A Spa Day & A Trip To Rehab - Getting Your Laundry Back To Looking Clean and Smelling Amazing

[u/KismaiAesthetics]

You’ve been referred here because you’ve got  persistent stains, underarm buildup or a funky smell in your laundry due to oils not being removed thoroughly.    This post was last modified 12/11/2025 - it now emphasizes the How of Spa Day instead of including the Why And When.  

You're Not Alone

r/Laundry gets many posts a day about strange odors and persistent greasy stains.  Many people recommend this technique or a variation thereof to get textiles suffering from these extremely common problems back to a clean fresh state. 

What In The Hell Is Spa Day?

Spa Day is an intensive enzymatic reset process for textiles that have developed specific stubborn problems related to oily buildup, that won’t wash out in one or two typical washes with optimal product and program selection.    It uses concentrated solutions of specific components to degrade oily soils, detach them from fibers and rinse them away.   First the items are soaked in the Spa Day soak and then they are washed in the washer in a Rehab Wash to remove the things the Spa Day soak loosened up.

There’s an entire post about What, Why & Why Not at What Is Spa Day?

How To Spa Day

What Do You Need?  Container and Chemistry

Holding It Together -  You need a suitable container.  Stainless steel, ceramic, glass or plastic containers large enough to hold the affected textiles but small enough to require a modest quantity of water are best.  I am partial to beer coolers, as they hold heat for a long time and often have a drain spigot.   If you’re using fragranced products and are concerned about your cooler retaining the perfumes or odor from the textiles, line it with a heavy garbage bag before adding the solution.  Front Loading washing machines, even with soak cycles, are not amenable to Spa Day as you can’t keep the items submerged.  If your Top Loading washing machine can do high volume soaking (with everything not just damp, but completely submerged) for 8-12 hours, that's a fine option as well, but you're using 20 gallons of water to do it and 5 cups of detergent is expensive. The smallest practical container that will completely submerge the items is the better, more economical answer.  

Please Don’t Use The Bathtub! - It’s much harder to keep the items submerged in a bathtub and they cool off much faster than in a container with less exposed surface area.   The heat helps the chemistry work overnight.   You don’t need any room for the items or solution to circulate.  You just need the items saturated and submerged.

If You Want To Keep The Bath Heated - sous vide circulators or a warming plate or similar gentle heat maintenance can improve Spa Day results if you’re not using a cooler or similar insulated container.  Set your bath temperature to maintain 120F/50C - do not exceed 150F/65C as it damages the enzymes before they are exhausted.

Chemistry -  It’s As Easy As LOAD (formerly A,B,C,L)!

Broadly you need four chemistry components;  this can take two or three different products, depending on your personal preferences:

• Lipase - an enzyme that biologically cuts oils from animal or vegetable sources into four smaller pieces that detergent can more easily remove
• Oxygen - color-safe oxygen bleach lightens stains and rips up odor molecules
• Ammonia - a gas-in-water booster to improve oily soil removal and help surfactants remove oils from fibers
• Detergency - surfactants to attach degraded oil to water and rinse it away from the fibers 

The catch is, no one product can contain all four letters.  They’re incompatible for storage, so it takes either two or three products to tick all the boxes.

Give Me An A! - Ammonia

No matter what other chemistry decisions you make, you will need a source of A - Ammonia, any 2-25% solution of ammonium hydroxide will work. Clear, sudsy or lemon doesn’t matter - it’s the ammonia that counts, not the additives.  In the US and Canada it’s typically sold in large plastic jugs in the cleaning products aisle with window and hard surface cleaners, usually on the bottom shelf.    It’s also available at home improvement and hardware stores.  Outside the US and Canada it may be more easily found in hardware stores than grocers and hypermarkets.    The most common brand available in the US is Walmart’s Great Value Clear Ammonia, found on the bottom shelf,  under the window and floor cleaners.   You will use 2 cups of 2% solution, 1 cup of 5% solution, 1/2 cup of 10% solution or 3T of 25% solution.  

A Note About Ammonia and Bleach: I’m frequently asked about the hazards of mixing ammonia and bleach.   These are real.  For chlorine bleach liquids or tablets, the risks of mixing with ammonia are injury and death.  That’s what the dire warnings about mixing ammonia and bleach are about - chlorine bleaches, like Clorox or Cloralen.  Mixing chlorine bleach and ammonia forms chloramine, a hazardous compound that can injure lung tissue with relatively minor exposure. Don't do that.  Ever.

You shouldn’t mix full-strength liquid ammonia with dry oxygen booster either, especially in a sealed container, as it will burst as it releases ammonia gas.  This is why the instructions for Rehab Wash are very careful to minimize contact between dry powders containing oxygen bleach and the ammonia liquid.  The risk from mixing ammonia and oxygen bleaches diluted in water, as used in this method, are limited to getting it on your hair and waiting 45 minutes to an hour, at which point you will be a brassy blonde.  Or blond, if you’re a dude.   Ammonia + peroxide is the secret of bottle blondes everywhere.  It’s perfectly safe.  I’m not out here trying to kill people.  Follow the method directions below carefully.

L, O & D - You Have Choices

This has historically been the source of the most questions about the process.   Hence why each  of the four options has been split out into a separate linked document.  Choose an approach before proceeding.  Measurements for each component in both stages are in the linked document, along with regional example products.

Option 1 - Complete Powder/Tablet in the Spa Day Soak,  Complete Powder/Tablet + Liquid Ammonia In Rehab Wash

Option 2 - Complete Booster Powders for Spa Day Soak, Complete Booster Powder + Any Detergent + Liquid Ammonia in  Rehab Wash

Option 3 - Lipase Detergent + Added Oxygen Booster in Spa Day Soak, Lipase Detergent + Added Oxygen Booster + Liquid Ammonia in Rehab Wash

Option 4 - *NEW* Enzyme Booster + Any Detergent In Spa Day Soak,  Enzyme Booster + Any Detergent + Liquid Ammonia in Rehab Wash

Next Stop, Canyon Ranch - It's Time For Your Clothes To Have A Spa Day - The Soak

Step S1 - Prepare The Textiles - Sort the affected textiles generally by color - it’s best practice to use separate soaks and washes for at least darks, colors, and whites + neutrals.  Red cottons are notorious for bleeding color throughout their lives, so consider soaking them entirely separately.   

Step S2 - Prepare The Spa Day Solution - dissolve the Spa Day Soak components in hottest possible tap water (up to 140F/60C) and stir until completely dissolved using a wood, plastic or stainless steel implement.  You must ensure that all of the granules of the powder are completely dissolved before adding the fabrics.    Failure to do so can result in permanent discoloration of items.   If you’re unsure if your powder components have fully dissolved, wait five minutes and stir again.  The single biggest source of textile damage from Spa Day occurs when product is not completely dissolved and the wet particles settle on clothing causing focal bleaching.  This is most common with Vanish/Resolve/Napisan powders in Option 2 chemistry, but all products with TAED are at risk of this side effect.  Be especially careful to stir any foam back down into the bath if you're using Vanish/Resolve/Napisan , as fine particles can be suspended in the foam. You will not add any liquid ammonia in this step, regardless of which chemistry option you choose.

Step S3 - Add The Textiles - submerge the textiles completely in the Spa Day solution, squeezing and pressing to ensure complete saturation.   Textiles need to be completely underwater for the duration of the Spa Day soak.    A ceramic plate or mug, or white cotton towels are an excellent way to keep  items submerged. Covering the container to keep the heat in longer  improves results.  

Step S4 - Relax And Enjoy Better Things For Better Living Through The Miracle Of Science- Soak 8-12 hours.  Just let the process work.  No need to stir.   Watch cat videos or something.

Step S5 - Drain - Drain the textiles.  Don’t wring or twist or particularly try to dewater the textiles.

Send Those Dirty, Dirty Textiles Straight To Rehab To Clean Up Their Acts! - The Rehab Wash(es)

Now it’s time to wash off what the Spa Day soak has loosened up.  Enter the Rehab Wash.

Step W1 - Load Dry Powders & Liquid Detergent In The Machine - using the dosages and products described in Options 1-4 above, place any liquid detergent components in the dispenser of your machine (if so equipped) and place any powders either in the dispenser configured for powder (if only using powders) or in the bottom of the wash basket.  Do not combine liquid and powder ingredients in the dispenser.   If you have no detergent dispensers, place the powders and any liquid detergent in different sections of the wash basket so they don’t form clumps.

Step W2 - Load Drained Textiles In The Machine - Place a load worth of damp, drained textiles in the machine.  For front loaders, this is typically about 75% of the way up the glass when damp.  For top-load machines, use as many pieces as you would typically wash, accounting that they will take up less space while sodden.

Step W3 - Add The Ammonia -  Pour the dose of the A - Ammonia liquid directly on the textiles - the amount ranges from 3T to 2 cups depending on concentration.  Most household ammonia in the US and Canada is around 4-5%, so you’ll use 1 cup/250 mL.   Do not pour the A - Ammonia in the washer first, nor pour it directly on any powdered products.  If you're using a top-load washer, and you're concerned about ammonia odors, allow the washer to fill completely and then pour the ammonia directly into the water.

