Hi Everyone -

Long time listener, first time caller here. Before I dive into my post, I want to thank everyone here for your cleaning tips thus far. Before I found this sub, I had no idea that I was doing laundry wrong this entire time. I was washing my clothes on cold, never cleaning my washing machine... It was the thing of nightmares that have taken months to clean out.

One thing that has really vexed my house however has been these dark grease-like stains that have ruined more than a number of our clothes. This has particularly affected my 11-year old son, who wears nothing but polyester athletic fabrics and I knew I had to find a solve as we couldn't afford to just buy him a new wardrobe every few months.

After some research, I realized that these stains weren't scrud stains, but the dreaded polyquat stains caused by Polyquaternium buildup. It took a few months, but I've finally found a process that worked for me and now my son's clothes are polyquat free. I want to note that I am not a science guy by any-means. There are probably better products to use than what I chose and a better process than what I am laying out. I look forward to the group's input and iterations.

Polyquats are cationic (positively charged) polymers widely used in hair conditioners, body washes, and skin creams because they stick to hair/skin to make it feel smooth. Unfortunately, they also stick to synthetic fabrics like glue—and worse, they act like a magnet for negatively charged dirt and body oils in the wash, creating permanent-looking "grease" spots.

I wish I had taken before and after photos of my son's clothes for this but I recently managed to save a white polyester skirt for my daughter that was absolutely covered in severe polyquat buildup (plus some bonus marker stains, aka the life of a 7 year old).

This was as gross as it looks.

Can you tell I am not a photographer?

I'm glad my daughter loves markers so much

Here is the exact protocol I used to break the chemical bonds and get it pristine, along with the science of why it actually worked. Prep Time - 40 minutes (30 mins total soak time)

**@* Are you tired of your detergents under-performing? Have you considered adding great enzymes to your wash? Try FEBU. FEBU's new formulation contains DNase. If you're obsessed with r/laundry like I am, then you know what DNase is. You love it, you crave it and you wish you could find the 365 Sport Detergent at your local Whole Foods but you're stuck with just adding FEBU. This post is sponsored by FEBU**@*

The Protocol & The Science Behind It

To get polyquats out, you can't just use regular laundry detergent. You have to actively disrupt the polymer film and strip the bound lipids (oils). Here is the step-by-step:

Step 1: The High-Surfactant Degradation Soak

• Action: Soak the garment in a 1:15 ratio of Dawn Platinum Dish Soap to warm water (think hot tap water). Let it sit for 20 minutes, then remove and gently squeeze out the excess water. Not to the point of it being dry, just enough that you're not flooding your scrubbing area.
• The Science: Polyquat stains are actually a composite matrix of the polymer binding onto sebum and oils. Dawn Platinum contains a massive concentration of anionic and amphoteric surfactants. By soaking it in a highly concentrated bath, you force the surfactants to penetrate the hydrophobic (water-repelling) polyester fibers, emulsifying the trapped oils and beginning to swell and loosen the polymer chain.

Step 2: Targeted Solvent & Penetration Booster

• Action: Lay the garment flat, spray the affected areas thoroughly with Grandma’s Secret Laundry Spray, and let it sit for 5–10 minutes.
• The Science: Polyquats are incredibly substantive (meaning they form a durable film). Grandma's Secret relies on heavy-duty, targeted solvent surfactants that break down industrial-grade molecules (like the inks in the marker stains). Letting it sit allows the solvents to weaken the structural integrity of the polyquat film that the Dawn soak just loosened.

Step 3: Mechanical Disruption

• Action: Take a small, soft-bristled laundry brush and gently scrub each individual spot for 30 seconds.
• The Science: Chemical action can only do so much against cross-linked polymers. The mechanical action of the brush physically shears the weakened polyquat matrix away from the smooth polyester fibers, breaking it into microscopic fragments that can now be suspended in water.

Step 4: The Enzymatic Wash

• Action: Toss it into the washing machine. Run a warm delicates cycle using standard detergent—in my case, Cleancult Laundry Sheets boosted with Lipase.
  • Note: I previously used the Dirty Labs laundry detergent but I can't afford to use it all the time. I know I just lost all credibility by using laundry sheets, but it gets my 11-8-7 year olds to do their own laundry and I am just grateful for the help. I also clean it with a "real" detergent once every few weeks. I just can't beat the convenience and it works well enough for our household. I know I know I am terrible.
• The Science: Warm water is crucial here to keep the emulsified oils fluid so they don't re-deposit. The addition of Lipase (a fat-splitting enzyme) is the secret weapon here; it specifically targets and hydrolyzes any remaining lipid molecules that the polyquat is trying to hold onto, allowing the washing machine's rinse cycle to finally flush the polymer fragments away for good.

I couldn't get rid of all the marker specks but this is much better.

Still not a photographer

Takeaways

If you are battling these stains, stop treating them like standard grease like I was. You need to hit them with a high-surfactant soak to swell the polymer, a solvent to break the film, mechanical action to release it from the synthetic fibers, and enzymes to eat away the binding oils. Again, there are better products to use than what I am suggesting, just using what I had around the house at the time. Have you considered FEBU?

Hope this helps anyone currently losing their mind over these mystery wash stains and contribute to the community that has done so much for our house.

**@* I am just kidding. This post is not actually sponsored by FEBU, just a really passionate and nerdy dad with a quirky sense of humor. FEBU isn't even used in this process. If FEBU wants to send me some free product or discount codes, my DM's are open.

EDIT: Typo in the Dawn to water ratio in the original post.