in humid beach houses and bathrooms. But don’t toss those towels yet! There is hope for saving them and restoring their fluffy sweetness. Run them through the washing machine twice, putting white vinegar in all the detergent-dispensing compartments of the washing machine: the bleach one, the detergent one, and the softener one. Temperature doesn’t matter here.  You can go ahead and choose cool for your colorful beach towels, and hot (or whatever you like) for your white bath towels. Dry as usual, or hang them outside on a hot, sunny day.

I Want to Ditch Fabric Softener, Won’t I Miss That Fluffy, Soft Feeling?

I hear you! But you’re wise to want to stop using fabric softener. They deposit waxy films on your clothing that can leave buildup. It is a totally unnecessary chemical (or actual trash item, in the case of dryer sheets) that are released into the environment. I’ve been adding a cup of white vinegar to my laundry in lieu of fabric softener for years and I’ve never looked back! And don’t worry about a vinegar smell—not only does the vinegar wash away cleanly so that there’s no aroma of vinegar, but it also neutralizes any other odors.

Where in the Universe Do My Socks Go?

If you’re fed up with matching socks back together after a load, or if you have one of those infamous sock-eating dryers, you’ll love this fix. You know those mesh bags that you usually use for washing delicates? Get one for every member of the household. When it comes time to do a load of laundry, just stuff all the socks into each person’s respective bag, and wash and dry as usual. The socks come clean without ever getting separated from each other. #winning

women with laundry

I Feel Like My Clothes Just Haven’t Been Coming Clean Lately.

There are a number of causes for that dinginess that sometimes starts to plague your laundry, so instead of giving you a single fix, I’ll help you troubleshoot.

First off, you want to make sure that your washing machine itself is clean and not stinky. You can’t get dirty clothes clean in a dirty washing machine. Add about 2 cups baking soda to an empty washing machine, run your machine’s self-clean cycle or if it doesn’t have one, just a long hot water cycle. Then run a second cycle adding 2 cups of white vinegar and 10 drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil. The oil helps to combat mildew and remove mineral deposits. Then, soak a clean cloth in white vinegar and wipe down the inside of the machine. Don’t forget the gasket on a front-loader. Finally, wipe down the insides of the detergent dispenser, using a cleaning toothbrush as necessary to scrub any clinging grossness clean.

Another culprit in dingy clothing is your detergent dosage. It can be from too much, too little, or from using the wrong kind. I often see this complaint in people who have recently switched to a high-efficiency washing machine. This is for a few reasons. First, be sure that you are using a detergent that is approved for an HE machine—just check for the symbol on the packaging. Second, keep in mind that a much smaller amount of detergent is necessary for these HE machines. Don’t, out of habit, toss in that cupful that you’re used to using! It’s a good time to double-check the package instructions and make sure you’re not overdoing it.

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Melissa Maker is an entrepreneur, cleaning expert, founder of Toronto’s most popular boutique cleaning service, and star of the Clean My Space channel on YouTube (but she still hates to clean!). Every week, Melissa delivers new videos dishing expert advice on cleaning products, tools, DIY substitutes, and practical, timesaving solutions to everyday problems. Melissa has appeared on the Today Show, and has been featured in InStyle, Real Simple, and Better Homes and Gardens.

19 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Melissa,

    Thanks for the tips. Something I am finding since getting our Electrolux HE washer is that it seems quite rough on our clothes. I am finding my new clothes to pill very easily. I thought it could be the low water levels and high spin speeds which are contributing to this. It is making me consider going back to a old school top loader washer. Have you ever experienced this or have any tips on this?

    Thanks!

  2. Great tips.
    The cleaning of towels is gonna be useful for me. I still doubt about vinegar smell after wash, but let me try it first.
    Thank you Mellisa.

  3. Great tips, especially for white clothes. Lots of time I was very confused and in fear when cleaning white clothes. But now I using your tips and its work very well and then easily press my clothes without hesitation. Thanks, Melissa.

  4. It’s good to know more about laundry cleanings. I like how you said that we don’t have to overthink how much detergent to use. My wife worries about everything, so I’ll tell her that the soap doesn’t super matter.

  5. Melissa, I love all that you and Chad provide for all of us that need HELP. This may sound weird but I have had an issue with my husbands dark colored clothing. I had an old type washer (now dead) and every time I did his dark clothing they would come out with excessive white lint looking streaks and patches. It comes off with masking tape or the dryer, which is why I called it lint (?). After the washer bit the dust, I purchased a HE washer that doesn’t have an agitator in the middle and changed to HE detergent and they STILL come out with it. I wish I had thought and taken a pic but I am at a loss. With warmer weather I hang my clothes out side so it would be nice if I could figure out what I’m doing wrong.

    • Hi Sandy. Thanks for the kind words! These streaks likely indicate one or both of the following: you’re using too much laundry detergent or fabric softener (always use the amount recommended for your load size and machine); your washer needs a deep clean (check out my guide to cleaning a washing machine here). Hope this helps!

  6. Great tips, Melissa!! this is so helpful. Most of the time I send my clothes to the laundry however a few instances when I do wash them myself they don’t feel clean. So i am definitely going to try your trick of cleaning the machine with baking soda. Also, mesh bag and socks why didn’t I think of that earlier. Thanks for sharing this

  7. I really appreciate your tip to get a mesh bag that you can put all of your socks in so you don’t lose any. My son is going off to college soon and he is worried that he will have to keep on buying socks if he loses them. I will be sure to tell him that the only thing he will have to buy is a mesh bag for his socks!

  8. When you say run your washing machine empty and add vinegar or bakeing soda, do you mean Into The Drum??
    Thanks

  9. I am wondering how you would add a cup of vinegar to a front loading washer. The compartment for fabric softener does not hold a cup. Do you just add the vinegar to the tub before loading?

  10. Hi Great tips but can you tell me where to add the vinegar for softness is it with the wash cycle or where you would add softner ? xx

  11. Love your videos and articles. My family’s jeans and cargo shorts get stained with a yellow-orange rust like spots. Our machine is newer, our water softener works fine, I don’t dry them a full cycle (just enough to soften & take out wrinkles, then I hang them to dry) and I change detergents frequently. We don’t notice the spots on other clothes or fabrics. Any suggestions what might be causing this? Thanks!

  12. What’s going on with my pillow cases. Never use to have a ugly yellow spot where we lay our heads but now I do? Is it because cotton has changed or our old age. Washing them every week and still this stain. Help.

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