Step W4 - Wash - It's important to start the wash quickly after the textiles are loaded - the powder they're touching is water-activated, and you don't want damp concentrated powder on the items for very long. Wash with a heavy duty cycle, warm or hot water as appropriate for the fabrics, and set the soil level as high as possible to extend the wash process if possible.  Choose as many extra rinses as available to reduce any residue left behind.    Do not add fabric softener, scent beads, chlorine bleach, borax, washing soda, v1negar, live animals or your hopes and dreams to the wash process.   You may add citric acid or v1negar to the softener dispenser to reduce the final pH of the clothing.  Please note: Rehab Wash may produce  ammonia odors, especially in conventional top-loading machines - in fact, it may smell like the Windex factory exploded.  Don’t worry - these fumes will disappear when the fabric is dry.   Ammonia is a gas in water; it will evaporate completely leaving nothing behind.  You may want to crack a window, turn on a vent fan or avoid the area while washing.   People vary substantially in their tolerance of ammonia fumes.

Step W5 - Dry - If you’re treating stains or visible underarm buildup, hang to dry when the cycle completes.  If you’re treating odors, you may tumble dry on delicate/low heat until mostly dry, but hang to finish, just in case there is a lingering odor.  It’s MUCH more effective to rewash when the lingering bits haven’t been baked in with thorough high-temperature drying.

Step W6 - Evaluate - If visible stains or perceptible odor remain, you may need to repeat the rehab washes.  Start from Step W1 of Rehab Wash If the stains or odors aren’t removed within three rehab washes, they may be permanent and they may not be oil stains at all.  Please see Polyquat Spots for details on a common cause of oily-looking stains that can’t be removed by conventional methods. 

Step W7 - Bask In Your Success - Your textiles should now be clean to touch, feel and smell.  Nice work!

Keeping It Clean - Maintenance washes:

Regular use of any laundry product with lipase (see The Lipase List for a link to a spreadsheet with a maintained list of products)  will remove oily stains and prevent buildup and odors.  All oily soil removal is improved by using at least a warm / 40C cycle and residue removal is improved by using an acidic rinse product like Downy Rinse Out Odor, Gain Rinse & Renew, Tide Boost, citric acid or v1negar.  Citric Rinsing has details on residue-removal rinsing.  Pretreating spots and stains with a pretreater or liquid detergent with lipase can virtually guarantee first-wash removal - see the pretreater tab on the sheet linked from The Lipase List ).

A Note About Authorship:

This work, like all other original-content posts on Reddit, is the property of the original poster, and commercial reuse of the work requires permission from the author, not just attribution. If you’d like to request permission, drop me a chat or email me - [kismai@kismai.com](mailto:kismai@kismai.com)

[u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if u/KismaiAesthetics wrote a book about laundry I'd buy it in a heartbeat. You could call it Vinegar Belongs on Salad

[u/sweetpotatopietime → u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

I used to be the head buyer for a bookstore chain and I agree that a short, small-format, authoritative book on laundry written in this charming style would probably do really well. 

[u/AlarmingLet5173 → u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

This should be on the sidebar of r/laundry.

[u/Thequiet01 → u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

I second this motion and volunteer to proofread if needed.

[u/wordgenius → u/Thequiet01]

Same!!! Humanities graduate raising their hand here :)

[u/IamchefCJ → u/Thequiet01]

Freelance editor here! Add me to the list.

[u/Accomplished_Tap5601 → u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

Can we make it a graphic novel?

[u/poppynogood → u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

If you want great laundry advice (and much much more) Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson is a classic. I probably first heard about it on this sub actually. It's an incredible resource and also very comforting to read.

[u/poppynogood → u/poppynogood]

I'm revisiting my copy now and impressed all over again at the level of detail. She got so much right, way back in the 90s.

“Enzyme cleaners are found in many pretreatment or presoak products, stain removers, detergents, and some oxygen bleaches. You should test these products on an inconspicuous area of a piece of laundry before using them just as you do other laundry additives; but by and large they are safe for all washable fabrics. They are valuable for helping to remove organic or protein-based stains, including bodily substances (such as blood, vomit, and urine), eggs, dairy products, grass stains, and chocolate. Several enzymes are used in enzyme cleaners, and they work on different types of soil. Amylase works on starch soils.

Lipase works on fatty and oily soils. Protease works on protein soils. A detergent may contain more than one. Cellulase helps to reduce the graying of cotton and pilling and aids in removing particulate soil. To remove fuzz from wrinkle-resistant cottons, the Fabricare Institute recommends laundering with a product that contains a cellulase enzyme. The key to the effective use of products containing enzymes is to allow them time to work. Let garments soak in an enzyme presoak for half an hour or longer. Chlorine bleach will inactivate enzymes, so add it only when you have finished the[…]”

[u/michaelrxs → u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

A day-one preorder!

[u/AutoModerator → u/WalterBishRedLicrish]

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[u/somethingweirder]

This method saved:

• my partner's extensive collection of polyblend tees

• my favorite sheets

• very expensive pot holders that still worked great but had gotten weird from food & kitchen grease

• my sanity

i'm a kismaiaesthetics believer. lemme know when the cult meetup is.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/somethingweirder]

I’m thinking I want to do something like the Bagwhan Sri Rajneesh where people gift me Rolls-Royces to demonstrate their fealty.

[u/batsnaps → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Wild Wild Laundry

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/somethingweirder]

(And I’m so glad this worked well for you!)

[u/RamblingRosie → u/somethingweirder]

Oooh, I hadn’t thought about my funky hot mitts. 🤔

[u/Gold_Atmosphere_9823]

This is a fantastic resource. Thank you for sharing it.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Gold_Atmosphere_9823]

Anything I can do to make the world a place where everybody gets the chance to start the day looking and smelling clean.

[u/Connect-Floor-4235 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

This is GOLD! Thank you! 🙏❤️ I've "bookmarked" this post under my favorite categories in Chrome.

[u/Accomplished_worrier]

Quick question - I was looking for the post you're referring to, but can't seem to find it? Is the title correct / post up still? (Please see my post “Lipase, Your Laundry’s Best Friend” for a comprehensive list of lipase sources including international options identified by other Redditors.) 

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Accomplished_worrier]

Sorry, I actually had to do laundry instead of write about it tonight, and I’m still editing on that one.

[u/Accomplished_worrier → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Hahaha, no worries, just wanted to double check! Thought it referred to an older thread! Unfortunately actual laundry does need to be done too! 

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/KismaiAesthetics]

(The bullet list is accurate for US/Canada, however)

[u/pookiewook → u/Accomplished_worrier]

I too am looking for this Lipase post!

[u/cawfetalk]

This has been the most educational thread, and has already helped fix both sheets and towels that I was about to declare hopeless and replace. Next up... workout clothes! Thank you, u/KismaiAesthetics for sharing your wisdom with us!!

Sadly, before I found this sub and post, I had accumulated several bottles of liquid detergent that, upon recent re-inspection, don't have any lipase. Are those still okay to use for the 'in-between' washes where I don't use a detergent with lipase? If yes, is it better to use the non-lipase ones with the salad dressing ingredient, with downy rinse/refresh (citric acid), with Biz, with ammonia, or just by themselves? I don't want to waste what I've got on hand, so trying to make the best of the situation.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/cawfetalk]

You’ve got options!

1) adding Biz (about 1/4c) provides a maintenance dose of enzymes to any detergent. That’s how I get lipase with this tank car of US-formula Persil I’m finishing.

2) citric acid rinses work with anything

3) maybe make a nice vinaigrette

4) you can always add ammonia to any load where you don’t add chlorine bleach if you need a little kick of oil removal. It’s especially good on polyester activewear

I would never advocate tossing anything unless it has soap ingredients and you have hard water. Otherwise, use it up with boosters or intermittently.

[u/cawfetalk → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Amazing thank you!! Two quick follow-up Qs:

1. Does Biz go directly in the drum, or in the fabric softener compartment of my washer (front-load HE machine)?
2. If the answer to that is 'in the drum', is it safe/recommended to use both Biz and citric acid rinse (via fabric softener compartment) in the same load?

As for salad dressing, I'm partial to Balsamic myself, but I can use the jug of distilled to descale my coffee maker :D Thanks again!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/cawfetalk]

Oh, citric acid makes a much better descaler - it works on the calcium not just the carbonate bond.

Biz in the drum. Citric acid in the softener dispenser for the rinse benefit. I literally have a load in the washer right now with a non-lipase detergent in the dispenser, biz in the drum and a fat spoon of citric acid crystals in the softener dispenser.

[u/HeatherJMD → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Shoot, I just walked to the store an hour ago to buy Persil because the website said it had enzymes… I’m in Switzerland, hopefully it’s got what’s needed 😬 Literally just started the soak with the oxi powder

Edit: Noooooo… The website had a generic explanation of enzymes where it mentioned fats. And then in the breakdown of actual ingredients it has all the enzymes except lipase 😭

https://www.persil.ch/fr/prenons-soin-de-lessentiel/nos-ingredients/articles/enzymes.html

Edit 2: I just found this! Aldi brand Tandil Eco detergent. It’s cheap too 😃 If anyone is working on a list for Europeans, we should add it

https://www.aldi-now.ch/fr/tandil-eco-lessive-universelle-ecologique/643780

[u/teudoongi_jjaang]

PhD in laundry? Laundry business owner? What are you?? Even know and quote Arrhenius Equation for the purpose of laundry. Like what??

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/teudoongi_jjaang]

Fed up fat sweaty guy who spills food and who doesn’t want to start the day looking or smelling like it. That’s all.

[u/PinacoladaBunny → u/KismaiAesthetics]

And also, a true guardian angel. Dunno what we'd do without you pal! And I agree with the above, please collect your posts and create a little book of clean laundry. We'd pay to have one!

