Your Laundry Errors Fixed

There’s nothing worse than pulling your laundry out of the machine and realizing that you made a big mistake. If you’re a novice in the laundry room or happened to get just overconfident enough to make a very simple mistake, have no fear! There are quick fixes to laundry mishaps of all kinds. Check out our rundown of common laundry mistakes and their quick fixes below so you can be prepared next time something doesn’t go your way.

The Mistake:

Color bleeds from one item onto others.

The Fix:

Whether you used the wrong temperature setting or just forgot to wash that new piece of clothing on its own before tossing it into a mixed load, your heart probably sank when you realized that the colors had bled. Don’t give up on life just yet, here’s a simple fix to get you through the first moments of panic.

• Simply remove the item(s) that the dye bled onto, soak for a little while in a separate container of cold water, and then wash it again on its own with detergent and color-safe bleach in warm water. Most of the time the excess dye will wash right out!

The Mistake:

You forgot to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer and now it smells… bad.

The Fix:

Ever forget to transfer a load from the washer into the dryer in a timely manner? Yup, we’ve all been there. Instead of throwing your hands up, take a deep breath and know that fixing this mistake will only take a few minutes.

• To fix this mishap, simply run the load again through the wash, except this time adding in chlorine or color-safe bleach, and then maybe set a reminder on your phone to move it to the dryer in a timely manner.

The Mistake:

You didn’t notice a stain before washing and drying.

The Fix:

That pesky coffee stain you forgot all about has now had enough time to set, and now you’re worried it may never come out. While it can be difficult to remove a stain that’s dried in, there’s always a little bit of hope left.

• Saturate the spot with an advanced stain remover, working it deeply into the fabric. Next, let it sit overnight and really soak into the stain. Finally, wash the article of clothing in the warmest water it will tolerate using chlorine or color-safe bleach.

The Mistake:

You used too much detergent and now your clothes smell.

The Fix: This is an easy mistake to make, and luckily, an easy mistake to fix. Most of the time when it comes to laundry detergent — or any kind of soap for that matter — we think more is better, when in reality, using too much detergent can cause bacteria to build up. As a result, clothes end up smelling less than fresh.

• If you think your clothes reek from using too much detergent, simply run the rinse cycle again (no detergent needed), and make sure you use the right amount of detergent going forward!

If you’ve ever made a laundry mistake, you’re not alone. Few of us are trained in the art of laundry, and most of us mess up at least once in a while. Instead of kicking yourself, get to work fixing the mistake and you’ll have clean, ready-to-wear clothes again before you know it!