Ladies -
Our laundry hasn't been coming out clean. T-shirts have arm pit stains, we've got ring around the collar, and the sheets have come out, what can best be described as "greasy" and discolored. Hubs does the wash, in our building's communal washing machines. He uses the recommended amount of detergent, and nothing else.
Would oxi clean do the trick? is it time for some color safe bleach? vinegar? baking soda? some combination of stuff?
Another caveat. We don't have the ability to pre-soak, pre-treat, or wait around to add stuff to the rinse cycle. Whatever you suggest is going to have to go straight in with the detergent at the start of the cycle.
This isn't the first time this has happened. There was nothing particularly dirty or objectionable in our laundry, and the machines are clean and the building well maintained.
Thanks a bunch.
We bought, and will be adding oxi clean to the wash. Hopefully, it will do the trick. Thank you for your suggestions.
I would try adding oxyclean to the wash and using the same brand stain spray. Also, I agree with the too much detergent thing. Sometimes I run things a second time with no detergent to get a clean rinse. Shared machines can be the problem but not always. I had problems when a machine broke and leaked oil on a load of clothes but otherwise it wasn't too bad.
I read the other posts and agree.
Another idea, consider talking to the manager about "cleaning the machines". Sometimes machines get so caked with residue, poop germs, fabric softener remnants, etc. that they just can't CLEAN because you aren't starting with a clean machine.
I have almost disassembled my own machine at home and scrubbed it out with a toothbrush then run a HOT empty machine to rinse it all out. It's amazing how much goop is stuck in there!!!! And it' my own machine!!!
FYI - I read once that "communial machines" have poop bacteria in them - so always run your hottest load first, with bleach if possible. You never know what the person before you washed and left behind in the machine.
Could you be overloading the machine? Oxiclean works really well when you put it right on the stain. It will even work with old stains, including grease stains. You can also add some bleach to the white in the special compartment but don't use oxiclean in that case. You can pretreat in your apartment then throw the item into the laundry bag, can't you?
I use a really cheap $0.99 bar soap on the collars and stains. Everything stays really white and bright. It even took mustard our of my white polo shirt. I find it at walmart but I don't know the name.
Normally I would pre-treat collar and pit stains and pre-soak sheets, but since neither is an option then I would use Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap, made by Dial Corp. It normally cost around $1.50 for a 5.5 oz bar. Grate soap and let it dissolve in some hot water, then add to your normal laundry detergent. That should take care of any greasy spots, collar and pit stains. However if your laundry is looking dull and whites not so bright then I would add a color safe bleach as well. Clorox color safe bleach works good for me.
I would think you have a bathtub or a shower. You can soak something in the sink and it can be pre-treated there too.
I think I would talk to the manager about this issue. The one time this happened to me it was all my clothes, he washed and dried them and they came out spotted and nasty looking, they had to be thrown away. Come to find out the washer was going out and the oil from the motor was leaking into the wash tub.
I agree it could be what the person in front of him washed too. Try going to a different laundry facility and see if they get any cleaner or come out the same, then you know it's something you are coming in contact with.
If you use liquid detergent, pour it on the stained areas instead of just dumping it in the tub. I use Spray and Wash as well as other brands when they're on sale and pretreat collars.
I also put OxyClean in the wash along with the detergent.
Be sure that you're not overloading the machine. The clothing should fill up only 2/3 of the tub.
My father was an appliance repairman. He said most of the time when his customers complained that their clothes were not coming out clean he found that they were using too much detergent. Unless you have hard water, you need only half the recommended amount.
A test to see if the grime is the result of using too much detergent, try washing your clothes with a water softener compound without detergent. Or just without detergent and no water softener. If the water gets sudsy or scummy that's the excess soap washing out of the clothes.
Wash sheets and towels in hot water and use a chlorine bleach to get them clean looking again. Use a non-chlorine bleach on colors.
You can presoak clothes in the washer just by keeping the lid open once the tub is filled with water. That means planning to do laundry when others aren't waiting. Presoaking with OxyClean gets my dingy dish cloths white again.
I have the same problem in my building. I don't seperate colors which I should and sometimes I cram too much into the washer as well this may be the cause for you as well. But I use color safe bleach sometimes and that helps. Good luck!
Fels-naptha is a bar of laundry pre-treater. You simply wet the fabric and bar and rub like you would soap and rinse. You can also try using a bar of ivory soap--this is soap with no additives. You can pre-soak in a wash tub in your bathtub--- I know I know it's a hassle but that's what I did when I rented.
oxiclean does help. but if the laundry has been dried the stains are likely set in. don;t use clorox it will make the stains darker.
"building's communal washing machines", there's your problem. Sounds like someone is washing greasy work clothes/rags etc and the residue is left behind for the 'next' load. Sorry it has to be yours.....