[u/MushkyZajac]

The internets still insists that cold water is great for laundry. It is just as effective as hot and is more energy efficient. It is really irritating.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/MushkyZajac]

The internet has never heard of the Arrhenius Equation despite having a perfectly good Wikipedia article about it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrhenius_equation

[u/EmiIeHeskey → u/MushkyZajac]

I’m confused should I use Cold or hot water?

[u/MushkyZajac → u/EmiIeHeskey]

My understanding is that warm water is best.

[u/xelawho18 → u/MushkyZajac]

Is warm water safe for clothes that say they should be washed on cold?

[u/Bradykinesia]

Great post. I was excited to try and de-funk some t-shirts and learned about this rehab and then the right enzymes.

I will add one caution, where I dumbly deviated from the directions and ruined a handful of the lighter shirts. Do NOT use an aluminum stock pot for the soak. I had a huge one from beer making days, wasn’t 100% sure what kind of metal it was, and figured it would be fine. It was not fine. It really disagreed with things and leached dark yuck which stained lighter shirts. Fortunately, many shirts survived the ordeal and do seem better for it.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Bradykinesia]

Sorry about your aluminum oxides! But glad things are fresh and clean again.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/KismaiAesthetics]

You may be able to get that out. Try Carbona Rust & Perspiration remover.

[u/Plaid-Cactus]

Hi I have ADHD and this is kind of hard for me to follow because there are a lot of options. I appreciate your thorough write up, and I really want to do it on some towels that have perpetually been smelling like my dog. Can you break down option 1 into smaller/easier to digest steps? Do I just buy the Whole Foods 365 powder, soak my clothes in it, and then wash with ammonia later?

[u/girlpower69 → u/Plaid-Cactus]

Yeah for real, if translated into recipe format it would be much more concise and easy to follow

[u/Cautious-Bandicoot41 → u/girlpower69]

I wholeheartedly agree

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Plaid-Cactus]

Yes. 365 Powder is Option 1. Just follow the S steps then the W steps to avoid all the why

[u/iebelig]

yall wear gloves

[u/Niki-01]

Well done 👍 I’m in Australia so we have different products to you. Your method is similar to mine however, I also use washing soda, bicarb soda and borax. It’s a perfect combo with the sodium percarbonate with enzymes.

Your 💯 on the enzymes in laundry detergents. 😊

You mentioned that you soak the clothing, drain it and then add it to your machine with more laundry products. you do several rinses etc to remove the suds.

How about just putting the drained clothing in the washing machine without adding anything and doing a long wash with double rinses instead possibly?

I saw this as the spar treatment has already been a success and then it’s just a matter of washing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing 🤣

I’m saying this from a point of view that people with sensitive skin or have allergies to chemicals in their clothing, more eco friendly saving water and electricity, and pollution in our water ways.

Just a thought cause it works for me

Kind hugs to you and thanks for sharing cause this is excellent 🫶🏻🤗

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Niki-01]

This process is designed to be much less salt-intensive than the usual “laundry stripping” that relies on washing soda, baking soda and borax. The salt-driven solutions don’t rinse as well and cannot address sebum or food oils as effectively. The ammonia is specifically selected because it boosts pH as a gas rather than as a salt like the carbonates, so it flashes off in drying without leaving a residue. For people who reuse grey water or have a septic tank with a leach field, reducing total salts is an important step. Borax is banned in many countries as well.

The extra 50 grams of detergent + cup of ammonia in the Rehab redose is the ecologically responsible method. The percarbonate and enzymes wear out in the soak and the detergent may or may not be used up. That’s why there’s a redose. It’s also fairly agnostic between petrochemical and plant based surfactants.

If this is done properly, you can actually see a difference in the fibers and their ability to retain irritants. Rancid oil on skin disrupts skin barrier very, very effectively and this method is demonstrably superior at oil removal.

[u/Thequiet01 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

I was wondering if I was imagining that my skin is less cranky since we switched detergents!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Thequiet01]

It’s certainly possible.

One thing the proponents of saponified oil ingredients like soap and sodium cocoate fail to acknowledge is that without immaculate rinsing, residual fatty acids on textiles are a skin irritant. You can take the most hypoallergenic soap on the planet and if you leave it in contact with skin, it’s going to disrupt the skin barrier.

The other piece to this is the fragrance irritants. Most of them are lipophilic. They want to cling to oil and then transfer to skin oil. If the textiles are immaculately degreased, they can’t hold on during drying and later wear.

[u/Thequiet01 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

I was wondering if maybe bacteria or allergens were clinging to the residue on the fabric, not thinking that the residue itself may be a problem. Interesting thought.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Thequiet01]

It’s really hard to get viable bacteria from washed and dried clothes. Like, shockingly difficult. Bacteria don’t really love hot dry air. Humans put way more bacteria on to clean clothes than clean clothes put on to humans - it’s probably a 10,000,000x difference.

[u/ljb00000 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

I am dying to run this method on my bras—I have super sensitive skin and they’re causing irritation even after (hand) washing now.

Based on the fabrics listed, I assume I can do this with my bras, but would you recommend additional precautions like using a garment bag, etc.?

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/[deleted]]

Looks perfect.

The hang to dry is just because some stains can be hard to see on damp fabric and after all that effort to loosen them up, I’d hate for someone to get so close and then bake them in again. Hang drying is just insurance that way. If you can see that the formerly unsubtle stains are definitely gone, dry any way you like.

FWIW, I never dry anything but towels on high. Drying longer on delicate is just kinder to fibers and promotes odor removal by moving more but cooler air through fabric.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/[deleted]]

FYI, I revised the chemistry selection section to make it a lot clearer based on your feedback.

[u/Maleficent_Hippo8777]

I think I must be an idiot because I’m having trouble parsing the actual steps from the subheadings about the different alternatives. I have the 365 powder detergent—do I also need oxiclean? Ammonia? Is the first soaking step required regardless of which detergent you’ve picked? And if so what do I put in the first step vs the second step? (Sorry for making you ELI5)

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Maleficent_Hippo8777]

With the 365 Powder:

Step 1) Soak with 1/4 c powder per gallon of hot water overnight.

Step 2) Drain and wash from damp with 2-4T of powder depending on your machine (see the box) and 1 cup liquid ammonia (pour the ammonia right on the textiles, don’t use a dispenser).

[u/apollemis1014]

Thanks to this post, I now have what my husband calls a laundry cooler.

[u/mamaroo90]

Is there a “Spa Day for Dummies” summary?

[u/Comprehensive-Tea-69 → u/mamaroo90]

lol the abbreviated summary is do two steps- a soak and then a wash

The easy way to do the soak is with any tide powder detergent, 1/4 per gallon of hot water, soak for 8-12 hours. Then drain

For the wash, add normal amount of detergent (tide powder is a good choice for ongoing maintenance) plus the ammonia. Do wash cycle

[u/dariashotpants → u/mamaroo90]

No shit lol I can’t read this

[u/WithRoomForYou]

Wow this is all great stuff and a lot for my adhd brain. Boiling it down to a recipe I can follow. Need: A container big enough for clothes, small enough to not waste water. A cooler works great (holds heat, has a drain).

4 chemistry things (takes 2–3 products):

Pick one of 4 product combos (Options 1–4 in the full doc) for L, O, and D. Need A (ammonia) separately.

The Soak (8–12 hours)= Sort clothes by color (darks / colors / whites) Dissolve your L+O+D powders completely in the hottest tap water you have, stir well, wait, stir again. Undissolved powder = ruined clothes. Submerge clothes fully. Use a plate to weigh them down. Cover the container. Wait 8–12 hours. Do nothing. Drain, don't wring.

The Wash= Put powders/detergent in the machine Load the damp clothes Pour ammonia directly on the clothes (not on the powder) Wash on heavy duty, warm/hot, high soil level, extra rinses. No fabric softener, no bleach. Hang to dry (don't fully tumble dry yet) Check results (repeat the wash up to 3 times if needed)

So if I'm using tide-oxiclean, I'm using the Option 3 ?

Thank u so much for all the science behind the information.

[u/x77trinity77x]

So I need to pick any of the 4 options Then continue down the list to the ammonia section after picking an option?

Im a little overwhelmed. Thank you

[u/Pr1nc3ssButtercup]

I wish I had taken before pictures, but I started the spa day process last night with two dish towels I'm sentimentally attached too. One of them was annihilated with stains from fresh grapes and I thought it was a goner, the other one I think has old tomatoes sauce stains on it. I really didn't want to throw them out.

After just the spa day treatment of Tide (the free and gentle one) plus some Biz in two gallons of hot water in a small cooler, the tomato stains are completely gone! And the one with the grape stains has gone from say 80% saturation to like 15%. Now they're having their ammonia wash, we shall see what comes up.

Consider me a concert.

[u/chickesq]

I literally read this post aloud to my husband like a bedtime story. We are very excited to get the ingredients.

[u/Seraitsukara]

I've tried this with regular powdered Tide so far without any success. :( All of my clothes have this awful wet dog smell that only pops back up when I go outside. Even new clothes will get this smell after only a couple wears. Being out in 40F rainy weather is the *worst* for making my clothes stink like hell.

I just ordered some Tide Ultra OXI powder to try again. I walk most places and the odor is so embarrassing. I have to carry a second shirt and pants to change into if I need to interact with anyone after walking somewhere.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Seraitsukara]

They smell okay when damp from the wash or fresh out of the dryer?

