Wash your laundry problems down the drain with these 18 expert-approved products
To measure detergent: Kmouants Laundry Detergent Dispenser Cup Holder
To lift stubborn stains: Tide Rescue Laundry Stain Remover
To keep your machine mildew-free: Door-Doc Front-Load Washer Prop
To prevent tangles and lost socks: Andiamo Home Laundry Buddy Pins Laundry day can be the most dreaded day of the week, especially if clothes and linens still come out looking drab after all your effort. 'I think the biggest laundry issue people have is that they don't get those 'amazing' results that they want,' says the author of 'Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore,' Patric Richardson. 'Either their clothes aren't clean, or they feel stiff, or basically they just aren't as nice as they were when they first bought them. As clothes have become more expensive, this can be super frustrating.'
With so many factors at play — from pretreatments and boosters to fabric types and machine cleaners — it's no wonder so many people are perplexed by the woes of wash day. With some expert aid, we set out to solve some common laundry problems with products and insights that are sure to improve your next laundry load.
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The Laundress Stain Brush
You can't expect your washing machine to remove every stubborn stain, which is why Zachary Pozniak, coauthor of 'The Laundry Book: The Definitive Guide to Caring for Your Clothes and Linens,' recommends pretreating them. But depending on the stain type and fabric, you'll want to approach pretreatment differently. Pozniak even created a searchable guide for troubleshooting pesky stains called The Clean Club. Once you have a plan of action, you might consider getting some extra help from laundry tools like this stain brush. 'A tamping brush to work in stain pretreatments is great to ensure the solution penetrates the fibers,' Pozniak says, adding that you should use up and down strokes and not rubbing motions when treating stains.
Tide Rescue Laundry Stain Remover
Sarah McAllister, founder and CEO of GoCleanCo and House Work, says the best general stain-lifting product her team has come across is Tide Rescue. 'Many people do not realize letting a stain dry can set a stain; try to treat it immediately,' McAllister says. 'After treating a stain and running it through the washing machine, check if the stain has lifted before putting it in the dryer. If it's still there, treat the stain again or try another solution.'
Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray
'If you are dealing with a greasy stain, your best bet might be as simple as using a grease cutter like Dawn dish soap or Dawn Powerwash,' McAllister says. Pozniak agrees that using surfactants like dish soap can help surround and capture oily or greasy stains, leading to easier removal, but stresses that a little bit goes a long way.
Persil Everyday Clean Liquid Laundry Detergent
Pozniak says mysterious dark patches or blue stains on your clothes are usually caused by leftover detergent not being properly rinsed out. Richard'Cutting back on your detergent will make a major difference in your laundry routine and will eliminate most of your frustrations,' Richardson says. Both experts agree you really only need to use about 2 tablespoons of detergent per load.
Amazon Basics Hydrogen Peroxide
Pozniak says hydrogen peroxide is a must-have in the laundry room for helping remove the color of stains after washing, adding that it works best on brightly colored tannin stains like red wine, coffee, berries, curry and tea. 'Wash, then use oxygen bleach like hydrogen peroxide or powdered oxygen bleach to remove the color,' Pozniak says.
OxiClean White Revive Laundry Whitener and Stain Remover
If your whites have a gray or yellow tinge, Richardson says it's most often due to incorrect washing. He says excess detergent can make towels gray and crunchy, while using chlorine bleach can lift color from fabric and tint clothes yellow over time. 'The best way to whiten is to use less detergent and no chlorine bleach,' Richardson says. 'If you need a little extra boost, use some oxygen bleach.' This OxiClean powder can be used as a presoak or laundry detergent booster to help keep your whites looking sharp. Pozniak adds that you should also wash whites and lights separately from darker clothes to avoid any dyes or lint from tinting them.
Kmouants Laundry Detergent Dispenser Cup Holder
Richardson says using too much detergent can leave a lingering odor on your clothes. 'That musty smell is the dinge and dirt from the washing machine settling in the clothes because it was trapped in the detergent and hasn't washed away,' he says. For help measuring out your washing liquid and keeping your laundry room in order, try this dispenser cup holder that lets you precisely measure and pour with just one hand.
Lysol Laundry Sanitizer
For particularly stubborn odors, Pozniak says laundry sanitizing products can be helpful. If your clothes aren't smelling fresh, there may be remaining body oil, sweat or mold lingering in the fabric. He says you can try washing these clothes with a laundry sanitizer at a higher temperature, but he adds that sanitizers should be used very rarely and not with every wash load.
