There’s virtually no household that hasn't experienced laundry gone wrong. In a classic scenario, a family member puts your beloved cashmere jumper from a fancy Parisian boutique you could never afford on your own on a spin of death and it shrinks just like your dreams of putting it on ever again. You try to stretch the fabric until it tears away and this is a farewell you knew was comin’.
In reality, laundry fails are so common, I am wondering how come they’re still not included in the Olympic games... right next to the wine glass breaking race.
Bored Panda has compiled a list full of hand-selected (you bet!) laundry fails that is basically a low-key guide on how not to murder your clothes in what seems like a hundred different ways.
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Just Some Regular Rubber Gloves Washing Accidentally Opened The Gate Of Hell
It's A French Sweater Anyway
The Many Stages In My Sweater's Life
Laundry is one heck of a stressful business. It’s a wheel of fortune: you pour some soap, set the temp, and hope for the best. The problem is, usually, luck is not on our side.
With your favorite cardigan and jeans shrunk so that they wouldn’t fit a Barbie doll, you have now become an inaugurated participant in adult world problems. But bear with me, there are some things you may wanna try and do to unshrink your teeny tiny clothes.
They Look Dry Enough
I Shrunk My GF's Favourite Sweater, But Her Loss Is Oak's Gain
The dog looks nice in it but doesn't seem to appreciate it that much.
Turns Out Washing Machines Do Eat Socks, But There Were More Surprising Things That We Found
Today, my husband got tired of fooling with one of the washing machines that was just not working properly and decided to take it apart, starting with the bottom panel. To his shock, this is what he found... Socks, underwear, a credit card… and that is just what was in the bottom of the machine. When he removed the water pump that removes the water from the machine, he found about $7.00 in change.
Reader’s Digest suggests placing your article of clothing in a bowl, filling it with lukewarm water, and adding two tablespoons of gentle shampoo or conditioner. Let it soak for half an hour, decide whether you want to rinse it or leave it on (either way may work), and place your clothing flat on a towel.
Roll it up so that it remains damp and not soaking wet. Then, unroll the garment, lay it flat to dry, and pin the edges of the garment. At this point, all you need is time and patience. After the garment is finally dry, it should be wearable again.
If you fellow Pandas have any other ideas or tricks to unshrink your clothes, feel free to share them in the comments!
Sorry For Your Loss Meredith, We Kind Of Shrunk Your Favorite Sweater, But Ella Loves Her New Sweater
You Did Not Do Well
How does that even happen and why would you just stand there and take a photo?
These Six Socks Were Washed Together, One Shrunk
My Pillow Said "Washing Machine And Dryer Safe." I Open Up My Dryer To This
Washed My Favourite Jumper
Accidentally Washed My Wallet And This Dog Appeared
Laundry Time
I Washed The "Antistress" Pillow
Should be called a gives you stress pillow. *cue tv advert voice* "Gives you stress annndd makes a mess! Try the stress giving pillow today, OR gift it to someone who 'doesn't have enough problems'! Put it in the dryer, makes a fire! Put in the wash, goes kaposh! Neglect it all the time, give it dirt and grime! Order your stress giving pillow today for a super large amount so you can waste money too!"
So My Washing Machine Took A Little Walk
*Explanation* If you're doing your laundry (most likely bedding) the sheets can get stuck together in a ball, causing the washing machine to start "walking" away as it spins around the lump of sheets from one side to the other.
Accidentally Shrunk My Sweater While Doing Laundry
So, I Came Back To Check On My Laundry
Accidentally Put My Wool Hat In The Washing Machine. Label Said Hand Wash Cold
I Accidentally Put My Leather Gloves In The Washing Machine
Today Is A Pink Day
Apparently Sometimes "Dry Clean Only" Really Does Mean Dry Clean Only
I Feel Guilty For Murdering This Turtleneck
"I Got A New Sweater Today Because Mom Sucks At Doing Laundry"
Such a cute dog! And that looks like a real nice fleece sweater, sorry for your loss ☹️. Then again, puppy's gain.
You Would Think They Would Make These Things Waterproof
Mom Lesson Of The Day: Check The Pockets Before Doing The Laundry
I have done this!! What a massive stresser! Had to call someone out to deep clean the drum and sealer parts. Repair man said it’s actually super common. (Just not common to me!)