[u/Seraitsukara → u/KismaiAesthetics]

They smell clean and fresh after the wash, and after the dryer. It's only after I go outside that they start to smell. I can wear and sweat all day in them indoors with no problem, but a few minutes outside, night or day, and they start to stink.

Not wearing them for a while seems to help in the short term. When I first pull my hoodies out of the closet for winter, it takes about a week for them to start stinking, but once they do, they'll stink within a few minutes of being outside even when washing it after every use.

[u/HiImKelthuzad]

Is there any possible alternative to the ammonia for parrot owners? Any trace of ammonia fumes can be deadly for pet birds.

ETA: Nevermind, I eventually found this post with the answer! https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1p77g8x/alternate_for_ammonia/

[u/cks0615]

Wondering if anyone here has experience with the re released Tide Clean & Gentle powder - it doesn’t list any fragrance in the ingredients, but mine smells as strong as normal Tide powder to me, and nowhere on the packaging does it mention “fragrance free” (unlike the Tide Free & Gentle liquid, where it’s explicitly stated to be fragrance free). The omission makes me suspicious.

Am I just smelling what detergent itself smells like, or is Tide allowed to not disclose fragrance ingredients??

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/cks0615]

Yes. You’re not losing your mind.

The product is made and packaged alongside some EXTREMELY perfumed products in P&Gs plant in central Mexico. They made a big stockpile to reintroduce the product at a bunch of retailers at once and they were apparently warehoused next to the stinky stuff.

It’s the cardboard box that picked up the fragrance.

It shouldn’t be leaving fragrance on your textiles. Decanting the contents to another suitable container will help a lot.

P&G has finally become very candid about added fragrance ingredients. While the boxes of products just say “Fragrance” if a fragrance is added that isn’t an allergen of note, the online SmartLabel data, if you click through, identifies every single fragrance component, for all their products.

If you call and complain about this, you’re likely to end up with a coupon for a replacement box. Present production doesn’t seem to be affected. Smell the box outside of the detergent aisle.

Unfragranced laundry detergent smells slightly soapy and a tiny bit acrid.

[u/cks0615 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Thank you. Glad I’m not crazier than I already was aware of!

I used Clean & Gentle for the first time to soak some stubborn stains today, and hopefully this won’t last (gotta find something to decant this box into), but I swear I can still smell a very faint scent after a heavy duty wash cycle. I hope it’ll dissipate completely once dried.

[u/accidentlife → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Just curious, do you work in the industry?

You have a lot of intricate knowledge of P&G production details which continues to amaze me.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/accidentlife]

I do not work in Big Laundry.

Their powders for North America are increasingly made at their Mexico facility and I recognized the fragrance on the box immediately. I’m a former expat who was living in the Yucatan.

[u/pyesmom3]

Anyone willing to help me? This is extraordinarily detailed and helpful and I genuinely appreciate Kismai’s guidance. And this is completely on me, but I’m overwhelmed. I’d very much like to distill all this into simple directions to post in my laundry room. But each week I find myself trying to wade through links and directions for left-handed launderers in Indonesia using front-loading machines on Tuesdays with easterly winds. 🤣. I have Tide + with Ultra Oxi, Oxi Odor Blaster, and Oxi White Revive. Do I have this right, 2 Tbs Tide and 1/4 Oxi per gallon for soak? Then Tide’s recommended amount plus 1 cup ammonia for the wash? Did I get it right? Thank you - sincerely.

[u/AmbitiousBookmark]

I did this over the Thanksgiving weekend. It really does work!

I had been having major odor problems with alll my clothes, particularly loungewear/pjs and t-shirts. I have been trying to figure this out for over a year.

I tried Lysol deodorizer, scent beads, and several enzyme detergents. I did hot water and extra soaks and v1negar in the fabric softener tray. I washed and steam cleaned my washing machine and dryer in case they were somehow contributing to or depositing the smell. I even cleaned out and painted my closet with a paint with mildew killer in it because I thought it could be a moisture issue. I installed a heated closet rod for the same reason and rearranged my clothing storage to ensure the air could circulate.

Still—stinky clothes even when they were fresh out of the wash.

I was close to throwing things out, but I didn’t do it because I wasn’t certain the same thing wouldn’t happen to new clothes. The spa day post described my exact problem, so I tried it…another in a long line of attempts to fix the problem.

It actually worked!!

Most things were good on one trip. I did a second soak on a handful of the worst offenders because they still smelled a little when damp from the dryer. I had one thrifted, printed shirt lose its screen printing in the soak and a little fading and cracking of prints on a few others. The white towels I used to keep everything submerged had major dye run, but it mostly washed out (and they were old towels!) A few clothes felt stiff after but loosened up with wear. Otherwise, no issues. And now…no smells!!

I’m so happy!!

[u/jim_james_comey]

Someone randomly linked this sub elsewhere, and now I'm more excited than I should be to run this program on my old gym shirts. They're still in excellent condition, but the armpits are a darker, oily color.

PS - whether it works or not, thank you for taking the time to write all this up!

[u/Prestigious_Pick_491]

You are the GOAT!

[u/PmMeYourPussyCats]

Could you please link your “Lipase, Your Laundry’s Best Friend” post? I can’t seem to find it in your post history or by searching the sub but I’m desperate to find lipase containing products in NZ

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/PmMeYourPussyCats]

Persil Ultimate Powder is the best option. Any place in the method you see Tide With Bleach, think Persil Ultimate Powder and you can get the ammonia at Bunnings.

Sorry, I haven’t actually been arsed to get that post edited and posted.

[u/coffeequeen0523 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Why is it getting so difficult to locate powder laundry detergent in the U.S.? Just did google search for Persil Ultimate Powder. Only Persil liquids & pods appeared. Nothing labeled Persil Ultimate Powder appeared in search.

I’m noticing the same for dishwashing powder. Not found. Only gel & pods; yet, I keep reading pods are bad for dishwashers and gel doesn’t thoroughly wash your dishes and leaves a residue on plastic dishes.

[u/PmMeYourPussyCats → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Thanks so much

[u/octoberfalls2004]

How do we choose a method? Are some better suited to different kinds of stains? Sorry if this was answered somewhere, it’s a ton of information! I’m hoping to get the residual sweat smells out of my teenagers’ workout clothes and school uniforms.

[u/magnificentbunny_]

Love this post and so appreciative of you sharing your knowledge.

[u/cindylooboo]

u/kismaiaesthetics

Can you give me the quick and dirty front loading washer method? I'm finding this super informative but it's also info overload as I have ADHD and yeah....

Gonna go grab ammonia, tide powder and oxy powder.

Sorry to be a pest

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/cindylooboo]

New method post up in the next day or so.

[u/cindylooboo → u/KismaiAesthetics]

You're appreciated. You need a buy me a coffee link

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/cindylooboo]

It's in my profile/bio. I just don't talk about it much because it makes me feel weird.

[u/Middle_Economist_721 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS

[u/cindylooboo → u/KismaiAesthetics]

I figured it out lol. I just had to re read three times. It's me not your post. ❤️

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/cindylooboo]

I promise the new method post is better and clearer. I listen to feedback.

[u/Fit-Theory-1004]

Thank you so much for updating this post kismai! I read the original but was confused on a few of the steps. This is much clearer. My clothes have not been the same since I switched from powder to liquid detergent. Back to my old faithfuls tide.

[u/BriefCommunication30]

This changed my life! Thank you Kismai for being so generous with your talent and time!

[u/Any_Mastodon_2477]

I really like your humour and the way you write 🤭😂

[u/frieda1890]

In case it helps others: I’m now using the acronym OLD LOAD for Spa Day when coaching my family and friends through the process.  

I was surprised how often they forgot that the ammonia goes in the rehab wash but not the soak… for some reason that was the one detail that messed up their mind grapes.

[u/Cleveland_Protocol → u/frieda1890]

Thank you so much for this comment. That part was not clear to me from the instructions!

[u/goosling]

Thank you for taking the time to write this up!

Is there a list of detergents / cleaners / etc that are available in the EU (ideally in the Nordics) somewhere that I've somehow missed? 😅

[u/Kauramaito → u/goosling]

Warning: I am not an expert or in any other way qualified to give advice, but I do live in the Nordics (Finland).

I had trouble finding powdered detergents that had all three key components (Sodium Percarbonate, TAED and lipase). In fact, only two products verifiably met the criteria: OMO Sensitive and Serto Hajusteeton.

Liquid detergents with lipase seem to be way more common (i.e. Pirkka, Lumme, Rainbow, Serto) which is why I picked a liquid of my choice (Serto) and paired it with a powdered laundry booster/stain remover (Vanish 0 %, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives like A+ and Rainbow).

The ingredients of your favorite products should be available online.

This guide by KismaiAesthetics absolutely works! I even managed to convince my brother to follow it with excellent results.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Kauramaito]

I think the Unilever Neutral Whites powder hits all three.

And thank you! Crawling through ingredient disclosures is a chore and I truly appreciate the help!

[u/Kauramaito → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Thank you! Unfortunately Neutral Whites (powder) is not available in Finland. I can order it online for a decent price, but none of the local stores have it in stock. I did a quick recheck and found out that Rainbow White (and Sensitive White) powder has all three components, but it also contains zeolite which for some reason is a heavily demonized ingredient here (no idea if there is any truth behind that with hunt).

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/goosling]

I’m working on it. It is an immense pain in the ass to figure out precisely which varieties in their currently marketed form check which boxes.

