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domesticwizardCleaning and laundry, answered properly

For British homes: stains, smells, mould, limescale and the wash

domesticwizard

What works, what doesn’t, and what you should never mix. Plain answers to the cleaning and laundry questions every home runs into.

1,905 answers so far, and more on the way.

Stain spells: the first move

Most stains are won or lost in the first minute. Here is what to do before anything else.

  • Blood

    Cold water only, and quickly. Heat cooks the protein into the fibres, so no hot wash until the mark has gone.

    Blood out of clothesBlood on sheets

  • Red wine

    Blot, never rub. Rinse from the back with cold water, then work in washing-up liquid or a stain remover before washing.

    Red wine out of fabricOn a white shirt

  • Grease and oil

    Washing-up liquid rubbed into the dry mark and left to work, then the warmest wash the label allows.

    Grease out of clothingOld grease stains

  • Coffee and tea

    Rinse in cool water from the back before it dries, then pre-treat. With milk in it, treat it like a protein stain: cold first.

    Coffee out of clothesTea on fabric

  • Sweat and deodorant

    Pre-treat the yellow marks with a biological detergent and skip chlorine bleach, which can turn them darker.

    Yellow sweat stainsDeodorant marks

  • Yellowed pillows

    Skin oils and sweat build up over months: soak in a biological detergent, then wash as hot as the pillow’s label allows.

    Yellow stains on pillows

  • Chewing gum

    Freeze it hard with ice in a bag, then pick or scrape it off before anything goes in the wash.

    Gum out of clothes

  • Fake tan

    Act fast: cool water and washing-up liquid, then a stain remover before it goes in the machine.

    Fake tan out of clothes

  • Bleach spots

    Bleach takes colour out rather than putting a stain in, so the fix is fabric dye or a fabric pen, not a remover.

    Bleach marks on clothes

Reading the care label

Five shapes cover every label. Dots mean heat, bars mean gentle, a cross means don’t.

  1. The tub: washing

    A number or dots give the hottest temperature: one dot 30°C, two 40°C, four 60°C. One bar under it means a gentler cycle, two bars wool or delicates, a hand means hand wash only.

  2. The triangle: bleach

    Empty: any bleach is fine. Two diagonal lines: oxygen (non-chlorine) bleach only. Crossed out: no bleach at all.

  3. The square: drying

    A circle inside means the tumble dryer, with dots for heat: one low, two normal. Lines instead of a circle mean line, drip or flat drying.

  4. The iron: ironing

    One dot is a cool iron (110°C), two a warm one (150°C), three a hot one (200°C). Crossed out: don’t iron it.

  5. The circle: professional care

    A letter inside tells the dry cleaner which solvent to use; W means professional wet cleaning. Crossed out: don’t dry clean.

Every washing symbol explained

The potion shelf

Five things most British cupboards already hold, what each is good for, and where each must never go.

  • White vinegar

    Good for limescale on taps and shower heads, smears on glass, descaling a kettle

    Never on marble, granite and other natural stone, waxed or oiled wood, and grout over time

    What white vinegar cleansVinegar on limescale

  • Bicarbonate of soda

    Good for a gentle scrub for ovens, sinks and stained mugs, and soaking up smells in carpets and fridges

    Never on aluminium pans, which it can dull, and glossy finishes scrubbed hard

    Bicarb oven cleanerBicarb for smells

  • Soda crystals

    Good for greasy ovens and extractor filters, sluggish sinks, and a boost for the wash in hard water

    Never on aluminium, waxed or varnished wood, wool and silk

  • Lemon juice

    Good for rust marks on white cotton, light limescale, and a fresh smell in the microwave

    Never on marble and natural stone, and coloured fabrics left in the sun

    Microwave with lemonKettle with lemon

  • Washing-up liquid

    Good for grease on clothes and hobs, and most everyday wipe-downs

    Never on the dishwasher: a squirt fills the kitchen with foam

How often?

Rules of thumb, not commandments: busy homes, pets and hard water all mean sooner.

Bed sheets
Once a week, and every two weeks at the mostHow often to wash what
Towels
After three or four uses, dried fully in betweenWhy towels smell
Duvet
Twice a year, if the label allowsHow to wash a duvet
Pillows
Two or three times a year, if they are washableYellow stains on pillows
Fridge
Spills straight away, a full clean every three monthsA smelly fridge
Oven
Every three to six months, sooner if it smokesInside the oven
Kettle
Descale every month in a hard-water areaLimescale in the kettle
Washing machine
An empty hot maintenance wash once a month

Old wives’ tales

Things everyone’s nan swore by, and what actually happens.

They sayBleach gets rid of mould for good.

In factOn walls and sealant it mostly takes the colour out. The mould comes back unless the damp behind it is dealt with.

Getting rid of black mould

They sayVinegar and bicarb together make a super cleaner.

In factThey cancel each other out: the fizz is mostly water, salt and gas. Used one at a time, each works better.

Bicarb and vinegar in the oven

They sayHot water shifts any stain.

In factHeat sets protein stains such as blood, egg and sweat. Start those in cold water.

Blood out of clothes

They sayMore detergent means cleaner clothes.

In factToo much leaves a residue that traps smells and stiffens towels, and can leave the machine full of suds.

Too much detergent

They sayCola cleans the toilet.

In factIt has a little acid in it, but a limescale remover made for toilets does the job properly.

Toilet limescale

They sayFabric softener makes towels better.

In factIt coats the fibres and makes towels less absorbent. Soft towels come from less detergent and a proper rinse.

Softener on towels

The grimoire: every topic

Everything on the site, in seven chapters.

What people ask most

  1. How to remove oil stains from clothes
  2. How to clean makeup brushes
  3. How to descale a kettle
  4. How to clean grout
  5. How to wash sneakers
  6. How to remove stains from carpet
  7. How to iron a shirt
  8. How to clean a laptop screen
  9. How to remove pet stains
  10. How to clean keyboard keys
  11. How to clean a microwave
  12. How to clean a mattress

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