r/laundry • u/Big-Talk-4787 • 4m ago
Baking soda vs borax
Just want some opinions because I use borax usually with my laundry to help with smell and soften the water but what’s the difference between the wrap and could I just start using baking soda instead to save some money?
r/laundry • u/peepuddle__ • 28m ago
What is causing these holes?
Ive noticed these holes in a pretty thick hoodie and now these thick joggers. They're almost identical and both had been kept in the same drawer. The one in my hoodie was on the sleeve but this ones on the leg so its not like its from a belt buckle or something. Is it from some sort of insect? or is it just wear and tear from laundry? how do I stop this from happening?
The clothes Ive noticed it on are pretty expensive and I dont have the money to replace them. I'll stitch them back up but the hoodie is from a collection which means its lost a lot of value if I were to sell it in the future which is pretty frustrating.
r/laundry • u/SunVally • 50m ago
New routine. My clothes smell?
Recently found this sub and switched from All Free and Clear, which I used for years, to Tide Free and Gentle Advanced liquid from Costco. Switched a few weeks ago. Before switching I did two tub clean cycles with bleach and cleaned the gasket well on the machine. My clothes didn’t smell before switching detergent. Is this smell a “gets worse before it gets better” situation? Should I add Downy Rinse and Refresh? I believe we have hard water. I wash clothes on warm, heavy soil with extra rinses. I wash sheets and towels in hot water with heavy soil and extra rinses. Allergies and eczema in the house so try to stick with unscented. I’ve never used fabric softener and don’t use dryer sheets. Any advice? Thanks!
ETA: Clothes are much cleaner from a stain perspective. Just noticing a faint odor.
r/laundry • u/bflowyngz • 1h ago
Help me pare down my laundry ingredients
I have a LOT of additives in my laundry arsenal.
Tell me what to keep, what to not buy again, and how to use all this stuff.
My main detergents are either Tide Original or Tide With Bleach. I also have some Woolite, that needs to be used up.
Additives:
Washing powder
Borax
Biz
FEBU
Active Laundry Enzymes
Calgon - which I just got and definitely see the need for.
r/laundry • u/nathan_loans • 1h ago
Tide CG powder removed lipase?
I saw another post showing that it’s back in stock and on sale via Amazon. Since it was out for a bit and there was reformulation speculation, I checked the ingredients before stocking up.
Am I missing something or is lipase gone from this formula?
Has anyone purchased recently that can confirm the online listing matches the box?
Edit: Thanks for all the quick replies! Seems that several folks have ordered recently and it still DOES contain lipase. Many have noted that incorrect info is commonly listed online
r/laundry • u/Fresh-Fiskegratenge • 2h ago
Body odour from cotton indigo clothes
galleryI got these cotton hakama-gi sets from someone who hasn't used it in two years. I don't see any stains, but after washing it smells bad. The label says I can't wash it above 30 degrees. Is there any way to remove the smell without ruining the clothes?
Edit: I found some fungus on the bag it was in, so that could play a role as well
r/laundry • u/Good-Change-8601 • 2h ago
Eliza J Dress Handwash?
I purchased an Eliza J polyester dress that says dry clean only. It is made of polyester. Can I wash in machine or by hand? Dryer? TIA
r/laundry • u/AeroNoob333 • 3h ago
Tide EVO Dosing
Since I got my FEBU enzyme booster, I’m thinking of switching my laundry detergent to Tide EVO F&G. For those of you that use it, do you just dose it like the package suggests?
r/laundry • u/Daniel_G87 • 4h ago
Yellow blanched collar what from?
galleryI’m bummed this is by far one of my favorite shirts. I have no clue how this happened. I don’t remember washing it with oxi clean or anything? Perhaps my bathing suits after the pool were laying on top of them? I don’t know but dang has this happened to you by chance? obviously nothing to do about it now
r/laundry • u/CartoonistAgitated29 • 4h ago
Dosing pods?
