Seven laundry aids that can make your clothes look like new again

Laundry aids come in a variety of forms and serve many different purposes; from removing rust stains to making yellow fabrics look white again. If you’ve ever looked down the laundry aisle of a store, you may have seen a lot of these laundry products. You may have never thought twice about using them or you weren’t sure exactly how to use them. The following laundry treatments can help restore clothes that appear dull, dirty and old before their time.

1. Bluish. The bluings are designed to counteract the natural yellowing of fabrics. They contain a blue dye that is absorbed by fabrics in the wash or rinse.

2. Detergent enhancers. Available in liquid or powder form, detergent boosters are especially effective in hard water to improve the cleaning power of the detergent. Liquid enhancers can also be used to pre-treat blemishes. Baking soda is actually a natural detergent booster.

3. Enzymatic stain removers prior to soaking. Enzyme presoaks come in powder form and are very effective at removing protein stains like baby formula, blood, bodily fluids, dairy products, and eggs. This is because enzymes are proteins and the general rule of thumb for stain removal is “like dissolves.” The enzymes break down the stains which can then be easily removed from the fabric with the help of the detergent.

4. Stain remover and pre-wash dirt. These products come in a variety of forms and are effective at removing stains and heavy soil, especially on polyester fibers. They penetrate the fiber of the fabric and help break up the stain, allowing it to disperse into the wash water.

5. Color removers. Color removers can help remove rust stains from clothes washed in water that contain iron and manganese. They can also help remove dye stains that have transferred from colored items to the white items they were washed with.

6. Bleach for all fabrics (oxygen). This type of bleach is an alternative to liquid chlorine bleach to maintain the whiteness and shine of most fabrics. The oxidizing agent, hydrogen peroxide, provides a milder bleaching action than chlorine. This makes it safe for most washable colored fabrics, unless the fabric care label states otherwise. This color-safe bleach is available in liquid or powder form. It is also most effective when used regularly.

7. Water softeners. Hard water has a high concentration of magnesium and calcium. These minerals tend to reduce the effectiveness of laundry detergents and can also leave a residue that makes fabrics feel stiff and scratchy. Water softeners work by deactivating these minerals. You can choose between electric or liquid water softeners.

Laundry aids can extend the life of our clothes and even make our clothes look like new again. At least we have alternatives besides the old liquid chlorine bleach.