u/ANbohemienne

My family wanted me to write out my laundry directions. Thought I would share

Let me know what you guys would change or add. Especially for the stain pre-treatments! Our "Liquid" detergent is Kirkland Ultra Clean, Free & Clear, which I am using up.

 

Delicates with silk or wool –

For: Silky fabrics, sweaters, satin, silk, wool, bamboo, viscose, Tencel

Washer Setting: Delicates (cold water) With Extra Rinse

Detergent: 1 full cap dirty labs hand wash

Booster: No

Color Catcher: Only if mixing colors

Citric Acid: No

Dryer setting: Cool air only or line dry

 

Delicates without silk or wool –

For: Bras, Swimsuits, synthetic silky or stretchy fabrics (not gym wear)

Put bras, sweaters and any garment with metal decorations in mesh bags

Washer Setting: Delicates (warm water) With Extra Rinse

Detergent: 1 full cap dirty labs hand wash

Booster: 1 scoop Febu

Color Catcher: Only if mixing colors

Citric Acid: No

Dryer setting: Cool air only or line dry

 

Colors

For: Cotton, Linen, Denim, Polyester and Lycra

Sort out any cold water only wash fabrics, sort into like colors (Red + Pink ) (Blue + Green) (Black + Grey) (Orange + Yellow)

Washer Setting: Permanent Press, With Extra Rinse

Detergent: Liquid

Booster: 1 scoop Febu

Color Catcher: 2

Citric Acid: Yes, 1 scoop dissolved in water in softener tray

Dryer Setting: Permanent Press, More dry

 

Whites – Warm Water

For: Cotton, Linen, Denim, Stretch Polyester and Lycra

Washer Setting: Normal, With Extra Rinse

Detergent: 1.5-2 scoops (depending on load size)  Tide Free and Gentle - Powder

Booster: Oxyclean White revive

Color Catcher: 1

Citric Acid: Yes, 1 scoop dissolved in water in softener tray

Dryer Setting: Permanent Press, More dry (remove anything with elastic or stretch denim while damp)

 

Whites – Cold Water

Synthetic silky or stretchy fabrics, Stretch Denim (not gym wear)

Washer Setting: Normal, With Extra Rinse

Detergent: 1.5-2 scoops (depending on load size)  Tide Free and Gentle - Powder

Booster: Oxyclean White revive

Color Catcher: 1

Citric Acid: Yes, 1 scoop dissolved in water in softener tray

Dryer Setting: Permanent Press (remove anything with elastic or stretch denim while damp)

 

 

Whites – Hot Water

For: Undershirts, Underwear, socks, bedding and sheets.

Washer Setting: Heavy Duty, With Extra Rinse With Prewash & Extra Rinse

Detergent: 1.5-2 scoops (depending on load size) Tide Free and Gentle – Powder ( in both pre-wash and main wash)

Booster: Oxyclean White revive - Prewash, Biz or Febu in main wash (put in with the detergent)

Color Catcher: 1

Citric Acid: Yes, 1 scoop dissolved in water in softener tray

Dryer Setting: Normal, More dry

 

Towels – Hot Water

For: Bath Towels, Kitchen Towels, Things that need sanitized or cleaning rags (always place in their own load.

Sort into colors

Washer Setting: Sanitize, With Extra Rinse

Detergent: 1.5-2 scoops (depending on load size)  Tide Free and Gentle - Powder

Booster: Febu for colors, Biz for Whites

Color Catcher: 1 only in colors

Citric Acid: Yes, 1 scoop dissolved in water in softener tray

Dryer Setting: Towels, More dry

 

Cleaning Rags – Hot Water

For: cleaning rags (always place in their own load!!) Run a washer cleaning cycle after these have been done)

Washer Setting: Sanitize, With Prewash & Extra Rinse

Detergent: 1.5-2 scoops (depending on load size) Tide Free and Gentle – Powder ( in both pre-wash and main wash)

Booster: Febu in pre-wash, put in drum, Biz in Main wash, put with detergent.

Color Catcher: 1 only in colors

Citric Acid: Yes, 1 scoop dissolved in water in softener tray

Dryer Setting: Normal, More dry

 

Spot and Stain Pre-Treatments

Plant, Food or Animal: Oxiclean Max Force:  spray and leave – Then add the following

Grease: Dawn Platinum, straight right on the fabric. Let sit for a few hours then rinse well before adding to laundry. wash (or soak till you can wash)

Tomato sauce: Don’t scrub, rinse right away, Dawn Powerwash or Ammonia straight on fabric – wash (or soak till you can wash)

Gum and stickers: Scrub with a soft toothbrush using rubbing alcohol - wash (or soak till you can wash)

Ink, marker, dye: Rubbing alcohol immediately, then use Amodex, overnight soak in tide and febu

Red Wine: Hydrogen peroxide mixed 1:1 with Dawn Platinum, Soak overnight with tide and OxiClean

Coffee/Tea: Rinse immediately with cold water, Dawn Powerwash. Soak overnight with tide and OxiClean

Chocolate: Dawn Platinum, overnight soak in tide and febu.  wash (or soak till you can wash)

Tree sap: rubbing alcohol, blot, dawn power wash, scrub, wash (or soak till you can wash)

Polyquats: Dawn platinum, straight right on the fabric. Let sit for a few hours, then warm soak in a tub of Tide, Febu, and more blue dawn. Rinse well before adding to laundry. Only wash with like colors using 2 color catchers.

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u/ANbohemienne — 7 hours ago
▲ 10 r/laundry

Spa day results - saved from the dumpster!

I have done a few spa days. All of which I took no pictures, but here was one I did.

So I did option 1 (Tide f&g powder, but still added some Biz.
I also added a couple things I did a rehab on, one cardigan had horrid purple ink stains. I got most off with the Amodex and the rest from a low temp spa day with added biz and febu. Honestly, I am still not sure if it was the amodex or spa day that got the stains out, cause they were still vivid after the amodex treatment. Again, I should have gotten pictures.

So a trick that I did use, as these are toddler clothes and didn't need my full cooler. I put them in tuperwares. Put the lid on and stacked them in the cooler, thus keeping like colors sorted, and only using about half the mix I would have, plus the tupperware lid kept the items fully submerged, and didn't soak up the solution like the extra towel option does.

I also did a spa day on white sheets I have been trying to get the yellow out of for years. And had previously tried the borax, washing soda and oxickean on with my old detergent. I honestly did not expect the amazing results I got with the spa day info from this sub. So thank you Kismai and the rest of you laundry scientists!

u/ANbohemienne — 5 days ago