Since moving I have started to get very large, stiff, slightly waxy or oily patches on the back of my t shirts after I wash them, exactly where my back leans against my chair. I think they’re just sweat and soap and calcium buildup, but they’re nearly impossible to get out completely. I’ve tried soaking in boiling water, soaking in vinegar, etc etc but nothing seems to quickly and completely get rid of them or prevent it from happening. They stay even after several washes or come back over time when I do manage to get rid of them. Normal cheap cotton-poly blend tees, being worn normally, washed on normal in HE washing machines with the recommended amount of liquid soap. Usually on warm or cold. I am hesitant to do hot very often because of the risk of damaging my clothes. This problem does not occur with my other clothes or my sheets, even when I sweat a lot. It’s just specifically my T shirts for some reason?? Does anyone know a permanent solution to these kinds of stains?
Try citric acid in the softener rinse. Will rinse out any leftover detergent.
Yeah, was gonna be my suggestion, too. I get small white stains on specific fabrics and one of my shirts’ colors looked completely washed-out. And yeah, I can get rid of that with citric acid in what my washing machine calls “pre-wash”.
I’m not sure, it was just leftover detergent for me, though, because while I could wash out some of it by hand-washing the clothes with water afterwards, a lot of it stayed. So, my assumption was that it’s actually just calcium build-up, which of course also goes away with acid.
Ty!! Will try this.
Use it in the “fabric softener” cycle, not the pre wash. Citric acid neutralizes detergent.
Does it make a difference, though, if I only put acid into the pre-wash, so no detergent? I was hoping, it would get flushed out before the proper wash cycle.
I mean, I will check, if my washing machine has a separate hole to put fabric softener in. It does sound like the more appropriate place for it.
It does not do a rinse after the prewash, so any detergent added during the main wash will get neutralised and won’t really wash anything.
It also helps prevent a soap buildup in the machine.
If you don’t have a fabric softener spot, can always get a “downy ball” which will release during the spin cycle.
How much do you typically use?
I use pure citric acid powder, and use a full tablespoon per load. Just put the powder directly in the fabric softener dispenser.
It is also makes a cheap, toxic chemical free, perfect rinse aid for the dishwasher.
Literally a chemical.
It’s a common one found in lots of natural foods and such, nothing particularly scary or unusual, but you are presumably buying a purified, concentrated chemical and not just squeezing a lemon into your washing machine as a natural source of that chemical.
I use acetylsalicylic acid whenever I want a chemical free painkiller.
Do you consider vinegar a chemical as well?
No it’s at least 2 chemicals- acetic acid and water.
And quite a few others if we’re talking about something besides distilled white vinegar.
Thanks. This is exactly the kind of tip i was looking for.