Nasty, Stained Shirt vs. Maytag Bravos XL — Who do you think will win? #MaytagMoms

Boys!  *Sigh*

Yep.  That’s a 5 year old boy’s shirt for ya.  It is a lucky fact that my son’s uniform shirts are not always this dirty.  But, on the unfortunate day this picture was taken his shirt had run ins with marker, elderberry syrup, and who knows what that yellow stuff was.  I wasn’t too concerned about the marker; they are usually washable. I had no idea what that yellow stuff was.  It was the elderberry syrup I was concerned about.  That stuff is next to impossible to get out.

I sprayed the shirt down with Oxy Pre-wash spray and threw it in our Maytag Bravos XL washer with the rest of the whites. Given the fact that the boy had been wearing the stains all day long I had little hope that they’d all come out.  Imagine my joy when I pulled the shirt from the dryer to find…

There is still the tiniest hint of the elderberry stain, but if you didn’t know it was there in the first place you wouldn’t see it.  You certainly can’t see it in the picture.

Thanks to PowerSpray Technology on the Maytag Bravos XL laundry day is made much easier!  PowerSpray Technology ensures even detergent distribution for enhanced cleaning performance.  The washing machine premixes the detergent and then sprays that mixture of water and detergent directly onto clothes to instantly start cleaning soils and stains.  This also means no more detergent spots or clumps left on your clothes after the wash cycle!

Though I didn’t think so at the time, I was very lucky to have my mom teach me how to do laundry when I was 11 years old.  From that time on I was responsible for my own laundry.  Over the years I’ve perfected the science–yes, laundry is definitely a science–and seen better color retention, fewer stains, and cleaner laundry.  (If you cloth diaper check out this post for some tips on washing cloth diapers with the Maytag Bravos XL or other HE top loader.)

Here are a few tips for optimizing the effectiveness of your washer and dryer:

1. Clean the dryer lint filter after every load! Not only will this help your clothes dry faster, but it will also preserve the life of your dryer.
2. Clean you dryer’s vent every couple months.  How well does your home AC or heater work if you never clean or change the vent? Not well.  Your dryer needs the same love and attention.
3. Separate whites, colors, and darks.  Some people even go further and separate out the types of darks they are washing, but if you at least do these three types of loads it will preserve the colors on your color and dark clothes and brightness of your white clothes.
4. Use the correct amount of detergent. Don’t feel like you need to add a ton extra detergent if your clothes are dirty.  Read the label on your detergent package to find the correct amount of detergent you should be using.  Also, if you have HE machine make sure you are using HE or HE safe detergent.
5. Spray heavily stained items with a pre-wash spray before you throw them in the dirty clothes or at least several minutes before washing. Note, I didn’t say spray with a pre-wash spray 30 seconds before you throw it in the washer.  Pre-wash sprays need several minutes to penetrate stains.  Also, I’ve found that, in general, sprays with Oxy work best.
6. Certain stains come out better with certain water temperatures.  If you’re unsure what water temp is best for removing the stain on your clothes refer to your washing machine’s manual or google it. 🙂
7. Lastly, protect your investment. Just like your car needs regular maintenance to run well, so do your washer and dryer.  Clean the washer regularly.  The Maytag Bravos XL has an Affresh washing cycle that will clean your washing machine.  If you notice your washer or dryer not washing correctly or sounding off, call a repair person immediately.  Waiting to fix problems can cause further damage, and could mean a more costly fix.