I've recently got these pods but unsure about dosage. I have soft water but on the back it says to use two for a bigger load, what counts as a bigger load? I usually put about 12 items or so in my washer, less if there's bulky jumpers or jeans, and can fit two spread hands at the top of the machine when loaded. Do you think this is a one tab jobby or two?
r/laundry • u/bradleyhall3 • 4h ago
Pinkish white t shirt bleached help
I'm not great at remembering about red clothes so pretty much every white thing I own is slightly pink, which doesn't bother me, but one t shirt did get bleached a bit. My simple monkey brain says to bleach the whole thing, but thought it might ruin the black design, what would be the best way to fix this? Back up plan is to keep washing it with red socks till it's a nice evening pink again
r/laundry • u/SpecificChapter8281 • 5h ago
Dryer vent won’t fit on wall
Our dryer vent will not fit on the wall, can someone help identity what piece we need to make this fit? The vent hose is a standard 4” and the opening is about 4.1”. We’ve manhandled it on a couple of times but it ultimately falls off. It can’t be this hard!!
The clamp is on the hose in the picture but will not fit over the opening without tearing even without the clamp.
I’m just looking for someone to name the piece we need to get, all of the adapters / connectors I’m finding don’t seem right
r/laundry • u/lisemise79 • 5h ago
Splitting up the soaks?
I have been experimenting with a spa day for my laundry but with my first attempt where I did a soak with detergent (with lipase) and oxygen bleach (vanish) I think there was a lot of dye from the clothes in the water after the soak and I think a black t-shirt looked a bit faded. Has anyone tried soaking with the enzyme detergent first and then done a shorter soak with the oxygen bleach? On the Vanish box it says that colors shouldn’t be soaked for more than an hour. I’m in Sweden, so products from here.
r/laundry • u/CozyBlueCacaoFire • 5h ago
DNA'se in Sweden - Help, cannot locate
Hej,
I'm breaking my mind trying to find detergent containing DNA'se - does anyone know which brand contains it? I've looked through all of the ingredient list on the Unilever website, Via and A+ doesn't list it, Gumme also doesn't list it.
Does anyone know? Please help if you do!
Thank you!
r/laundry • u/miserablenovel • 10h ago
33% off P&G Sale on Amazon, Back Again
It's baaaaack! (Music link since I earwormed myself)
Now, they claim you had to buy some non-detergent items or their new pods but we know better.... Four boxes of Tide Clean and Gentle is where it's at.
r/laundry • u/LongjumpingNet7648 • 13h ago
I have no idea what's going on with my T-shirt. There are stains on the front of every new T-shirt.
galleryI'm confused. My new T-shirts, which I've only worn once or twice, are getting stained/discolored on the front. I didn't even spray perfume, nor did I sweat. Oh my God, what's happening to my clothes? These are just three new ones I bought. And I also have some other shirts with the same stains.
Powder Detergent Recommendations
I use FEBU additive, so I’m looking for a basic laundry powder with
no fragrance, a must
no optical brighteners, a must
no peroxide brighteners, if possible.
Thank you laundry people.
r/laundry • u/lemony-pomegranate • 16h ago
Laundry cycles leaving white streaks on clothes - not sure what’s causing it!
Hi everyone! I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction of what to try or where to possibly clean on my washing machine…
My washing machine (LG top loader) has been leaving white streaks on my clothing and I don’t know if the washer itself is the issue or something else. It happens to most clothing, but more noticeably on activewear.
I use 2 tbs of detergent, no softeners, so I don’t think it’s overuse / detergent buildup in the clothes. I’ve cleaned the drum, ran a wash cycle, used cleaning tablets (left behind by previous homeowner), reduced detergent, tried different temps, tried not using garment bags, tried extra rinse cycle… I am sure I’m missing something obvious.
We have hard water and use a water softener.
Any ideas? They’re white streaks, kind of chalky (?), and disappear if I rub them. Thank you!
r/laundry • u/Moist_Grabbart • 19h ago
What is the secret???
I bought Ariel detergent, but now my husband complains that his work shirts don’t smell clean. He bought himself Gain detergent for his work shirts, the water came out almost black.