You Think You’ve Raised Them To Be Rational Human Beings, And Then You Come Around The Corner And You See This
Did The First Load Of Laundry Of The Decade. 2 Rolls Of Toilet Paper Fell Off The Top Of The Fridge And Into The Washing Machine Without Me Noticing
Accidentally Chucked My 2-Year-Old's Lovely Hand-Knitted Dress In The Wash And It Came Out Felted, Newborn Size
After hearing me exclaim "Noooo!", my 4-year-old son came running into the laundry to find out what had happened. He was quick to console me by reminding me that I will soon have a newborn to put it on. What a sweetie.
My Husband Washed His Jeans Today... With A Few Red Car Rags
Nothing Like Pulling Out A Warm Pillow Out Of The Dryer Right Before Bedtime
And This Is Why You Let Your Wife Do Your Laundry And You Do Not Wash 100% Wool Sweaters In Hot Water. I Promise I Could Fit This Yesterday
Lemme fix that for you: this is why you educate yourself before you do something you have no experience with.
I Washed Christophers Work Id And Made Him A Cyclops
I Accidentally Washed And Dried My $10 Bill And It Shrunk To A Quarter Of Its Normal Size
When You Accidentally Put Your Gloves In The Wash
Laundry Fail. One Of Sena’s Favorite Sweaters Is Hers No More
My Friend's Laundry Machine Did This
I Did Laundry. She Lost Her iPhone
My husband did this! We had a newborn and she spewed on our bed. He took the duvet cover off and put it in the wash. Turns out my phone had been on the bed...
Honey, I Shrunk My Sweater
Because When Life Gives You Over Sudsy Laundry Problems And Your Kid Is Home On Chanukah Break You Just Have To Make The Best Of It
I Seem To Have Accidentally Shrunk Ed's New Outfit In The Wash
When You’re Having Monday Problems On A Tuesday. Now How In The Heck Am I Supposed To Clean This?
Really? Seriously This Is Inside Of My Washing Machine. How A Bag Of TJ's Pretzels Got Into My Hamper I Will Never Know
Probably because someone stashed it to hide it from a food hogger or to save it for a later time.
When You Remember That Wool Shrinks In The Dryer
Farewell, Then, Beloved Jumper. In A Moment Of Distraction, You Were Bundled Into The Wash With Everything Else And Met Your Demise
Don’t Know How I Managed To Do This Today But Somehow I Did A Load Of Laundry With An Entire Box Of Kleenex In It
AirPods Were In The Pocket Of My Jacket
Yay, Pull-Ups In The Washing Machine
It Won't Give Back My Laundry
Washing Machine Shook The Detergent Off
My Wool Sweater Shrunk In The Wash
How To Tell Your Husband You Accidentally Shrank His Favorite Wool Sweater
My Mom Is Gonna Kill Me
When You Accidentally Shrink Your Toddler's Hat And It Doesn't Even Fit Your 6-Month-Old
My So Accidentally Shrunk A Wool Tank Top My Mom Knit Me, But The Good News Is Bagheera Got An Amazing New Dress Out Of It
I May Have Shed Tears This Morning. Elke's Bowline Sweater Went Through The Wash
She literally lives in this mama-made hand-me-down (and that hat). True to her cool form, she took it in stride and requested another one, this time in a very specific shade of kinder bunny blue. Putting all other WIPS aside to get that done for you, sweetie. Should probably track down some superwash though.
My Mom Had To Scan This Pic Of My Dad At A Young Age For My Sister, But She Forgot About It In Her Pocket And Accidentally Washed It. She Is Broken Up Over It
Just Washed Some Pillows
Mad Skillz. Pink Is The New Black
Been a victim of this, which is why hubby does not help with the washing machine part of laundry anymore!
I Washed Some Cushions That Got Wet In The Damaged Storage Building. They Exploded. I Closed The Lid And Walked Away. I Quit
My Fav Sweater
Fixing This Sweater That I Accidentally Washed With A Purple Fluffy Jacket
Washed A Memory Foam Pillow In The Washer
Whoops, I Shrunk This Awesome Sweater From My Gramma. Looks Like My Nephew Is Getting Some Swag
Laundry Fail
My Stepdaughter’s Unicorn Toy Was Kind Of Dirty So I Thought I’d Be Nice And Wash It
Oh my God!! Unicorns are endangered species, you can't kill them like that!! pffft
Laundry Fail
When Your Loving Mother Does Your Children's Laundry Whilst You Are Away For The Weekend And Washes Your Baby's Favorite Hand Knit Sweater
I Kept Thinking About Harry Potter And The Awful Sweater Petunia Tried To Get Him To Wear. Only I Wanted To Keep This One
I've Been Doing Laundry For Nearly 25 Years And This Is The Worst Mishap So Far. No Idea What Went So Wrong, But This Blanket Literally Disintegrated
When Mom Accidentally Shrinks Her New Sweater Down To Havanese Size
There Was An Attempt To Wash A Hat
This Is What Happens When Your Kids Start Learning How To Do Laundry And Accidentally Wash My Sweater
Oh My Poor Little Jumper I Loved So Much. When You Leave Paul Doing The Washing While You're In Rehearsals. Although I've Only Turned Our Washer On Once, So I Can't Really Complain
When You Open The Dryer And Your Laundry Looks Like Soft-Serve
God, I hate when this happens. I once had to use scissors to rescue some towels.