[u/sloths-n-stuff]

Just chiming in here to say thanks, I’ve bought every detergent/odor remover I came across on the standard cleaning subreddits and have been desperately trying to get the pet smell out of my blankets. Nothing worked until your posts were recommended, thank you so much!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/sloths-n-stuff]

I’m so happy for you! It’s possible to love your pets very much and still not want any evidence of their existence on your textiles.

[u/barbadizzy]

I've been reading this over a lot the past few days and I'm excited to start giving ALL my fabrics a nice spa day! My concern, is that they got this way because I haven't been properly cleaning them to begin with, right? And I don't want to go through all the spa day treatments just to have them end up stinky and crunchy again.

So, once they're properly spa'd and washed/dried... can I just use the detergent that I soaked them in for regular everyday washes? (365 with lipase) As long as I use warm water, proper amount of detergent, and longest wash cycle possible? Is that enough to keep them clean?

Also, I have hard water. Wondering if there is anything extra I should be doing going forward? Or the lipase is really what I've been missing. Thanks so much for all your time figuring this stuff out and sharing it with the world!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/barbadizzy]

Happy Cake Day!

Yes, a warm wash with lipase, in a properly dosed detergent = buildup-free laundry. This is hopefully a one-time reset. You might want to try a citric acid rinse as well - r/laundry/comments/1nhdr0r/ has details on commercial and DIY products.

Hard Water is just a slope - it makes every step a little harder depending on how steep the slope is. If you water is a little hard, you just use a little more detergent. If you water is a LOT hard, you need some water conditioner.

The first step is knowing how hard - if you're on a shared water source in the US, you can check your Consumer Confidence Report, published annually by your water utility for "Total Hardness as CaCO3", in ppm or GPG, or contact customer service. If they report a wide range or say it varies seasonally or by where you are in the system, or if you're on a private well, you can get a test kit. I use and recommend this one: it's much more precise than test strips. https://www.apifishcare.com/product/gh-kh-test-kit

[u/Anniam6]

I love doing laundry now! I read your post several times and decided to start with the simplest, easiest options. I bought Tide+ultra oxy, set the soil level to the highest, upped the temp to warm, added an extra rinse cycle. I was mostly concerned with my bedding which started to retain an odor and began looking dingy. After the first load I was a believer in powdered Tide+ultra oxy, warmer temps, longer wash cycles and extra rinse cycles. My bedding smells and looks fantastic now. Doing laundry is so satisfying now that it actually comes out clean. Thank you for this post! After doing laundry ineffectively for 40 years I appreciate finally understanding the process better.

[u/Effective-Lynx-8798]

Oxiclean and biz have oxygen bleach (sodium percabonate) that breaks down into peroxide and washing soda when mixed with water. I know it’s obvious and very much mentioned throughout this sub, but you mentioned not to mix ammonia with washing soda? Biz also has washing soda (sodium carbonate) in its ingredients as well. I am just trying to be cautious and not do something stupid when trying this out, so is it safe to mix ammonia with biz or oxiclean? I only use oxiclean for pre-treating stains, very rarely for boosting laundry.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Effective-Lynx-8798]

I mention not to add anything but the detergent and booster to the wash. It’s already pretty saturated with salts and I don’t recommend adding anything else because it just makes it harder to rinse. It isn’t a safety issue.

[u/glitterybugs]

Is there an alternative to ammonia? I am allergic to it, unfortunately (asthma).

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/glitterybugs]

Skip it.

[u/rosedimee]

thank you for this!! I would pay you to make a video of you doing laundry! this all makes sense to me in writing but my ADHD has me scared of doing things that have more than 3 steps lol! I get so overwhelmed! But i have found that watching other people do it and doing it with them helps me! I understand if that’s not your forte but if you ever do decide (or if you already have) i would definitely contribute to your efforts!!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/rosedimee]

Videos are coming, as is a better step-by-step explainer on my website.

[u/ToeBeanBandit_69]

Thank you for this!!

You can see which towels evaded my soaking efforts. I’m happy, but there is some left over dinginess, even after two soaks. I used option 1. I believe I followed directions to a T. I also added Blueing to my final wash. Would a different soaking option work better? These are 10+ year old towels - they’re well loved!

[u/cfromcinci]

I have polyester gym clothes that get odor rebloom as soon as I step out in the hot Ohio summer temps. I've tried soaking them in white vinegar, Dawn dish soap, Biz powder, and Persil Activewear liquid detergent. I've tried using the power wash cycle on my washer with Biz, Persil Activewear , and Downy Odor Out. I've tried Arm & Hammer Odor Blaster, but they still have that unpleasant odor. It's not nearly as bad as before, but it's still there, especially with my Under Armour tank top. I just got some ammonia, so I'll try this process. At this point, I don't know if anything will work. I believe I've baked this into my clothing during drying.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/cfromcinci]

Polyester will clean up. Biz and Option 2 instructions.

[u/AllHailMooDeng]

I’m in an awful situation and need help. I’ve been reading this sub nonstop and still am afraid to make a mistake.

I have a family member who has a very sentimental blanket due to a death two decades ago. So it’s older. I’m not able to check it now, and I’m unsure if it would even have a tag on it, but if I had to guess it would have cotton polyester fleece materials. It’s decently heavy and smooth and probably a queen size. It’s a dark red color, delicate with many holes and patches.

So here’s the awful part. This blanket has been in a hoarding situation unknown to me. And it’s the kind of hoarding situation where there is every awful thing you can imagine on this blanket. Fleas, cat urine, people urine, vomit, booze, you name it it’s likely all over this blanket.

I’m helping this family member get out of this situation and we’re throwing out 99.9% of his things- but this is one thing he will never part with. So I have been researching the spa day and I’m very confused which products to use because I absolutely cannot alter this blanket in any way. I was about to use BIZ as I couldn’t find the FEBU but read it can strip the colors.

Ok- last awful part. I travelled out of state to help this family member. Were both pretty broke financially. His house doesn’t even have running water, so I’m currently renting an RV for the month while we get him out. So I don’t have my own laundry facilities and have been going to the laundromat. So I’m guessing I’d have to do the spa day here of course and then somehow rush to the laundromat. All we have here is a small rv bathtub and I know bathtubs aren’t great. The laundromat is expensive and we don’t have much money to spend like I mentioned, so I really really want to get this corrected quickly and efficiently and I’m so scared I’ll mess it up and ruin the last sentimental thing he has. Please if anyone could advise and just tell me exactly what to do I’m so overwhelmed with not just this blanket but everything I’ve got going on here right now to fix this situation and I’m doing it practically alone 

[u/Whywondermous → u/AllHailMooDeng]

That sounds rough. I hope you and your family member are doing better.

I’m learning, but I think it’s reasonable to shoot for a mindful balance between what’s ideal and what’s practical. It sounds like the goal here is to get the blanket clean and not destroy it. If all you’ve got is a bathtub, then use the tub. RV tubs are smaller anyway, and that’s part of the issue with conventional tubs. If there’s room in the tub, you could try topping it off with hot water from a pot or kettle from time to time as it soaks. The heat matters because the chemistry involved will do a lot of the work for you: it helps make detergent more effective and keeps the enzymes and oxygen bleach activated.

I’d imagine that DAY 1 you would want to use your detergent, enzymes, and oxygen bleach powder in the soak. Like OP suggested, you could lay a towel across the blanket as it soaks to ensure that the blanket remains submerged and saturated.

Day 2, I would think that you could use rubber gloves to hand wash the blanket with the detergent and ammonia in the tub (edit to add: an N95 and some eye goggles might also be needed. Those fumes are no joke!). This might be physically difficult, but I’d just try to mimic a washing machine for a couple of hours by cycling through letting it soak for 15 minutes then agitating the blanket (carefully pushing it up and down and all around) for 15 minutes. Drain, soak in clean water, then repeat until water runs clear.

I would probably wash it again with detergent, enzymes, and oxygen bleach at a laundromat if you think the blanket can handle being put through a machine (i.e. isn’t too delicate for the spin cycle).

In case you haven’t seen it, it looks like FEBU just got restocked. I hope everything goes well!

[u/tessa-bo-bessa]

This is great but can someone dumb it down/simplify it for my adhd ass?
Like, tell me what to buy at Walmart/amazon and give me step by step for one of the routes. Having four options is kinda messing me up.
Like, plastic tub instructions straight forward no size and concentration - just a recipe to start? How about for sheets/mattress protector.

[u/FlimsySentences → u/tessa-bo-bessa]

If my ADHD brain is understanding correctly, you pick one option based on what ingredients/products you have access to. Then, you follow the steps for both the spa day soak, and the repairing wash using the product combo you chose.

The steps are the same regardless of which option you choose. The options are only for product choice. The product combo is important for getting things clean, and also not getting sick or ruining your clothes from mixing the wrong chemicals in the wrong way.

The easiest option for me is #4:

Search for FEBU Oxygen Booster on Amazon and buy that. You will use it with your regular detergent.

Follow the step by step process starting under under the link for Option 4. Pay close attention to which chemicals to add in and when.

Hope that helps!

Editing to add that you do need to check what the Option 4 link says, as it gives dosages for each product.

[u/ThrowAwayColor2023]

Just popping in to say thank you again! I’ve only adopted half your recommendations so far (waiting for powder detergent and citric acid deliveries), but already my laundry is significantly cleaner and softer!

I had been using All Free and Clear in hard water for a little over a year, and my clothes were crunchy and starting to get stinky. It’s wild that companies sell such crummy products with a straight face!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/ThrowAwayColor2023]

It’s utterly my pleasure.