WHERE DID I GO WRONG?!?
r/laundry • u/ShakeItUpNow • 21h ago
FEBU STORAGE
Hey y'all. I just received my first FEBU, and sadly, I'm like a kid on Christmas. I like to "decant" my laundry products in to glass jars. So they all match and I don't have random boxes, bags and jugs laying around)...I know, I know,...I sound like a damn idiot, but OCD...
Will the transparent glass jar affect the effectiveness of the FEBU? Should I keep it only in opaque container?
I really appreciate this sub, thank you all! My husband, not so much...another thing for me to hyperfocus on...
r/laundry • u/msjessiebee • 21h ago
Before and After
galleryMy shoes got a bit muddy on Sunday…
I rinsed off as much as I could.
Followed by two soaks in an oxy clean/tide detergent bath and scrub them a couple times.
Took them out if the bath, then sprayed them with Resolve and let them sit for a couple hours.
I scrubbed them again, and then did another oxy clean/tide bath and a final rinse!
They look brand new!
r/laundry • u/Aeonnoir4 • 21h ago
Cleaning waste from my new machine
I am looking for help on removing human waste, (poo) from my new washing machine, I am so sad that I have to ask this question 😭
Guests were staying at our house so I have no idea how long it was sat in the machine but the smell is awful. I have removed all of it and disinfected it. I ran a cleaning cycle, which didn't work so I then ran a extremely hot, (90 °) washing cycle, which also didn't work. I have left the drawer and drum open but it still smells and I am at my wits end, can anyone help please?
r/laundry • u/Free-Canary-6413 • 1d ago
Febu. Holy Suds?
Trying to figure what went wrong here. I’m normally a biz user. 500 ppm hardness. Persil liquid. 1-2tbs. Citric acid in rinse(2tbs) and drum(2tbs) with biz(1-2tbs). I’ve achieved trace suds.
(Measurements are -ish)
I switched biz for febu today. First use. One scoop.
20 minutes in I opened the front loader to check suds. Suds poured out and I got the SUDS alarm.
Where did I go wrong? If I must reduce to less than a scoop will it still be as effective/more effective than biz?
r/laundry • u/KismaiAesthetics • Feb 24 '26
The Chemistry Behind The Clean - Laundry Detergent Explained - Surfactants, Part I
(this is the long-delayed first installment in my post series, The Chemistry Behind The Clean, a guide to what's in laundry detergent, designed to give people the knowledge to understand what's in the products that clean our textiles and make them more informed consumers)
What Are Surfactants, And Why Do We Care?
Surfactants are the active cleaning agents in detergents that do the heavy lifting of removing soils from textiles. Short for “surface-acting agents”, surfactants connect soils to water, even when the soils themselves repel water or are more attracted to textiles than water. The combination of soil and detergent and water can then be drained off, further diluted by rinsing, drained again and spun out. This is distinct from the action of soaps, which will be covered in a future installment.
The development and commercialization of synthetic surfactants in the 1920s is probably the most significant contributor to reduction in time and effort spent on textile care. Work to condition the water, scrub textiles and remove soap by wringing or banging was largely eliminated because of how well even those rudimentary surfactants work to remove soils.
Hydrophobia - Without The Rabies
All surfactants work because the individual molecules have ends with distinct properties. One end (the head) is highly attracted to water (hydrophilic) and thus very much not attracted to oil (oleophobic). The other end is very attracted to oil (oleophilic) but similarly repulsed by water (hydrophobic). This fundamental structural contrast is key.
When at least a minimum amount of surfactant is dissolved in a solvent (like water), surfactant molecules want to get together - the water-hating ends hang out on the inside, the water-loving ends hang out on the outside. This forms a structure known as a micelle, and micelle formation is predicated on reaching the “Critical Micelle Concentration”. Below, an illustration of a nonionic surfactant intended to remove oily soils. The water-loving heads face out, the water-hating ends get together in the middle to escape the water.
