Laundry Day is a very dangerous day...[Help please]

[Chelsea]

I put three loads of laundry in three seperate washers (it's college after all). Loads 1 and 3 turned out fine, but for some reason load number 2....turned a greyish blue, and I don't know why. There wasn't any blue stuff mixed in, and there weren't any inkpens or the like that I could find.

What the heck happened, and why are my towels now blue!?

[Courtnee]

Maybe there was something left in the washer by the person before you?
You can always use bleach to get them white again.

[Ireneparalegal]

Do you use powdered or liquid detergent?

[Chelsea]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Do you use powdered or liquid detergent?

Liquid.

[Ireneparalegal]

Yeah, I use liquid too. Sometimes using powdered detergent, especially in a washer that many other people use (like in a laundry mat) can cause that blue or grey color to appear. So even though you use liquid, others may be using powdered.

It can be the water. If it is hard water, that can cause that occasional grey or blue to appear.

When you wash white items or almost white items, use a bluing product to help keep those items white. You should find a brand in the detergent section. There is something in that product that helps to keep the hard water/minerals from adhering to your white clothes, towels, etc.

That product OXYCLEAN is also a great thing to have around. I used that when a stupid crayon ended up in the dryer. I thought those clothes were ruined but I used OXYCLEAN spray and the clothes came out great.

[robyrob]

it coulda been worse - they coulda all come out GREEN.

[Chelsea]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

When you wash white items or almost white items, use a bluing product to help keep those items white. You should find a brand in the detergent section. There is something in that product that helps to keep the hard water/minerals from adhering to your white clothes, towels, etc.

That product OXYCLEAN is also a great thing to have around. I used that when a stupid crayon ended up in the dryer. I thought those clothes were ruined but I used OXYCLEAN spray and the clothes came out great.

This would make the most sense, and explain the greenish-colored towels as well (There were both white and cream colored towels in the wash, and yellow plus blue = green)

[TripperFan]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Yeah, I use liquid too. Sometimes using powdered detergent, especially in a washer that many other people use (like in a laundry mat) can cause that blue or grey color to appear. So even though you use liquid, others may be using powdered.

It can be the water. If it is hard water, that can cause that occasional grey or blue to appear.

When you wash white items or almost white items, use a bluing product to help keep those items white. You should find a brand in the detergent section. There is something in that product that helps to keep the hard water/minerals from adhering to your white clothes, towels, etc.

That product OXYCLEAN is also a great thing to have around. I used that when a stupid crayon ended up in the dryer. I thought those clothes were ruined but I used OXYCLEAN spray and the clothes came out great.

Yep - that works most times too, but if it doesn't, Zero puts out a sheet that you put in the washer. It not only helps prevent colours from bleeding into one another, but can take the colour out a bit once it's happened. Your towels may never be totally the same, but keep these two products in mind for the future.
Hope it helps! Being in college, I know you can't afford to run out and replace everything.

I hate sharing washing machines. In an apt. I onced lived in, someone had put dirty diapers in the washer before me and they hadn't rinsed them!!!! YUCK! I had to wash that load 3 times before I felt that I got everything out of my stuff.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by TripperFan

Yep - that works most times too, but if it doesn't, Zero puts out a sheet that you put in the washer. It not only helps prevent colours from bleeding into one another, but can take the colour out a bit once it's happened. Your towels may never be totally the same, but keep these two products in mind for the future.
Hope it helps! Being in college, I know you can't afford to run out and replace everything.

I hate sharing washing machines. In an apt. I onced lived in, someone had put dirty diapers in the washer before me and they hadn't rinsed them!!!! YUCK! I had to wash that load 3 times before I felt that I got everything out of my stuff.

Ugh, I know what you mean Cathie. When I had to buy a new washing machine, I had to wait for the one I wanted to come in, so for a week I had to deal with going to a laundry mat. I hated it. I would check the washers and dryers very carefully because of things like you mentioned above.