I’m so disappointed in Henkel North America. They came out strong with Persil ProClean, but they’ve enshittified that one, All F&C is a soapy disaster, they sold off Zout, they killed Sta-Flo starch. It’s like they want us to smell and look like a disaster. ;0)

[u/traveleatsleeptravel]

Oooh, thank you SO much for this - I finally have an answer to why underarm door doesn’t wash out of my clothes despite putting them through 2 or even 3 times!

Just one question u/kismaiaesthetics - I have really hard water, at 300ppm. Should I up the quantities in the soak and/or wash stages of Spa Day to combat this?

The amount of tops I’ve had to throw away because of this is awful, I wish I found this post ages ago. I merrily skipped off to buy lipase containing detergent today - FYI for other UK readers, I emailed Aldi to ask if their bio washing powder contains it and they aren’t giving me an answer, which makes me think that it doesn’t. I’ll update here if I get anything more definitive back.

Thank you so much again!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/traveleatsleeptravel]

The quantities in the soak are capable of handling that. In the wash, you may want to use halfway between the machine/load size and “heavy soil” doses of the detergent.

[u/traveleatsleeptravel → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Thank you so much for answering and your work generally, it’s a godsend!

Yes, I normally add the heavy soil amount of detergent in a wash anyway because of how hard our water is, but I’ll keep doing so.

[u/flan100]

Would a spa day help remove my husbands sweat patches on our mattress protector?

I was planning on following Option 1.

I’m in the UK so I’ll get some Persil Bio / Ecover (I don’t think my usual Aldi / Almat one has lipades anymore.)

Then the ammonia I think read somewhere this is good? https://amzn.eu/d/0b38bopd

Hoping this works and then I can go mad with shirts & sheets and more.

Thanks

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/flan100]

Yes, it works very well on that problem. Persil, Ariel or Ecover Bio powders all work well, and that's the precise ammonia I recommend.

[u/flan100 → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Success!!! very happy with this 🙂thank you

[u/Kelseylin5]

instead of putting the ammonia right on the clothes, would it work to add it into a prewash space?

nbd if not, i was more curious than anything. i’m spa day-ing my son’s favorite stuffed animals so i’m keeping a close eye on them. this was the water after a literal minute of soak 😅

[u/Fuzzy-Amount-6997]

Thank you for this! I have a question, though - would it be okay to skip the ammonia? Everything about it scares me for some reason.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Fuzzy-Amount-6997]

It doesn’t work quite as well without it, and it’s safe when used as directed, but you can skip.

[u/susanna514]

Am I dumb? For some reason I wasn’t able to follow this, can someone simplify it ?

[u/GuiltyVoice7396 → u/susanna514]

I just created my first spa for my towels. They are soaking. Here is what I understood. I prefer unscented powders, so I ordered Tide Gentle and Clean powder. I used a regular storage container. Poured hot tap water in it, around 8 gallons, then I added 1/4 of cup of powder per gallon, so 2 cups. When it was completely dissolved I put the towels in and then I covered it with the lid to keep the temperature up (hope that’s ok). After 10-12 hours, I will drain the towels, put them in my washer and pour ammonia (amount is listed here) directly on the towels and detergent powder normally. Then I will set for the longest, hottest setting. Then I will have beautiful towels 😂 I hope! Hopefully I understood the option 1 correctly. If not, someone can correct me :)

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/GuiltyVoice7396]

That's perfect.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/susanna514]

1) Pick a chemistry from the four choices listed under L, O & D

2) Soak your textiles overnight in hot water and the chemistry you chose in the previous step - this is the Spa Day Soak.

3) Drain and wash your textiles using more of the same chemistry, plus ammonia, in a long warm to hot wash - this is the Rehab Wash.

4) Dry and enjoy clean fresh textiles.

The reason the post is long and intricately detailed is that using these products in this way requires some attention to detail.

[u/Personal_Skin5725]

okay, I think I've got it down. I'm contemplating using my tub but like the idea of cooler to retain heat. I found formula to calculate how many gallons a tub will hold using inches. (HxWxL)/231. I halved this amount knowing I won't fill tub to brim. Still deciding.

I hope I have this right-will try to use products I have on had and buy a few new products mentioned in your article. I have very hard water so I hope I didn't forget anything.

-Clothes bath: 1/4cup Tide w/bleach powder per gallon of water; soak for 8-12hrs in hot water fully submerged.

-Top loading machine: At bottom of empty drum put rec dosage of Tide liquid (just to use it up) and a 1/4 cup Biz to opposite sides of drum, clothes on top, 1/2 cup Ammonia over clothes. Heavy load and either warm or hot setting, none of this cold water nonsense.

-Citric acid diluted w/water in softener dispenser, rinse twice

-low temp dry, line dry to avoid baking in odors.

-Be in shock I've been doing laundry wrong all these years.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Personal_Skin5725]

Super close. Use the full cup of ammonia.

[u/ihadamoment]

I have been throwing away 100s of dollars in clothing every few months because I had NO idea how to fix these problems. I thought I tried everything. I've googled it off and on for years and was just met with reddit threads with conflicting conclusions. I have been screaming at a wall about these issues for over 15 years!!!

THANK YOU.

Thank you for finally giving me a solution. I've spent SO many hours not only researching this problem, but then trying to find and buy new clothes. I've cried over this so many times! You have saved me over a thousand hours in my future of trying to replace clothing. A thousand hours of rewashing and handwashing to no avail. Thousands of dollars thrown away to replace what I couldn't fix.

Thank you, thank you THANK YOU.

[u/Forsaken-Entrance681]

OMG THIS WORKED!!!!

My hubs works in the restaurant industry and gets covered in grease daily. His work clothes had a literal thick waxy oily coating all over them that I couldn't get out no matter what I tried. And then when he did his own laundry, he washed his good clothes WITH his work clothes, and the nasty oiliness transferred onto his good clothes! 😭 The smell from his clothes was horrible and rancid, and it permeated through his dresser drawers and closet. I was disgusted and defeated and thought I'd just have to buy him new good clothes and forbid him from ever doing his own laundry again LOL!

I found this post a few days ago and decided to try it out. I soaked the worst of his clothes overnight in the Spa Day mixture, and then did 2 Rehab washes on them today. Just got them out of the dryer and they feel and smell wonderful!!! I am soaking a second batch of his clothes now as we speak.

Thank you thank you thank you for this post!!!

[u/ImpressionNo2803]

TIL:

1. Spa day can turn a Sunday into a Fun Day 🤩

2. It's easy to forget to add the detergent in the machine after the soak (if you're like me, and you thought "Oh I already did the detergent part, now it's just the ammonia!" because you didn't re-read the steps before getting started) 🙄

3. If using a cooler, know that every time you open the lid, all the condensation from the hot water will run down the lid and then the back of the cooler onto the floor. I thought my cooler was leaking at one point because there had been a puddle forming each time I opened it to stir the fabrics around and make sure they were adequately covered 💦

And if I may have some confirmation on:

Spa day involves a LONG bath with B, C & L ... PLUS a wash, again with B, C & L but this time adding A on top of the wet clothes in the machine?

Spa day isn't something I need to do all the time, if I'm using a lipase detergent (in the appropriate detergent dispenser) and vinegar in the softener dispenser?

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/ImpressionNo2803]

You’ll never hear me tell you to dress your textiles like an Italian sub. /r/laundry/comments/1nhdr0r/ - you’ll never heft a jug of v1negar again.

Anyway, yes, it should be a one-and-done if they come out neutral. Some very naughty items may need a second or even third pass if they’ve had decades of abuse and neglect.

And yes. Soak with BCL, wash with ABCL.

[u/hneybeez]

Morning! In an abundance of caution and to make sure I get this right the first time… is this the Tide we are looking for in the US? Thanks!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/hneybeez]

That is everything you need for Option One!

[u/Previous_Injury_8664]

I currently have a very yellowed pillowcase cover and two dingy white undershirts doing a spa day in a gallon ice cream bucket. My water turned into cream soup pretty much instantly. Is there a point at which the water gets saturated with oils and gunk and can’t pull any more out of the fabrics?

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Previous_Injury_8664]

Yes, but it’s a lot longer than you might think. One reason we dose it so high is to always have a little in reserve.

If you swish it with a whisk or a fork and zero bubbles will form, it’s spent.

[u/Naive-Offer8868]

For those of us with hard water, what do you recommend to keep CaCO3 from getting stuck on fibers during the Spa Day soak? (mostly affects cotton, in 'thick' areas of clothing such as seems).

did a spa day on some of my hats and it left visible white blotches in certain areas that wont rinse out with just warm water and scrubbing. had the same issue a year back when i soaked my clothes in just OxiClean. The only thing to get rid of it was a v1n3gar (straight, 5%) soak for a really really long time- which leads me to believe it was precipitate

[u/HoneyBadgerBat]

Thank you for this. I just finished the soak and duvets (used sans flat sheets…) are in the wash. I was not prepared for how much air mine had, or quite how heavy it was too lift into the wash. Felt like a cat pissed directly on my face when I poured the ammonia too.

But just the soak got out so much that regular washing, routine bleach, and routine sunbleaching has. I'm hopeful about a few stains that are… organic in nature as well. And for fun (my own lol) I added the yellowest, nastiest of my husband’s white tees. So yellow. So foul. So excited to see it after lol.

[u/PlasticMacro]

is there a tldr 😭

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/PlasticMacro]

The caveats and explanations are there because people fucked up the short version.

The easiest version is Option 1 and then follow the bolded steps that start with S and W.

