• Sometimes I pull my clothes out of the washer and find gray spots on light colored clothes.  It’s discouraging because now I have to start all over again and problem solve for the spot as well.  But I have others things in my life that are more pressing so I decided to do some research to prevent this in the future.

    Soil from dirty clothes transferring to other items in the washer is usually the culprit, along with not using enough detergent. (I was surprised to learn that last point.) Even though many new washers now have much larger capacities, sorting laundry is still a good idea.  Wash whites separately, and wash very dirty items with other messy things.  Instead of dumping a basket of clothes into the machine, add a few items at a time, to reduce tangling and then don’t pack it. Allow all the items to tumble freely in the water, giving the soil the best potential to disperse into the water.

    Most detergents contain agents that help keep soil from redepositing on other clothes, so it’s important to use the amount recommended on the container.

    If graying is still a problem, use a detergent with bleaching components.  Or try a mild oxidizing agent in powder form, such as OxiClean.  It’s milder than chlorine bleach and you can use it for most whites, including cottons and cotton blends.

    And don’t forget the sun’s bleaching power.   Use it to whiten sheets and clothes by line-drying these items. Feel free to share this with your older children who do their own laundry.  I know I am (again).