Don't Be Like Me: Read The Washing Label. The End
Well It Finally Happened. I Fell For The Whole Load Of Whites With One Red Thing, Just Like Rachel. It Can Happen To Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere
Just In Case You Were Ever Wondering, Floppy Straw Hats Don't Do Well In The Washing Machine
Slight Fail On The Washer Setting For My Big Baggy Blue Sweater
Good Chance These Won't Be Working Anymore
I May Have Shrunk This. Dog For Reference
My Wife Did Something To My Favorite Wool Sweater. Can't Put My Finger On It, Though
When You Accidentally Put A Sneaker In The Washing Machine
Never had an issue like that before and have put sneakers in the wash a few times.
I Decided I Should Wash Everything. So I Threw My Pillows In, They Were Far Below The Fill Line Then They Exploded And Burned. My Washer Is Not Doing Well Now
Wash Your White Clothes For Only 0.80 USD Sounded Like A Good Deal To Me. Not Sure If It Really Was
Any Small Children Out There Needing A Toque That Accidentally Went In The Dryer?
Rule #1 Of Laundry Is Check Pockets. Did Not Remember To Do That This Time. And Apparently There Was A Blue Crayon Somewhere
Inside of the brand new dryer is now blue too. Oops! Sorry.
Nice pants! But the dryer'll probably be extremely hard to clean. Ugh.
Note To Self, Check The Label Before Stuffing Unusual Things In The Washing Machine
Cute Leopard Print Doll Shirt? Or A Human “Dry Clean Only” Shirt? You Decide
J Crew Sweater, Girl’s Size 10
So How Does This Happen? Same Washer Load, Same Dryer Load, Different Socks? I Don't Get It
Different batches at the factory that were paired up post manufacturing.
Washed My Machine Washable Pillows. They Exploded
Accidentally Washed An Entire Box Of Bounce Strips
Guess I Should Have Read The Care Instructions Before I Washed My Cardigan And Tossed It In The Dryer. Oops
Pretty Sure This Counts As A Laundry Fail. My Sweater Is Now For A 3-Year-Old
Did You Know This Was Even Possible? It’s Like Something In A Cartoon. Only I Could Fail At Putting Soap In The Washing Machine
I'm Not Entirely Sure What Happened. Dryer Maybe? Anyone Need A Pair Of Weird Sandals?
who washes and dries sandals?? you can wash them with your hands, with soap and a brush for example, in the sink or a big bowl of water
This Lady's Laundry Today
This Sweater Used To Fit Me
Sometimes You Learn The Hard Way. I Just Converted My Favorite Hat Into A Perfect Gift For My 10-Week-Old Niece By Accidentally Drying It
This Is Why I Am Banned From Doing Laundry
Well, It Was My Favorite Sweater
The Moment Kurt Realised He Washed All His Whites In With A Yellow T-Shirt
Slight Laundry Hiccup. Perhaps My 2-Year-Old Niece Would Like A Merino Wool Jumper?
How's Your Day Going? My Shirt Got Stuck In The Laundry And That's A Pretty Accurate Representation Of The Trajectory Of My Day
My Sister's Friend's Washing Machine Did This
Thought It Would Be A Great Idea To Wash My Dodgeball Shoes
Except one got stuck in the dryer preventing the dryer from spinning. And basically melted. The other one was fine. So now I have one perfectly good shoe, one shoe that looks like a shrimp, and wet clothes.
I Guess I Wasn't Supposed To Put That In The Wash
I’m A Terrible Girlfriend And Accidentally Washed My Boyfriend’s Pocket Watch That He Liked
That doesn’t make you a terrible girlfriend. 1. He could have washed his clothes and 2. He could have taken the watch out of his pocket.
