Laundry Pod Melted On Clothes: Immediate Actions To Save Things -

Are you looking at a laundry pod that melted onto your clothes instead of dissolving in the water during the wash? Do not give in to the despair or go out shopping yet! Your precious clothes are not permanently damaged. The good news is that the melted laundry pod is easy to reverse. It is one of those situations that look dramatically worse than they really are.

This article will help you save your clothes from the melted laundry pod and ensure that you can use the pods without ruining your clothes.

You can expect to learn more about:

How laundry pods work
How to use laundry pods
How to remove laundry pod stains
How to prevent laundry pods from staining or exploding on your clothing

How Laundry Pods Work

Since the commercial success of the first brand of laundry pods in 2012, consumers have had mixed feelings about them. Laundry pods are little packs of concentrated detergent covered in a dissolvable film. Depending on the brand of laundry pod you purchase, the detergent could be liquid or powder.

Whatever the case, all laundry pods are meant to be placed in the drum for both top-loading and front-loading washing machines. When the pod comes into contact with water, its film dissolves, and the detergent is released to clean your dirty garments.

Why Laundry Pods are Better than Liquid and Powder Detergents

Laundry pods were invented to save us from using too much powder or liquid detergent, which happens all too often. Unfortunately, as with any new ‘technology,’ there are a few hitches along the way. Many have complained that laundry pods often stain or melt on their clothes. Others praise them as just what the doctor ordered.

Once you figure out how to use them correctly, you will likely join the laundry bod fan team too. Most people who complain about laundry pods are using them incorrectly. Here are a couple of reasons why liquid and powder soap will soon be relics of laundry days past;

Laundry pods are small and lightweight. They weigh less than liquid and powder soaps. Additionally, they only need a little packaging. All this, coupled with the fact that laundry pods are premeasured for specific load sizes to avoid wastefulness, crowns them the most environmentally responsible option.
Laundry pods are portable. People who take their laundry to shared washing facilities dread the hassle of carrying their detergents along for the journey. Pods are wrapped individually and will only take up a little space.
Laundry pods eliminate the hassle of using measuring cups or spoons for measuring detergent. They are pre-measured to suit specific laundry loads perfectly.
Laundry pods are less messy the traditional liquid and powder soaps which tend to spill or pour when measuring.

That said, laundry pods are not perfect. They have a few disadvantages compared to liquid and powder soaps. These include:

Laundry pods are the most expensive detergent after liquid and powder soaps. Their high price tag is justified because you need much less of them to do more laundry.
The laundry pod’s premeasured convenience can be wasteful if you want to do a very small load because you will have to use an entire pod. Using an entire pod for a small load could cause chemical residue buildup on your garments.
Powder and liquid soaps allow the convenience of measuring the exact amount of soap required.
Laundry pods cannot be used for pretreating stains. You will have to purchase liquid detergent for that.
Laundry pods are dangerous to children and pets, who will likely mistake them for candy.

How to Use Laundry Pods Correctly

The most common cause of laundry pods melting onto clothes is overloading the washing machine. Using laundry pods correctly is simple. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. All you need to do is forget about the soap dispenser and keep these few simple instructions in mind:

Always put the laundry pod in the washer drum. Laundry pods have made the soap dispenser compartment obsolete. The pods are placed in the drum because they need to be agitated in the water alongside the clothes. This way they dissolve evenly into the water and agitate the dirt out of your laundry.
The laundry pod must be placed in the drum before the clothes. If you need to approximate the size of the load, place the clothes in the drum and remove them to insert the laundry pod at the bottom. Placing the pod at the bottom ensures it has enough contact with the water and can dissolve into it before making contact with the clothing.
Use the correct number of laundry pods for the size of your load and its level of soiling. Usually, a single pod does the job unless your laundry is heavily soiled – then you may have to use two.
Do not overload the washing machine. Overloading prevents the machine from evenly agitating the laundry pod, water, and clothes. Ensure your clothes are loosely packed to prevent piling and wrinkling. It will also guarantee the clothes are properly cleaned and rinsed. If the laundry pod cannot move freely during the wash cycle, it is likely to explode on your clothing. Alternatively, the laundry pod may stain or streak the garments.
Store your laundry pods in a warm, dry place and ensure the laundry pods’ dissolvable film is not damaged. Do not handle the laundry pods with wet hands because the moisture will begin dissolving the film prematurely.
Do not leave laundry pods within the reach of children or pets. Laundry pods are very toxic and happen to look like candy. A dangerous combination that demands vigilance when using laundry pods to prevent accidents.

How to Remove a Freshly Exploded Laundry Pod Stain

You’ll likely kick yourself for not thinking of it first, but you only need to wash the exploded laundry pod off the clothing. If the exploded laundry pod has not dried on the clothing, follow this procedure:

Hold the stain under hot water and rinse out as much of the detergent residue as possible. If the stain does not come out entirely, you will have to use rubbing alcohol to remove the stubborn residue.
Once you are satisfied that you have removed as much of the stain as possible, wring the excess water out and lay it on a flat surface. Use rubbing alcohol to test a small patch of the fabric. If the color does not come off, proceed to apply the alcohol to the entire stain and allow it to soak for no more than ten minutes.
Finally, rinse the stain with hot water to completely rid your garment of the stain. If the stain lingers, repeat the step above until it is completely erased.

How to Remove a Dry Exploded Laundry Pod Stain

A laundry pod that exploded and dried on your clothing will be a little tougher to remove than one you discover and handle right away. Once an exploded laundry pod has been exposed to the dryer’s high heat, it gets baked into your garment’s fibers.

Your first step will be to hold your stained clothing under hot water. Ensure the fabric is taut so the water can effectively dissolve the laundry pod membrane stuck on the fibers. The garment’s tautness, combined with the temperature and force of the running, will expel the laundry pod’s membrane and staining chemicals from your garment.
If the first step does not completely remove the stain, rewash the clothing in the machine without adding any detergent.
Alternatively, you could apply rubbing alcohol on the stain and allow it to sit for about ten minutes before putting it in the washing machine.
Repeat these steps if the stubborn stain resists your efforts until it submits to your determination.

How to Prevent Laundry Pods From Melting on Your Clothes

Using laundry pods as directed on the packaging or in the section above is one way to prevent your laundry pods from exploding in the wash. Consumers have come up with their own handy little hacks that ensure they never have to worry about their laundry pods exploding or staining their clothing. Here are a couple of helpful hacks:

Avoid using laundry pods for washing cycles that use little water, e.g., prewash, quick and delicate cycles.
Place your laundry pod in an old sock and tie it at the top. This ingenious method ensures that the laundry pod dissolves evenly without coming into prolonged direct contact with your clothing. The sock acts as a porous barrier and sacrifices itself to save your clothing from staining. Rinse out the sock once the cycle is done and dry it for the next time.
Dissolving the pod in hot water has been effective, especially in winter, because the water is too frigid to properly dissolve the pod.
Avoid washing many absorbent items in a single load, as they may absorb most of the water before the laundry pod completely dissolves. This will cause it to explode onto the clothing item it sticks to.
The soak setting allows the laundry pod to dissolve fully before the agitation begins.