Mysterious discoloration or bleach spots on your colored clothing, towels, and fabrics after washing…what’s the culprit and what do you do about it?
Have you ever pulled your favorite sweater out of the washer and been horrified to find it has discolored splotches or a gooey substance stuck to the front? Have you noticed your towels look like they’ve been bleached, but you’ve never used bleach on them?
What could be happening? Is it the detergent? Is the washer broken? Or is it something else entirely? We’ve done the research and have found the culprit!
Sneaky Bleach
We all know not to pour chlorine bleach directly onto colored fabrics, but did you know bleach can linger in the dispensing tray from a previous cycle and secretly sabotage your next wash? We recommend ditching the chlorine bleach altogether for an eco-responsible option such as our Clean People Oxygen Brightening Powder that won’t ruin your fabrics. It’s safe with colored and white fabrics and is just as effective at boosting your detergent’s cleaning power as regular chlorine bleach. When using our brightening powder, it is important to remember to wash your laundry with the hottest water temperature possible for your fabrics, since hot water helps the powder dissolve best.
Also, watch out for bleach and harsh chemicals in your household detergents and cleaning products. Some of these chemicals can linger on your towels and cause bleach spots to occur on other items being washed together (they also tend to be quite irritating to the skin and respiratory systems). Make sure you’re using a detergent that is free from chlorine bleach, like our Clean People Laundry Detergent Sheets and Ultra Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent Pods, and try to swap out harsh household cleaning products for our Cleaner Concentrate to prevent unwanted bleaching or fading.
Another source of those sneaky bleaching chemicals can be found in personal care products! Benzoyl peroxide-containing acne medications, peroxide teeth whitening gels, and whitening toothpastes can all have a bleaching effect on clothing and towels. Be sure to read the labels of these products and avoid spilling them on colored fabrics. If you do spill them on a hand towel, for example, rinse in cold water to remove as much of the product as possible. Then make a paste of baking soda and water and apply this to the stained area. Allow to dry, then brush off any remaining baking soda. Wash normally, and it’ll be like the bleach was never there!
Detergent Deposits & Stains
Detergent is supposed to clean your clothes, but sometimes it can be the reason for those stains you’re seeing. Some of those discolored spots you’re seeing are actually from undissolved detergent. As tempting as it can be sometimes, try to avoid overloading the washer and allow enough room for water and clothing to tumble around, which is part of the magic that cleans your clothes! Also, if there’s no room for water to move completely through the clothing, the detergent may not be washed out properly, resulting in residue and stains left behind. We recommend never filling your washer drum more than ¾ full!
If using detergent sheets or pods, always place them in the bottom of the drum first and then put the clothing on top. The water is usually pumped into the drum via the tiny holes in the bottom of the washer, so you want the detergent to be closest to the water source in order to properly dissolve.
If you do end up with detergent stains on your laundry, don’t worry, we got you! Just soak the item in a sink or bathtub with a solution of 4 cups of water to 1 cup of white distilled vinegar. First, agitate the stain by wetting it in the solution and rubbing it against the rest of the fabric. Then allow the fabric to soak for one hour then rewash alone or with a small load. Check the garment prior to putting it in the dryer. If the stain remains, repeat the soaking step, but don’t dry, since drying will set the stain.
Fabric Softener Stains
Fabric softeners can also have the same effect as detergents when they either don’t get washed away properly, or in the case of dryer sheets, get pinned against a garment in an overstuffed dryer. You’ll know it’s a fabric softener stain, because it will feel waxy or oily. If you catch the stain right after washing, add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar directly to the washer drum, and rewash with a small load. If you didn’t catch the stain until after it came out of the dryer, then soak the item overnight in a solution of 2-3 scoops of Clean People Oxygen Brightener Powder and hot water. In the morning, ring the fabric out and put directly into the washer. Don’t rinse! Run a normal wash cycle without detergent or fabric softener. Oxygen Brightener is not for use on wool, leather, or silk, but any other white or colored fabrics you can clean in the washing machine are good to go!
Cold Water Washes
If you’re someone who washes your clothes in cold water only, you may not actually be getting them clean. That’s right! Dirt, germs, sweat, hard water minerals, and even skin particles (yuck!) are not likely to be fully removed in cooler water temperatures. These particles tend to build up on fabrics and also in your washer over time, producing a “sludge” in your machine. Sometimes this sludge can dislodge and enter the wash cycle, appearing as gray marks on your laundry. Use warm or hot water occasionally if the fabric allows and also try adding a ½ cup of vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser tray to help boost the effectiveness of your cold water wash cycle.
To stop the washer sludge before it ruins your new jeans or favorite shirt, perform regular cleaning cycles on your washer. We recommend using our new Clean People Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets once per month for maintenance, but if you’ve had issues with mysterious staining or your washer has a bad odor, you may need to run up to 6 consecutive cleaning cycles to completely dissolve and wash away that buildup.
How to Run a Sludge Busting Cleaning Cycle with Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets:
- Open the convenient single tablet packet and place the tablet in the empty washer drum. Do not put the tablet in the dispensing tray! You can also use a half dose of detergent if you don’t have Cleaner Tablets yet.
- Run a washing machine cleaning cycle if the machine has one; and if not, run a regular wash cycle with hot water.
- Once the cycle is complete, gently pull back the rubber door seal and wipe down with a towel or sponge.
- Repeat the cycle up to 6 times depending on severity of odor and staining occurring.
- Once done, clean the detergent drawer with a soft cloth or long handle brush soaked in a solution made of equal parts vinegar and water, and a ½ capful of Clean People Cleaner Concentrate. Pay special attention to the top where the water comes from.
We hope these tips and tricks will help you identify where the mysterious stains are coming from, so you can stop them in their tracks before they come between you and your favorite fabrics!
