I’ve written over 250 posts so far here at Mama’s Laundry Talk, and with that comes a lot of follow-up questions. Today I am going to tackle a few. Hopefully, some of your questions will be answered as well!
- I just looked at your Stain Removal post on The Soak. Do you soak multiple items at one time?
Yes, I definitely soak multiple items at one time. That could be because I always have quite a few items in the queue ready to go in the bucket. It saves me time and money (only one scoop of Oxi Clean versus several). - When doing The Soak, do you soak colors and whites together in the same bucket?
I do soak colors and whites together if I am certain the colors will not bleed. If it is an item that has been washed several times and has ‘proven’ that it won’t bleed, then I don’t think twice about soaking them together. If there is any question at all about whether the color will run, it soaks by itself. - I’ve read your post on washing stuffed animals. Do you recommend washing stuffed animals that have beans or little styrofoam balls in the washer?
I would personally surface-wash those only. I’ll have a post in the next week or so on how to surface wash a stuffed animal and not ruin it. There are only very general directions in the comment section of that post. Feel free to subscribe to my feed or follow me on Face Book so you don’t miss it. - Your post on how to get the ironing done helped me finally get our clothes ironed for work on time! I’ve heard you say you love your iron several times. What brand do you have?
I have a DeLonghi iron. And to say I love it is an understatement. It cost a lot for an iron in my opinion (keep in mind I was buying it for a home business at the time of purchase). I’ve owned several irons in my life, from the $30 one at Wal-Mart to a more expensive Rowenta. In my pretty extensive ironing experience, you get what you pay for with an iron. A cheap iron cannot possibly give you superior results. If you don’t need superior results, the cheaper model from Target is fine. If you need to iron more delicate items, if you iron a large quantity of clothes, or if you need to iron clothes with absolutely no wrinkles (think dress shirts), then you’ll want to invest in a more versatile iron. Would I have purchased the DeLonghi if wasn’t purchasing it for a home business? Probably not in all honestly. But I absolutely adore it and I have not once been dissatisfied with its results. - Do you take guest posts?
I do if they are laundry related! 😉 In fact, I’ve published several over the past few weeks, with the most recent being a Reader Review of Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets. If you have a laundry product you just can’t live without, write about and send it to me! If you’d like further details, email me: [email protected].
Do you have a specific laundry question? Leave them in the comments or shoot me an email! I’ll be happy to answer them.
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Good post- Thanks!
My iron just died (actually it got knocked off the counter onto the tile floor) so it’s good to read your opinion, oh laundry-expert!
My favorite iron ever was one I had when I lived in Thailand. It wasn’t a steam iron, so if I wanted steam I just sprayed a little water on the garment. For some reason, it seemed to work better than all the (cheap) steam ones I’ve had.
I am SO GLAD to see there’s a post coming about surface washing stuffed animals! Waiting patiently…
I washed valentimes day matts and they ran red all over other items, how do I get the red out? I did not put them in the dryer.
Jackie- so smart not to put them in the dryer!
Try reading this post on bleeding dyes. If it doesn’t work, let me know and I’ll help you go from there!
🙂
-Lauren
Hello Mama Laundry,
For some unknown reason, occasionally after I wash and dry my husband’s cotton knit polo/golf shirts, some of them appear to have oily spots on them, as if cooking or olive oil had been spilled on them. They are unsightly and sometimes there is more than one oily stain on a shirt, making them unwearable. We originally thought it was our old washer/dryer since we don’t know if it happens in the wash or drying cycle. A couple of years ago, we bought a brand new LG front loading HE washer/dryer and it has continued to happen, ruining several just-bought polos. I cannot express the depth of my irritation over these mystery stains. We never know which shirts will be ruined. Have you ever heard of this happening? If so, do you know how to resolve it? Please let me know. Applying stain remover and rewashing does not help. Thank you!
Kathy, it sounds like dryer sheets might be the culprit. What you describe is so typical of stains left by dryer sheets. The look oily and are completely random.
Try using this method of removing grease stains from dryer sheets. If this doesn’t work for you, let me know and I’ll help you troubleshoot further. 🙂
-Lauren
Can you use detergent & fabric softener together at the start ?
Do you mean at the beginning of the wash cycle?
No – they can’t both be added at the beginning. Only the detergent can be.
The fabric softener needs to be added during the rinse cycle in order to be effective. If you add it at the beginning, the detergent washes it away. It really is like washing money down the drain!
If you don’t have a fabric dispenser on your machine, you can still buy Downy Balls for less than $2 at Walmart.
-Lauren
I really don’t like to use detergents or fabric softeners with strong fragrances. So far all the ones I’ve used in the past were very smelly. So I’ve switched to kinds that have NO smell. The problem is then my clothes smell like dirty socks. I usually hang up my wet shirts and pants to dry by air but that doesn’t seem to help either. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks Chris
Chris, I wonder if the items that you are hanging to dry are developing mold? That sounds like it might be the case. If you are hanging them to dry inside an apartment or closed space, my hunch is that they are staying too wet for too long.
If you definitely want them to air dry, make sure they’re in the sun which prevents the growth of mold and mildew and will even kill any existing growth.
Can I machine wash a sherpa throw made of 100% polyester?
Stain Removal question,
I have come across a stain that I am having great difficulty with. It’s source is not crystal clear. These are very small spots not much bigger than a pencil lead in size. They appear brown or rust like in color. They ‘might’ be the result of a cigarette(s) that ended up in the wash cycle. I have tried what seesms to be everything. My machine is only 2 years old so I do not suspect rust.
If they are tobacco related or rust related, any ideas?
Thank you,
DK
How do you get deodorant smell out of laundry (not body odor). I wash and dry my son’s clothes and still smell the deodorant he uses.
I sure hope you can help me! Some how a newspaper got into my washer when I was washing jeans & flannel shirts. It disintegrated into millions of tiny & some not so tiny pieces of paper which are all over my clothes — inside & out! I didn’t put them in dryer. I don’t normally put jeans & 100% cotton in the dryer. I’ve tried a wire brush & that has helped get rid of some, but it is tedious! Is there help for me, please?
Thank you.
Hey Kathy! Oh, what a PAIN! I’m so sorry! Honestly, I’d put them in the dryer on the lowest of low settings at least through one cycle and have the lint filter help you.
If you dry them on the lowest setting for a short cycle, it should take care of your issue an not dry the clothes completely, which should help them keep the same appearance as you’re used to.
-Lauren