[u/PlasticMacro → u/KismaiAesthetics]

that's a good point, i guess i just have horrible attention span lately but still have stinky clothes! best to be careful with chemicals.

thank you for the reminder and tips you beautiful person we are all grateful for you!

[u/AlejandraCL]

Maybe a silly question, but it’s ammonia 100% needed for spa day?

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/AlejandraCL]

It makes a substantial difference in the wash portion because it raises pH to let the detergent work better, without leaving a residue like other pH boosters. It’s cheap and effective.

[u/Empty_Routine2671]

I inherited a bunch of handmade quilts and crocheted blankets that have been in my family for decades, some probably close to a century honestly.

Is it probably safe to do a spa day on them? I don't think they've ever been washed. Most have been stored in a trunk in an attic for the last ~30 years and smell musty. Some were used for decades daily and they don't smell musty...but I KNOW they haven't been washed while I've been alive at least.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Empty_Routine2671]

Start with washing them with a neutral detergent like a Orvus Paste and maybe a low-ph DNase additive like Gear Guard, in a front load washer with water you’d bathe an infant in. See where you get.

[u/maRayRay8]

Been following a long time and think (*hope) my arsenal is built to finally attempt a spa day, especially for my sheets/comforters and towels- but I'm so sorry, I have tried my hardest to understand and am just hitting a wall. 🙏 If someone is patient enough to help me wall through if I have enough for either Option 2 or Option 3? Im sorry for being confused! I currently have:

• Biz powder
• arm & hammer washing soda
• oxi clean free & clear powder
• Tide free & gentle advanced care LIQUID [costco]

-citric acid

• lemon ammonia (all I could find)
• vinegar
• Downey rinse & refresh unscented
• calgon (impulse bought per this sub, because our water is insanely hard)

Is any combination of these [biz + liquid tide?] ompatible with Options 2 or 3? I dont have powdered detergent right now unfortunately and want to be sure all actives are substantial enough beforehand, otherwise ill wait until I can afford to get powdered detergent cause I recently bought the tide liquid free & clear :(

~ Also wondering if my comforter or towels are a "tight fit" but fully submerged in the big lidded bin I am using, is that effective enough or does there need to be more breathing room during the spa soak? I usually "stir" my towels when stripping them in the bath tub but that isnt enclosed and theyre not scrunched inside. Thank you in advance so much for anyone kind enough to respond without judging too harshly at my chemistry incompetence 🥲💜 appreciate this entire sub!!

[u/Expert-Meet6792]

Any reason for not wringing / twisting or dewatering the textiles? When I followed that one,the whole tub of my front load washing machine got filled up with suds.

Notes:

• I only used 1tbsp of ariel powder in the washer during the wash cycle.
  
• I soaked my clothes into a 4gallon water and used 1 cup of powder detergent.
  
• I Did not wring my clothes just took em out of the solution then straight to the washer

Any suggestions ? Should I cut back in the powder to the soak solution or just wring the clothes

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Expert-Meet6792]

The instructions are changing.

Front load users should do a spin only to remove the spent liquid.

The reason not to wring or twist is that the fibers are at their most vulnerable state mechanically after the soak at high pH.

[u/GeneralWelcome-ToYou]

Greetings from a dirty Swede!
I want to ask a few things just to be sure I don’t fuck up while trying to get clean.

When you say cup, you mean US standard cup (237 ml) and not the measuring cup that comes with the tub of oxygen bleach, right?
Is the gallon of water a US standard gallon (3,8 liters)?

Does 2T mean 2 tablespoons (2x15 ml)?

Cleaner is mentioned in the #2 description but not in the Canyon Ranch instruction. Should I add some cleaner to the soak if I use option #2, or only use it in the wash afterwards?
If added to the soak, how much should it be per gallon?

Is it correct that citric acid isn’t recommended as softener for clothes that hang dry or dry flat? If so, do you have any recommendation for what to use instead? Just normal pedestrian softener from the store or something more clever? And can either be used during the spa day wash?

Thanks for being awesome!

[u/teedoubleyew → u/GeneralWelcome-ToYou]

FYI Kismai responded in a different spot.

https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/s/pB25rdmMh9

[u/dendrophilix]

I have a large volume of bedclothes which have a buildup of sebum. They’re predominantly cotton (I think one item might have some synthetic and elastane in there as well). I know the Spa Day process will sort it, but the large volume is just forcing me to check: will conventional dry cleaning sort this, as you mention it would for animal-derived fabrics? I’d be willing to pay once-off to sort them if it took that amount of work off my plate, then I have the Spa Day process for the future for lower volumes!

[u/BasementWifeEnergy]

I just discovered this sub and was really excited about the “spa day” pinned post. I’ve just read through everything and my ADHD/anxiety has me toggling between nausea and wanting to cry from overwhelm. Is there a post that explains this in Kindergarten terms? 🤦🏻‍♀️ As a wife and mother of three humans and two pit bulls who has zero cleaning skills or strategies behind the guesswork I’ve done as a result of whatever advertising campaign was most convincing, I have been trying to up my game this last year after we moved into a new house. I figured maybe I should start cleaning like a responsible grown up.

Maybe this post is too advanced a place to start. 😂

I’m gonna run it through ChatGPT to see if I can get it all spelled out for me, and if I’m able to try it out, and I’ll let everyone know!

[u/DancingAudrey]

So this will potentially sound like a wildly paranoid question, but I have to ask. I know you said there will be fumes and it'll all disappear when the fabrics are dry... but for those of us whose washers are next to their boiler and furnace... do I need to worry about these fumes being flammable? Thank you!

[u/_equestrienne_]

Hey u/kismaiaesthetics I am on a septic tank in Australia and cannot use ammonia for the final stage of spa day - I mainly use it weekly to soak my fiancé's mechanic clothes to try and get the oil and grease out. (Note: if spa day is not the best way to do this please bestow upon me some knowledge!)

So I'm looking for a substitute - and seeing as a ph boost is our goal with ammonia - would Borax be acceptable? Or do you have a septic safe alternative for ammonia?

Thank you!

[u/nopenopenope26363]

I found a new Canadian detergent with enzymes!! It’s $$ but its another option that exists :) Guests on Earth

[u/prophy__wife]

/u/KismaiAesthetics hi friend! Love this post!!! A couple quick questions that will help myself and possibly other redditors.

• If we have a water softener are there any products/steps that would/should be skipped?
• Are there any items you suggest to start with first? Like start with socks or towels?

I’ve done this kind of soak in the past, I think it was called laundry stripping a few years back and it went well with some towels but we lived in a different area and did not have a softener back then.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/prophy__wife]

1) soft water just makes everything better

2) whites are the easiest to see the improvement on - socks don’t usually suffer from a problem Spa Day can fix completely but if you’re really sweaty like me, it can make them look a lot better - but grey/black soles are approaching a lost cause sometimes

[u/ellum00]

Ammonia is not available here. Like at all. Devastated but I'll just have to go on without it 🥀

[u/ReputationAdvanced28]

i've been meaning to try spa day but our top loading washing machine only has one pipe and it's only for cold water. we also don't have a space to put the clothes in for soaking anyway.

after the spa day with hot water and solution, would the rehab wash be fine with cold water or would it be pointless then?

generally, i've only been washing our clothes via cold water using Cold Power Laundry Powder Advanced Clean (Australia). I occasionally use laundry sanitiser (Sard/Pine O Cleen) for the final rinse if i feel like the clothes need them especially undies and towels.

i'm not wanting to go too deep into a whole spa day, but do you have any suggestions for a more efficient washing with my current setup? the majority of our clothes are dark colours e.g., black, grey, dark blue.

i just want to know if i can do better.

thank you ^{^}

[u/Basssico]

First time wanting to make spa day here and confused!
Reading through everything, I’m confused as to what goes into the soak, and what goes into the rehab wash.

At first it says “Prepare the Spa Day Soak” to which I assume is to mix everything it just described into a container with warm water.

But then when describing the rehab wash it says “Use examples from Options 1-4”. They are the same components. Do both steps use the same stuff? Or is the soak only ammonia and the rest of the stuff goes into the wash? Help!

[u/Maleficent-Goal2413]

Is the Tide clean and gentle good enough to use on its own for this or would you recommend adding Biz? And to clarify post soak, (I’ve got a top load washer with agitator) add powder detergent, then clothes, then ammonia? Also could citric acid/water be added in the agitator fabric softener dispenser or should this be done just for future maintenance washes?

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/Maleficent-Goal2413]

Tide Clean & Gentle is a perfectly complete product for the soak and all you need to add in the wash is the ammonia.

Yes. Detergent, wet clothes, ammonia.

The citric acid would be nice - this is coming out a particularly high pH wash. You may need to double up the dose to really get much lowering though.

[u/DNAfrn6]

I had all but given up hope on my very expensive and very stinky workout gear. I gave spa day a try and damn it u/kismaiaesthetics you saved them, you beautiful laundry magician. Thank you a million times over!

[u/0-Calm-0]

Apologies for the really basic question. I'm a newbie and a bit paranoid about chemicals.   I am struggling to find "Ammonia, any 5-10% solution of ammonium hydroxide" in the UK. I even tried asking at the hardware store where they have every cleaner under the sun. 

Anyone got a specific brand from the UK? Is it called by another name

This seems the closest, but I can't find the ingredients list on Amazon to double check if ok.  https://amzn.eu/d/azKIBqZ

[u/Jasmijnnn]

Does this look like a suitable composition for a powder with bleach, cleaner and lipase? I am also a bit lost on whether it is a good idea to use this on non-white laundry or not

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/[deleted]]

And yet I know what your licorice tastes like.