Dog Threw Up On The Bed, Fiancee Asked Me To Switch The Laundry When I Got Home. This Is What I Found
So This Was My Favorite Oversized, Tunic Length Sweater That Got Washed And Dried And Now I Feel Like I'm In The Movie "Big"
Someone Put Their Laundry Detergent In My Washer When My Clothes Were Almost Done. I Had To Wash My Blankets 2 Times After This To Get Their Detergent Out
Post-Flu Sanitize Cycle Of All Bedding And Mike’s Sweater Snuck In. Oops. Lol
Oops, Fail Of The Day. From Big To Small
Wool things can be unshrunk (to a certain degree) with hair conditioner. My mother shrunk my favourite cardigan and got it back to its original size that way.
How soon after shrinkage does it have to be applied, and how much?
Load More Replies...
I'm starting to feel sorry for all those people who shrunk their laundry and DON'T have dogs.
Whew. I learned not to wash pillows, regardless what the label says unless the washer doesn't have an agitator in the middle. I also learned that pillows with any type of feathers will explode in the dryer and look like you raided a chicken coop. Wool sweaters shrink in anything but cold and you can't dry them. But the best part of this is that a bunch of cute pets ended up looking dapper in their new threads!
I regularly wash my pillows. I wonder if it is just that the pillows in question were too old? I have read that people don't replace them often enough. It is recommended that they are replaced around the 2 year mark.
Load More Replies...
One of my tops got ruined because of colour leakage, the stupid thing was that the top ruined itself. The chest area was white on the top and black on the tummy area. So the black dye leaked onto the white and now the white part is grey and patchy. Not a nice grey either, more like a really dirty and old white kinda grey. Only got to wear the top twice.
My godmother sewed me a red and white polka dot dress. The fabric shop said it wouldn't run. Wore that dress, and as a 4 yo of course i got a grass stain and my mum washed it. Of course I liked pink too?
Load More Replies...
So many people who don't know how to wash a sweater and even put them in the dryer.
WASH EVERYTHING IN COLD WATER. Its easier to remind yourself one time to use HOT than to remind yourself NOT TO use hot.
I lived with my aunt and uncle in my early 20s. My aunt REFUSED to let me wash my own laundry because I didn't know how her washer and dryer worked despite me telling her I used the same exact duo at my parents house. I was broke and couldn't afford to use a laundry mat so I was forced to obey her laundry rule. After about two months of living with them, I had accumulated enough dirty sweaters to warrant a load. My aunt put them in the dryer and ALL of them shrunk. To say I was pissed is an understatement.
Un-shrinking Instructions from my Mum.... Do not wait for the item to dry. Place it in enough water to make it float. Warmer than luke-warm - but not hot enough for soup. Massage in a shot-glass worth of hair conditioner and leave to soak until the water goes cold. Periodically, give the garment some light stretching - but make sure not to pull it out of shape. Rinsing is optional - luke-warm water only. Lay it out on a towel and PRESS dry with your hands, while gently stretching some more. Do not wring it dry that will stretch it in bad ways. Lay the garment out on a fresh towel in the shape you want it to dry and allow it to air-dry. It will now dry in the size and shape you have laid it out in. Opt, use a knitters technique called 'blocking'. Pin the garment, stretched out on a childs foam play-mat, in the size and shape that you want it to dry. Make sure you use lots of pins, close together so you don't get a scalloped edge.
I must have lived a very mundane life. Only 1 or 2 times did I leave something in a pocket!!
My mum shrank a cashmere cardigan I'd saved for when I was at uni and home for the holidays... lesson learned; I don't let anyone else do my laundry because then if things go wrong it's my own fault! At least a couple of times a year mum gives me a jumper of hers or dads that she's managed to felt... I used them to make boot cuffs, mittens, bags, hot water bottle covers.
Au contraire case here : had a pijama of a popular italian baby clothing company of 50 years ago named "Stellina", which means "little star". My mother washed it when I was 3 months old, it was slime green. Came out of the laundry like 1,70 meters long, did fit perfectly until I became 18. All good, but went to camping with boyscouts at 14...
how do this many adults not understand you don't wash wool sweaters in the machine with hot water, nor do you put them in dryers. But I've been doing laundry for 48 years (I'm 59)and just forgot I had thrown a new dark purple gauze dress into the washer to wash with some black items and put the WHITE king sheets in there and washed. we now have purple tie dye sheets and dammit, good sheets are expensive!
I havent shrunk anything (yet), but I have forgotten tissue paper in pockets.,. Grrr
I just enjoyed all the pictures of pets wearing the shrunken items. I once also washed a wool sweater (no tags, bought second-hand), and it shrank. No big loss.
