Ah, laundry day. For some of us, laundry day is the most relaxing part of our week. For others, it can be full of hardships and blunders. Luckily, these blunders do not have to ruin your laundry or your day. From turning all of your white laundry pink with a renegade red sock to shrinking your favorite sweaters, we’ve all been there. Thankfully, your laundry is not a lost cause. With these helpful tips you’ll have your clothes back to normal in no time!
Seeing Red
It happens to the best of us. Even when we are as careful as we can be, a red sock or t-shirt can sneak into the laundry basket and wreak havoc on our white clothes. All of a sudden, the entire family’s white clothes have all turned a lovely shade of pink. If you’re going to reverse this common laundry blunder, you have to act fast. The most important thing is not to put the clothes in the dryer. As soon as the dryer’s heat hits those clothes, you can kiss your whites goodbye. Once you save your clothes from the dryer, choose one of these methods to de-pink your whites and make them bright again!
Natural Bleach Method:
- Start your washing routine over using the warmest water your clothing will allow
- Add one cup of a natural bleach alternative.
- Run the laundry through a full cycle in the washing machine and then through an extra rinse cycle to really make sure the red has been washed from your clothes.
- Hang dry
Handwashing
- Fill a bucket or sink with cold water
- Add ½ cup of white vinegar
- Add 1 capful of Roux Maison Essential or Delicate Detergent
- Let soak for 15-20 minutes
- Rinse thoroughly with cold water
- Hang dry
Color Remover
- If neither of the previous methods have worked or your clothes are particularly saturated with red dye, you can try using a color remover like Rit Color Remover. However, these products are chemically based and not naturally formulated, so we do not strongly recommend them. Be sure to re-wash clothes in Roux Maison Natural Detergent ASAP!
Sweater Shrinkage
We all know we’re not supposed to put sweaters in the dryer, right? But sometimes the time gets away from us and we just toss everything in the dryer without thinking. Then when the buzzer goes off, you wonder when you purchased so many matching sweaters for you and your dog. Oh wait. But those sweaters aren’t a lost cause! Just follow these steps and you’ll have sweaters fit for people once again!
- Fill sink with lukewarm water
- Add about a tablespoon a baby shampooor Roux Maison Delicate Detergent to the water and swish around until it suds up
- Submerge the sweater in the water and let soak for about 30 minutes
- Lay the sweater flat on a towel and roll up in order to soak up extra water
- Gently stretch the sweater back into shape
○ You may have to do this several times in order to get the sweater back to its normal size. If you can, try securing each sleeve and hem to a corkboard or piece of cardboard with clothes pins in order to help the sweater keep its shape. Continue stretching and pinning until the sweater is the desired size.
- Lay flat to dry
For more tips on washing sweaters, check out our sweater washing guide!
Laundry mishaps happen to all of us. What sets us apart from the laundry amateurs is knowing how to reverse these blunders. Just remember to be extra careful when gathering your laundry and before putting it into the washer or dryer. Check the basin for socks that have gone rogue and never let your husband get away with saying, “I’m going to toss the sweaters in the dryer.” Happy washing!
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