I’m ‘Dr. Laundry’ & always debunk a common myth – people don’t realize how fabrics deteriorate, it blows their minds
A LAUNDRY expert has debunked a common myth about clothing deterioration and what really causes it.
The professional revealed why cleaning your items eventually causes them to break down, regardless of the products you are using.
In a Reddit post, Mary Gagliardi, also known as Dr. Laundry, explained the most common reason for the deterioration of fabrics.
The laundry pro received her degree in textiles before going on to work at Clorox.
She began in the research and development department and now focuses on answering people’s laundry questions online.
When asked about one of the most common misconceptions she debunks, Dr. Laundry revealed the answer that blows minds.
“I think the biggest one is about the myth that long-term bleach usage damages fabrics,” she said.
Dr. Laundry explained that most materials inevitably begin to break down over time.
“Many people don’t realize that cotton fabrics naturally deteriorate just from wearing, washing, and tumble drying,” she said.
“Using bleach doesn’t accelerate this effect, either.”
The expert broke down the research behind fabric deterioration and the causes behind it.
“We have examined this extensively, evaluating a wide variety of white items commonly bleached: socks, underwear, T-shirts, towels, bed sheets, dress shirts, and even baseball pants,” she said.
The experiment involved washing and drying each item 50 times and comparing them before and after.
They also added bleach to half of the items washed to examine the differences.
“We found no significant difference in fabric strength between items that were washed with detergent alone and those washed in detergent and liquid bleach,” she revealed.
Dr. Laundry joked that everyone has the same reaction when she tells them this tidbit.
“When I share this with people, it really does blow their minds, especially if they have really bought into the myth!”
Tip to remove yellow sweat stains
Yellow armpit stains affects everyone, whether people care to admit to it or not. But there is help at hand. To remove yellow stains from your clothing, experts recommend the following methods:
- Baking soda paste: The pros at The Laundry Cafe recommend mixing one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide with one tablespoon of salt, and ½ cup of baking soda. Apply directly to the stain with a toothbrush, rub, and let the mixture sit for at least an hour, then wash as normal.
- Oxygen bleach: This method is just as useful for removing yellow stains. Mix one part of oxygen-based bleach with one part of ammonia in a non-metal bowl. Wear gloves during this application. Rub into the fabric with a toothbrush and allow the solution to sit for at least ten minutes before laundering as normal.
- Stain remover or detergent: Stains on collars can be stubborn to remove as armpit stains. So pretreat the area using a solvent-based stain-removing agent or detergent. Work the product into the collar with a toothbrush and allow it to sit for at least ten minutes before washing.
“Undiluted bleach applied directly to fabric is not recommended,” she added.
“It should always be diluted first according to the directions, when used as directed, you really can go for 50 cycles!”
Dr. Laundry previously explained the concept of fume fading on your clothes.
One woman demonstrated how to make a DIY laundry detergent using three ingredients.
Another social media user shared her trick for getting your clothes crease-free without an iron.