# Arrrgh! Laundry frustrations! Help? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2007, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799 "2007-08-16T06:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/1 "2007-08-16T06:46:08Z")
So, I went to my apartment laundry room and loaded two washers full of laundry. The door was propped open on the way in. It had been this way several times for no good reason, so being the good citizen I am, I shut the door. After the washer cycle was done, I went downstairs and tried the key. It wouldn’t work, for the first time in almost six years of living there. I tried and tried. It wouldn’t open the door. I called the (now closed) office and listened for the emergency after-hours numbers. Neither worked. (Great for emergencies, huh?) Now to the laundry part. When I blow my top tomorrow and retrieve my laundry, it’ll have been sitting in the washers for almost twelve hours. What’re the chances that the clothes got moldy or something like that? If I just run the washers again (maybe with soap), would that be fine? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/2 "2007-08-16T07:45:31Z")
If you live in the jungle, you’ll need to wash them again. That might include portions of Florida and Georgia. 😉 For those of us in more civilized climes, you should be fine. Just…sooner rather than later, 'kay? ---
**Author:** ![Engineerly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9adbd/32.png) [@Engineerly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineerly)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/3 "2007-08-16T07:51:00Z")
It’ll be fine. I’ve left laundry in the tub for 24hrs (I’m forgetful, OK?), and just put it through a quick rinse cycle to get rid of any squicky-ness. It came out a bit more crinkled than normal, but otherwise fine. Either that, or it’s gonna mutate into a hideously deformed creature of supernatural size and strength, knock down the door and cut a massivly destructive (although non-lethal) path of chaos through your hometown. Your results might vary. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/4 "2007-08-16T09:19:54Z")
If it smells soured, toss in a half cup vinegar on the re-wash. I keep a large jug with the laundry supplies just for the inevitable load that gets forgotten in the washing machine and it works every time. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/5 "2007-08-16T09:27:33Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] If you live in the jungle, you’ll need to wash them again. That might include portions of Florida and Georgia. 😉 For those of us in more civilized climes, you should be fine. Just…sooner rather than later, 'kay? [/QUOTE] Things can mold pretty fast in this part of Kansas, though. Do a visual inspection and a sniff test. If they smell off, follow the vinegar and rewash suggestion. If you have little black dots on your clothes though, I am not sure what would work, especially on light/whites. I’ve never been able to get those kind of mold dots off whites/lights. I ended up tossing a t-shirt that I’d forgotten about from the lake because it sat in the trunk, wet and molded. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/6 "2007-08-16T11:07:06Z")
I’m in the Pacific Northwest, but it’s been very hot lately. What does that mean for the whole mold/no mold thing? And does the vinegar go in WITH soap, or without? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/7 "2007-08-16T11:11:29Z")
The vinegar goes in without… it’s just the final rinse cycle, which doesn’t use soap. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/8 "2007-08-16T11:17:50Z")
What kind of vinegar? Cleaning vinegar or cooking vinegar? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/9 "2007-08-16T12:24:47Z")
[QUOTE=Maastricht] What kind of vinegar? Cleaning vinegar or cooking vinegar? [/QUOTE] White distilled. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/10 "2007-08-16T12:44:09Z")
Every time I’ve ever left laundry in the washer for more than, say, six hours, it’s gotten mildewy. And New Jersey is not particularly swamp-like… ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/11 "2007-08-16T12:48:49Z")
Since the washer is closed, the external conditions won’t matter. Your laundry is likely mildew free this morning. I haven’t smelled mildew until clothes are wet for over a day. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrgh-laundry-frustrations-help/415799/12 "2007-08-16T13:58:37Z")
I’ve done that before and just threw in some detergent and re-washed. Comes out fine. And I DO live in the jungle (FL).