Harris Borax Laundry Booster
Borax is a workhorse of the laundry room. You can use it for laundry stripping, along with washing soda and hot water, to help remove mineral deposits, laundry softeners and other grime that can lock in odors. Richardson also uses borax for cleaning the washing machine. 'The best way to clean the machine is to put a pound of borax and a gallon of vinegar in the machine and run the longest, hottest cycle you have,' he says.
Downy Rinse & Refresh Laundry Odor Remover
McAllister says laundry stripping can be a solution if your clothes still have a musty smell after washing, and House Work even has a laundry guide to walk you through it, though it's not the most time-efficient way to launder. 'Another very good new product for laundry odors when you do not have time to strip your laundry is Downy Rinse & Refresh; this stuff removes locked-in odors and is safe for all fabrics,' McAllister says.
Tide Washing Machine Cleaner
Pozniak says if you see mystery stains, notice your clothes aren't smelling or looking clean, or see mold on any of your washer's trays or parts, it's time to consider cleaning your washing machine. McAllister is a fan of using Tide's Washing Machine Cleaner to clean the drum of the machine. 'Empty the pack into the washer and run a cycle as per the instructions to remove odors and buildups,' she says.
Clorox Splash-Less Liquid Bleach
Chlorine bleach can be handy for tackling cleaning jobs around the home, and it's also good for cleaning your washing machine, especially if you have a front-loading model. 'Water sits in the front seals and will start to mold,' McAllister says. 'You can remove it by dumping straight bleach into the seal and scrubbing. If the mold has started to penetrate the actual rubber, soak a paper towel in bleach and allow it to sit before scrubbing.'
Door-Doc Front-Load Washer Prop
'Front-load washing machines are notorious for mold and mildew and odors,' McAllister says. 'Preventative measures like leaving the door ajar — and the detergent drawer for airflow — when not in use is your number-one defense, but if your laundry room or clothes are starting to smell of mildew, you need to clean your machine stat.' If your family has a habit of closing the washing machine door, this handy prop will keep the door slightly ajar so it can properly air-dry between washes.
Soak Laundry Soap
Some fabrics, such as cashmere, wool and silk, may call for delicate hand-washing. Pozniak likes this Soak soap for hand-washing since it's free of enzymes that can break down the protein fibers in these fabrics. 'Use warm water, a bit of hand-washing detergent and then dry as instructed,' Pozniak says. 'Cashmere needs to be rolled in a towel, squeezed and then dried flat to avoid stretching. However, silk can be air-dried since it's a bit tougher.'
To keep your clothes looking newer for longer, it's also important to pay attention to the instructions on your garments and care labels. Pozniak says if a garment is labeled 'no rinse,' you'll want to make sure not to rinse it out as these clothes typically have fabric conditioners built-in that help to keep the fibers of the garment strong so it holds its shape over time. Luckily, Soak is a no-rinse soap, so you can wash your clothes and move straight to drying them.
Whitmor Dryer Balls, 4-Pack
To help avoid your sheets getting bunched up and not fully drying, Pozniak recommends using some dryer balls. These reusable Whitmor dryer balls help lift and separate your laundry for better airflow.
Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls, 6-Pack
For a gentler option, grab these all-natural wool dryer balls that can replace your dryer sheets and fabric softeners.
Wad-Free Bedsheet Detangler
If your sheets have been known to trap the rest of your clothes into a damp pile inside the dryer, try this Wad-Free tool that helps to hold your sheets closed and promises faster, more efficient drying.
Laundry Buddy Pins
These laundry pins can help prevent wadding too, but they're also great for making sure you don't lose sock pairings or bra pad inserts throughout washing and drying cycles. For this article, we consulted the following laundry experts to gain their professional insights.
Sarah McAllister, founder and CEO of GoCleanCo and House Work
Zachary Pozniak, coauthor of 'The Laundry Book: The Definitive Guide to Caring for Your Clothes and Linens'
Patric Richardson, author of 'Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore'
CNN Underscored has a team of writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this story, associate editor Jillian Tracy reached out to laundry and home cleaning experts to get their tips for making laundry day easier and to find out how to solve some common at-home laundry problems.
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