Worst case: Red shirt in the white wash and now everything's pink

Rit Color Remover. This product is specifically meant to remove dye color that's been transferred to washable white fabrics. Where to find: Fabric stores and drug-store chains.

Worst case: Crayons went through the wash and melted over the
clothes and the dryer

1. Place the clothing item on a stack of paper towels and spray the stained area with WD-40. Leave it for five minutes, and then repeat on other side.
2. Rub in liquid dishwashing detergent, placing fresh towels underneath as color is absorbed.
3. Wash with chlorine or oxygen bleach, whichever is appropriate, and rinse with warm water.

For the dryer drum:

1. Scrape off as much wax as possible with a credit card or other nonscratchy tool.
2. Use a blow-dryer held about 6-8 inches from the drum to create enough heat to melt the wax, and wipe away what you can.
3. Spray WD-40 or Goo Gone on paper towels, and wipe it again.
4. Use a little liquid dish detergent and warm water to wash out the dryer.

To be very sure the wax is cleaned out, before you use the dryer on a
normal load, first dry a load of rags for 30 minutes.

Worst case: Clothes left too long in dryer are wrinkled

Return everything to the dryer, put a damp towel into the load and re-dry. Or press garments with a pressing cloth dampened with diluted white vinegar. washer and dryer, try "Mary Ellen's for Those Days." It works on whites and colorfast items like magic.

Worst case: White sweater hand-washed with dark clothes is dingy

First soak the item for half an hour in a quart of warm water with a
tablespoon each of ammonia and liquid dishwashing detergent. Rinse, and then soak it in a quart of warm water mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar. Finally, rinse well and dry.

Worst case: White tablecloth has yellow stain

Yellow stains are very tricky and can be caused by a variety of reasons. Sometimes the whiteners and brighteners used in the manufacture of a white item simply turn color. Or, as in the case of underarm stains, the fabric itself has been damaged. Both situations are irreversible. Sometimes white linen items can be salvaged. If you've tried bleach without success, check out "Mary Ellen's Formula One for Set-in Stains" -- it's good for white and colorfast items. Over the years, women have written to tell me it even removed stains on old christening gowns. Where to find it: maryellenproducts.com Also, you'll avoid yellow stains on white fabrics if you never store them with plastic coverings (such as dry cleaning bags).

Taken from House Beautiful Magazine 10/04