Post #1114576

2026-04-11 11:56 UTC

a week ago I did a load of laundry: my big weighted blanket, a bathrobe and two of my wool pullovers. I then promptly forgot about it, leaving it in the washing machine for an unknown duration of time, maybe days. some flatmate eventually pulled it out of the machine (soaking wet) and put it all in a plastic box in which it sat for a week in a small puddle of water. I unfortunately only now remembered the existence of my laundry and when I came looking for it, all the clothes (originally white) have weird crimson red stains. they also give off an insane sweat stench. I don't think I can salvage this situation :( maybe the bathrobe and the weighted blanket can be dried, and then washed as 60°c a few times to get whatever the fuck has started growing in it out? but for the wool sweaters it's probably over now. if there are any laundry experts here that can help me save my pullovers lmk

Replies (4)

@lispi314@udongein.xyz 2026-04-12 03:11

@nofuj You can actually wash (gently) wool. It doesn't take so nicely to heat-drying though, but sun-drying & UV exposure might work. (The sun works as a last resort sanitation UV source, yes.) Wool that is already dry copes just fine with heat though, so sanitation cycle on some dryers might (caveat & issue mentioned after) be fine (worst case they were already being written off as a loss). The best option would be a proper dry-heat sterilizer, which does not agitate and does not cause fibers to felt together (the issue). edit: While felting is an issue and dry-heat sterilizers avoid it, ignore the prior cognitive glitch. Dry-heat sterilizers require temperatures harmful to wool fibers. An autoclave (one can get by with a pressure cooker sometimes) would be better suited (steam/moist heat). (The again this is really just if one wants to be absolutely certain and quite thoroughly sterilize it, rather than sanitize it of most stuff at much lower temperatures. Mold & yeast do not typically require high temperatures to kill, for example. I got too caught up in pandemic cognitive patterns.)

Open ##1114577
@deleuzious@transfem.social 2026-04-12 02:14

@nofuj@sk.girlthi.ng folks have good ideas here. I'll add that after bleaching if the smell remains vinegar is often really good at removing smells. might take a few loads but everything is probably not lost. washing with hot water might also be worth it

Open ##1114578
@wyatt@soc.megatokyo.moe 2026-04-11 15:08

@nofuj bleach might be helpful

Open ##1114580
@andrago@sk.not-a.cat 2026-04-11 13:39

@nofuj@sk.girlthi.ng not an expert myself, but you can probably ask at a laundry store and they will tell you what is/isn't salvageable and will clean it (usually prices aren't very crazy but it depends)

Open ##1114581