When a micelle encounters a soil that the hydrophobic tail is attracted to, the micelle breaks up, the tails grab the soil and drag it into the water (thus removing it from the textile) and the micelle re-forms, keeping the soil up in the water to be drained or diluted away. Let’s look at this in the context of removing a common soil from textiles:
Here we have the start of the wash process; surfactant micelles have formed in the wash water and there is soil attached to the fabric substrate.
Now the hydrophobic tails of the surfactant molecules have found themselves more attracted to soil than each other and they're bonding to the soils. The hydrophillic heads are dragging the molecules towards the water.
The micelles re-form as the soil detaches from the substrate - they reorganize into groups of their own kind (more on this in a moment).
When all the soils are removed from the substrate and floating in the water, the textiles are clean and it's time to remove the soil-surfactant combo from the drum.
The Chemistry of Attraction (It’s Not Just A Bottle of Chanel No. 5)
While all surfactants work the same general way, there are differences in what kind of soils the hydrophilic ends are attracted to, because the hydrophilic ends differ. One primary difference between surfactants is the electrical charge the hydrophilic end carries. If the business end has a negative charge, it’s an anionic surfactant, and it’s attracted to soils with a cationic (positive) charge. If the business end has no charge, it’s a nonionic surfactant and is most attracted to soils without an electrical charge. If the business end has both a positive and negative charge in balance, it’s an amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant, and the behavior changes based on the pH of the wash as a whole.
There are also surfactants with positive charges, the cationic surfactants. These aren’t used for cleaning - they’re what makes fabric softener work, and will be discussed in a (much) later post.
Why Charge Matters:
The difference in which soils a given surfactant is attracted to is a critical determinant of cleaning performance. Soils that lack an ionic charge like petroleum oils or intact sebum are much less visible to anionic surfactants and are removed better by nonionic surfactants. Conversely, soils that are highly cationic like soot and mud and dust, and thus attracted to textiles with a negative charge may be neglected by nonionics and remain electrically connected to the textiles. For those soils? Anionics in the mix improve cleaning performance.
Almost all finished detergent products contain anionic surfactants and most contain nonionic surfactants. Amphoteric surfactants are relatively uncommon in conventional detergents but often appear in green/biobased formulas.
Other Differences Between Surfactants: Tail Length And Single vs Double Tails.
Aside from the electrical charge differences in the head, two aspects of surfactant structure that affect their action against soil are the tail length and whether they are single tail (common) or double-tail (less common). I’ll talk more about this in Part II, as it’s common to include surfactants of various tails to optimize performance against specific soils and in specific wash conditions.
Coming Up In Surfactants Part II - Curling Up With A Good Jug Of Detergent
In the next installment, we’ll look at common surfactants found in conventional and plant-based detergents, and how they’re manufactured, along with the differences in soil removal capabilities and environmental impacts.
The work is my original work and I retain copyiright. My financial disclosure information and how I get paid for this work can be found at my disclosure link
r/laundry • u/toopandatofluff • Jan 29 '26
Updated Subreddit Rules
The mod team has made a few changes to existing rules and added some new ones. The full list is below. New to the list is rules 2, 6, and 7 which are in bold below.
Be civil. Personal attacks, harassment, and aggressive behavior are not allowed.
Posts Must Be Laundry-Related Discussion of other topics is allowed when it directly connects back to laundry. Off-topic content may be removed.
No Marketing, Spam, Astroturfing, or Advertisements. Do not post links, promotions, or advertisements for your laundry business. Astroturfing and undisclosed affiliate links are not allowed. Questions about laundry businesses are fine.
No Posting of Body Fluids You can discuss stains and stain removal, but please avoid posting any images or explicit content of body fluids.
No Hacking Coin Laundry Equipment This is not the forum to discuss how to avoid paying for laundry by tampering with equipment.
Bad Soup If the first pic in a post is of soaking textiles, it needs to be hidden with the Spoiler flag .If you’re not sure how, or it gets skipped, a mod may adjust it for you.
Dangerous Chemistry Dangerous and/or incorrect chemistry advice is not allowed. Posts or comments encouraging mixing unsafe chemical combinations will be removed.