In my family, they have left chapstick in their pocket and didn't empty them out so when I put the laundry in the dryer, the cherry red chapstick melted into the clothes and ruined them. Husband was able to save a few items by applying cold ice on it and took the chapstick out but the rest had to toss. This has happened a few times in our marriage.
Wool things can be unshrunk (to a certain degree) with hair conditioner. My mother shrunk my favourite cardigan and got it back to its original size that way.
How soon after shrinkage does it have to be applied, and how much?
Load More Replies... I'm starting to feel sorry for all those people who shrunk their laundry and DON'T have dogs.
Whew. I learned not to wash pillows, regardless what the label says unless the washer doesn't have an agitator in the middle. I also learned that pillows with any type of feathers will explode in the dryer and look like you raided a chicken coop. Wool sweaters shrink in anything but cold and you can't dry them. But the best part of this is that a bunch of cute pets ended up looking dapper in their new threads!
I regularly wash my pillows. I wonder if it is just that the pillows in question were too old? I have read that people don't replace them often enough. It is recommended that they are replaced around the 2 year mark.
Load More Replies... One of my tops got ruined because of colour leakage, the stupid thing was that the top ruined itself. The chest area was white on the top and black on the tummy area. So the black dye leaked onto the white and now the white part is grey and patchy. Not a nice grey either, more like a really dirty and old white kinda grey. Only got to wear the top twice.
My godmother sewed me a red and white polka dot dress. The fabric shop said it wouldn't run. Wore that dress, and as a 4 yo of course i got a grass stain and my mum washed it. Of course I liked pink too?
Load More Replies... So many people who don't know how to wash a sweater and even put them in the dryer.
WASH EVERYTHING IN COLD WATER. Its easier to remind yourself one time to use HOT than to remind yourself NOT TO use hot.
I lived with my aunt and uncle in my early 20s. My aunt REFUSED to let me wash my own laundry because I didn't know how her washer and dryer worked despite me telling her I used the same exact duo at my parents house. I was broke and couldn't afford to use a laundry mat so I was forced to obey her laundry rule. After about two months of living with them, I had accumulated enough dirty sweaters to warrant a load. My aunt put them in the dryer and ALL of them shrunk. To say I was pissed is an understatement.
Un-shrinking Instructions from my Mum.... Do not wait for the item to dry. Place it in enough water to make it float. Warmer than luke-warm - but not hot enough for soup. Massage in a shot-glass worth of hair conditioner and leave to soak until the water goes cold. Periodically, give the garment some light stretching - but make sure not to pull it out of shape. Rinsing is optional - luke-warm water only. Lay it out on a towel and PRESS dry with your hands, while gently stretching some more. Do not wring it dry that will stretch it in bad ways. Lay the garment out on a fresh towel in the shape you want it to dry and allow it to air-dry. It will now dry in the size and shape you have laid it out in. Opt, use a knitters technique called 'blocking'. Pin the garment, stretched out on a childs foam play-mat, in the size and shape that you want it to dry. Make sure you use lots of pins, close together so you don't get a scalloped edge.
I must have lived a very mundane life. Only 1 or 2 times did I leave something in a pocket!!
My mum shrank a cashmere cardigan I'd saved for when I was at uni and home for the holidays... lesson learned; I don't let anyone else do my laundry because then if things go wrong it's my own fault! At least a couple of times a year mum gives me a jumper of hers or dads that she's managed to felt... I used them to make boot cuffs, mittens, bags, hot water bottle covers.
Au contraire case here : had a pijama of a popular italian baby clothing company of 50 years ago named "Stellina", which means "little star". My mother washed it when I was 3 months old, it was slime green. Came out of the laundry like 1,70 meters long, did fit perfectly until I became 18. All good, but went to camping with boyscouts at 14...
how do this many adults not understand you don't wash wool sweaters in the machine with hot water, nor do you put them in dryers. But I've been doing laundry for 48 years (I'm 59)and just forgot I had thrown a new dark purple gauze dress into the washer to wash with some black items and put the WHITE king sheets in there and washed. we now have purple tie dye sheets and dammit, good sheets are expensive!
I havent shrunk anything (yet), but I have forgotten tissue paper in pockets.,. Grrr
I just enjoyed all the pictures of pets wearing the shrunken items. I once also washed a wool sweater (no tags, bought second-hand), and it shrank. No big loss.
In my family, they have left chapstick in their pocket and didn't empty them out so when I put the laundry in the dryer, the cherry red chapstick melted into the clothes and ruined them. Husband was able to save a few items by applying cold ice on it and took the chapstick out but the rest had to toss. This has happened a few times in our marriage.
