<p>Do your soft towels end up feeling harsh? Do your whites come out grey? Have you seen your favourite cotton garments grow thin and bobbly?</p><p>You&rsquo;re not alone. The <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/institute/" target="_blank">Good Housekeeping Institute (GHI)</a> recently compiled a <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3753774/No-scratchy-towels-whites-going-grey-eight-laundry-problems-hate-fix-them.html" target="_blank">list</a> of the most common washing woes we all face, based on letters and emails they&rsquo;ve received over the years from readers seeking help and advice.</p><p>The nice folk that they are, the testing team at the GHI then got to work to try and solve eight of the most common complaints. Hurrah!</p><p>From shrinking knits to greying whites, here are their top tips for dealing with all your laundry day dilemmas.</p><h2>Bobbles on Cotton</h2><p><strong>The problem: </strong>Cotton and synthetic blends often turn thin and bobbly following a wash, thanks to wear and tear of the fabric.</p><p><strong>The solution: </strong>Wash your garments inside out on a delicate wash cycle, and use fabric conditioner every time. If it&rsquo;s already too late, try using sticky tape or a lint roller to remove the bobbles.</p><h2>Shrunken wool</h2><p><strong>The problem:</strong> Wool garments often shrink in the wash, or become matted, due to a too high temperature.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> Never tumble dry woollen items, and if the washing instructions on the label aren&rsquo;t clear, hand wash the garment to be safe. If it&rsquo;s too late, you can try re-wetting the wool and stretching it out.</p><h2>Greying whites</h2><p><strong>The problem:</strong> Bright whites often come out of the wash dull and grey due to dirt removed during the cycle being redeposited on clothes.</p><p><strong>The solution: </strong>Use extra washing detergent and wash your whites on a high temperature. Keep them separate to colours, and if they&rsquo;ve already turned grey, try soaking in a bleach solution before rinsing.</p><h2>Scratchy towels</h2><p><strong>The problem: </strong>Soft towels and robes can turn harsh as a result of being over-dried, not rinsed properly or a lack of detergent.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> Before washing your towels run your machine on a empty cycle using a decalcifying agent. Use more washing detergent than you normally would, and if it&rsquo;s already too late for your fabrics, try soaking them in a water softener.</p><h2>Colour runs</h2><p><strong>The problem:</strong> Darker coloured garments run onto lights in the same cycle as a result of being washed at too high a temperature.</p><p><strong>The solution: </strong>It&rsquo;s always best to keep dark and whites separate, while some colours are less likely to run if washed at a cooler temperature. For whites that have already been caught out, try soaking in a weak bleach solution for 15 minutes, rinse and repeat (check garment labels do not have a ‘no bleach&rsquo; symbol first).</p><h2>Excessive creasing</h2><p><strong>The problem: </strong>Garments come out of the machine creased and crumpled due to overloading or the wrong temperature setting.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> It&rsquo;s likely you&rsquo;re washing at too high a temperature, so check garment labels for guidance or use the ‘synthetics&rsquo; setting. Filling the drum with smaller loads may also help.</p><h2>Rucked collars</h2><p><strong>The problem: </strong>Shirts and blouses come out of the machine with mis-shapen or collapsed collars due to fabric inserts designed to keep collars stiff shrinking in the wash.</p><p><strong>The solution: </strong>You may be able to steam iron the collar back into shape, but in future, either get shirts dry cleaned or wash in cool water.</p><h2>Grey specks and streaks</h2><p><strong>The problem: </strong>White or grey streaks and specks appear on clothes as a result of hard water deposits.</p><p><strong>The solution:</strong> If your local area has a hard water source, run occasional empty cycles using white vinegar or machine cleaning solution to remove limescale buildup. Soak clothes already affected in water softener, then rewash using a higher dosage of detergent.</p>

8 laundry hacks to solve your biggest washing woes

By Asda Good Living,14th January 2020

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