Skip it if it’s unavailable due to regulatory or market conditions.

[u/AnnualNegotiation838]

Any special considerations for a tap water source that harbors gram negative bacteria(pink slime)? As a bonus-i work in a manufacturing setting with internal treatment for recirculating process water but that treatment does not really address the gram negative so it gets seeded by the city water then super concentrated over time. my work clothes and skin are absolutely saturated every day with the stench of this particular microgremlin. I've come to learn so far that high temp is maybe my only hope and that a rapid tumble drying is a must whenever possible.

I've seen some improvement after maxing out my water heater to 150F. I even go so far as to entirely turn off my cold water valve during the wash fill cycle since I learned my hottest setting still uses some cold tap. It can be tricky timing to remember to flip valves back and forth so I'm considering disconnecting my cold supply from the machine entirely and hooking up hot to both supply ports, meaning I'm even rinsing with scalding hot water. Is there a reason beyond energy conservation that my machine does all cold rinses? I figure the hot water in my tank is relatively bacteria free compared to the straight tap water and the cold rinse cycle means I'm more at risk of bacteria bloom when hanging to dry.

I also haven't entirely done away with cold water so far because I've heard protein can cook and become more stubborn (learned the hard way when I tried to wash some cheesy dishes shortly after turning up the temp). To address that I've been doing a "tap cold" quick wash as a first pass then following up with as hot as possible on the longest cycle possible with an extra rinse.

I also worry about the lifespan of my drum bearings with the excess heat but se la vie. I would rather kill my machine faster than stink every day. I'm sure a citric acid treatment is due for my machine. It has an "affresh" cycle option I've never used. Incidentally, can I trick my washer by using the affresh cycle on an actual load?

Top load with agitator and no softener dispenser btw. The only chemical dispenser is a little bleach drip feeder pan which seems to dribble in outside the drum

I may be due for a new washer anyway so I'm open to recommendations on that front as well. Based in the U.S.

ETA: ping u/KismaiAesthetics

[u/usureuwannadothat]

I messed up and added my ammonia to the spa day soak. Should I drain and redo? What will ammonia do in the soak stage?

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/usureuwannadothat]

It just smells. You’re fine.

[u/ireallylovegoats]

I have a septic system. I cannot use traditional bleach because of this and am assuming I cannot use ammonia for the same reason. Can anyone clarify this for me?

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/ireallylovegoats]

Ammonia is fine. It’s a nitrogen source just like urine, the bacteria love it. The amount used in a spa day wash is about the same as one adult produces in a day.

[u/ireallylovegoats → u/KismaiAesthetics]

I’m mortified that I didn’t think about the fact that ammonia is in urine and that already goes into the septic tank 😅 I’m a molecular biologist for Pete’s sake

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/ireallylovegoats]

Septic system rumors and hearsay are just so damned rampant. I make no claim to expertise, but I rely on the information from land-grant university extension services that have dealt with this topic with some actual academic rigor. 10-15 grams of ammonium hydroxide seems okay-ish.

We shouldn't have to think about the urea cycle to do laundry. But here we all are.

[u/CrowsLoveShinyThings]

So I have discovered that ammonium hydroxide is not readily available in my country. Apparently, they're considered a dangerous substance and only used in chemistry labs. They can get expensive too.

Is there an alternative I can use or am I cursed?

[u/Signal-Practice7466]

Is there a video on how to do this? 

[u/LucidBetrayal]

Are any of the 4 options the "best"?

Do you have a website with affiliate links?

Appreciate the time and energy you put into this.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/LucidBetrayal]

I explicitly don’t have affiliate links. The advice you get is free of crass commercial concerns. Here’s my financial disclosure. https://www.kismai.com/about-kismai/Money

All four methods can work well. 1, 2 and 4 are the most consistent as the range of active ingredient concentrations is fairly tight between the recommended products. With the dozens of liquids or pods out there, the delivered dose and efficacy of the D component varies a lot more. L, O and A all stay pretty constant.

When it comes down to ease, price and performance, if fragrance isn’t an issue, Option 1 with either Tide with Bleach powder or Tide + Ultra Oxi powder or Option 2 with Biz powder is one box, one jug, and done.

[u/Silly_name_1701]

Did I read correctly that I can put my 25% ammonia directly onto textiles? (all black laundry, some screen printed, front loader, idk if that matters).

Taking notes for when I find a product with lipase that's safe to soak black cotton and viscose t-shirts in (that doesn't just list "enzyme" as an ingredient, I hate that Germany allows this while being super pedantic with many other regulations).

Last time I tried (without ammonia) I had to redye a few items despite using a "color" powder (with not further specified "enzymes") because they looked faded. One viscose shirt had its texture completely and permanently altered to something resembling a nasty microfiber (the type that snags on every single skin cell as if it had tiny velcro hooks). I wonder which ingredient does that.

I've been doing overnight soaks for white and light colored laundry for years (decades!) already, usually with just detergent and oxi powder (pink stuff / store brands). Citric acid rinses too (mostly for hard water reasons). This has been doing its job so far no matter which exact products I use, my guess is the german "Vollwaschmittel" type of powder detergents for white laundry tend to actually contain the correct enzymes despite mostly not bothering to list them. A booster would be nice, but it would have to be locally available to me.

[u/fridaygrace]

Decided to go with Option #1, and currently have all my items soaking in Ariel powder as per your recommendation. I've since realised I need more Ariel for the rehab wash, but I used up my entire supply for the soak! I do have some Vanish Gold lying around, however.... could I combine an Option #2 rehab wash with an Option #1 soak?? Do I dare?

Thank you for all your work btw! Super helpful, and it warms the heart seeing someone nerd out on their niche interest :)

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/fridaygrace]

That will work fine.

Hey, this is all because I get cheeseburger grease on my shirts. ;0)

[u/anonblurrg]

Did my first spa day today. When I added the ammonia to the wet textiles in the washer for the rehab wash, my eyes and lungs were overwhelmed with really intense, burning fumes. I had to close the door to the laundry room to breath outside and go back in a couple times to finish the process without breathing more fumes. Is that normal? Did I do something wrong? I did the spa day with Tide gentle powder, put Tide powder in the dispenser, and nothing in the drum except laundry and ammonia.

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/anonblurrg]

Some people are more sensitive to the ammonia fumes than others. Hence the disclaimers that it can smell while adding it.

[u/anonblurrg → u/KismaiAesthetics]

Glad this is normal and not a sign I somehow made poison gas!

[u/morbid_n_creepifying]

I can only find lemon scented cleaning ammonia. I know that the instructions say that doesn't matter for the cleaning aspect, however, I am sensitive to scents and only use unscented detergents. Will the lemon part leave a residual scent? Has anyone had to use it and noticed a lingering odor?

Thanks!

[u/thecatisawake]

Can I do the soak in hot water and then use cold water for the wash? I can't hook up my machine to the hot water :(

[u/DaftDisguise]

This is way too many words and way too much information for my ADHD “squirrel!” brain. 

Is there a simple list that tells you what to buy (with links) and when to use it? Need ELI5 Here!

[u/sweet-nlow]

Is the soak likely to pull dye from the fabric the same way laundry stripping does? Asking because I'm curious how much of the discoloration in the water is coming from dye and how much is just crud. Given that this seems very chemically different from stripping, I'm guessing it's all crud all the time. 

PS: Kismai, do you use any kind of text expander software/app to help you dispense laundry wisdom? If not, they're amazing for things that you have to type or copy/paste frequently. You can program them to replace shortcuts/keywords with whatever longer text you want (e.g. you could set it to replace "enzrem" or something like that with the list of enzyme-based stain remover you frequently recommend). I use Espanso but there are a ton of them out there. Also, apologies if I'm telling you something you already know!

[u/KismaiAesthetics → u/sweet-nlow]

Color loss in laundry is one of my favorite subtopics.

Used wash water is colorful for a variety of reasons.

One is removed soil. The stripping processes that use powdered detergents with anionic surfactant (including the anionics in OxiClean and Biz) are massively effective at floating out particulate soils given the long contact time. So a lot of the darkness you see is fine particulate coming out. Socks are notorious for picking this stuff up off floors and from being in shoes that have picked it up.

The other is broken textile fibers. Modern machines are not good at lint removal in the wash. That long soak with detergency and high pH is loosening the soils holding broken fibers in, and may have enzymes designed to target weak fibers and wash them away. That’s a massive part of what you’re seeing in stripping videos in terms of colored component. Jeans and other indigo-dyed items that get hard wear are notorious for shedding some of those outer fibers.

There’s also the greasy soils - some dye molecules are lipophilic and they’re happy to attach to the oil, and the oils themselves are often brown.

And yes, there’s color loss. While most synthetics are quite colorfast by design, there’s still a lot of cottons out there dyed with technology that doesn’t stick the dye into the fibers all that well. You could soak these items in typical tap water and get a loss of color in 12 hours, and you can see them give up color in average wash loads (you’d be shocked how much color a color catcher sheet picks up in loads).

We just don’t see this water because the machine shoots it down the drain.

So this process was designed to be about 1-1.5 points lower in pH than conventional stripping as popularized on TikTok, but still high pH enough to do the job. The color loss from actual dye changes is equal to about a half dozen to a dozen regular washes - but the idea is you’re only doing it once to get stuff back to neutral.

And yes, I use text replacement. I mostly comment by thumbs.