Sad Laundry Fails That Will Have Us Reading The Care Labels From Now On

By Ish B

Household chores are basic things we need to do, and it involves everything from washing dishes to wringing out our clean laundry. Sometimes, our apartments and homes need a good general sweeping, and it’s a daily task to take out the trash. All of these chores can be tiring at some point; people tend to look for shortcuts to speed up the cleaning process. These shortcuts can oftentimes turn out great, and on some other days, they simply don’t work. Doing laundry is a little more complicated than chucking in your sweaters, socks, and shirts into the wash. Making sure the colours are separated from the whites and specific textures are hand-washed are all important factors to bear in mind. These people decided to take a shortcut and ended up with clothes and belongings that just cant be worn anymore. We’ve gone through at least one of these mishaps at least once in our lives.

Come to the Dark Side

When this person decided to laundry their gloves, they didn’t expect this to be the outcome. Hands sneakily reaching out as if they’re emerging from an abyss or a dark cellar. It looks like a scene from the movie The Conjuring. How creepy!

image courtesy of alextumay/twitter

Maybe they should’ve thrown one pair of gloves at a time to have a less frightening effect. If the kids or the hubby saw this in the wash, they’d be in for the fright of their lives. Even though it looks creepy, they’ll probably not want to repeat this again.

Puppy’s Lucky Day

One day, Alex bought a black sweater. He loved this sweater so much that he wore it consistently and had to place it in the wash at some point. Unfortunately, he didn’t check the labels to see the correct way to wash a wool jumper, and he ended up with his wool shirt shrinking a few sizes smaller.

image courtesy of alextumay/twitter

Luckily, he has a dog who fits the sweater perfectly. The dog looks well pleased and comfy with his new sweater on – just in time for winter! It’s funny how even clothes that were mistakenly washed can easily be fixed if you have a puppy who can fit in your clothes.

Trekkie or The Stages of a Yellow Sweater?

The yellow sweater gives us Star Trek vibes, especially since Star Trek’s command and helm personnel wear the same shade of mustard yellow for their outfits. It would still make for a great costume despite being shrunk in the wash.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

It’s not a complete loss, though, since his friends can fit in the sweater. Why not donate it if it doesn’t fit? There’s always a solution to our problems, and sometimes the best way to solve a shrunk sweater is to give it away to someone who fits into it better.

Crisp Laundry

When this happens, the only thing you’ll need to do is make sure there’s a fire extinguisher close by. This kind of incident doesn’t often happen at the laundromat, and we sure hope the people who were doing their laundry nearby were in a safe spot!

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

Apparently, this machine exploded due to some form of malfunction, or the person might’ve put something inside the laundry that wasn’t meant to be there. Either way, we hope the end result was an okay one because this incident is one of the craziest we’ve seen.

Entanglement

When putting clothes in the wash, don’t be surprised when they end up in bunches. They can be hard to untangle, untie, and can just be a hassle in general. This laundry set up is hazardous, and adding fuel to the fire, are the cords at the back; that’s an accident just waiting to happen.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

Think about it; you haul a pile of laundry on one shoulder, then you have to go through the coil maze. It’s quite the morning exercise, and this person doesn’t seem to mind. Maybe they’re actually skilled contortionists or someone who loves obstacle courses!

Not an Antistress Pillow

The great thing about having an anti-stress pillow is that it should relieve you of your stress. If it isn’t, then it doesn’t serve its job. The faulty thing about this pillow is that it had a life of its own. It decided to take hold of the laundry machine and destress it.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

The pillow noticed that the laundry machine was working tirelessly and so it decided to caress it with its softness. Only thing is, this will be so hard to remove and cleanout. This laundry machine is meant for great things, but freeing itself from fluff isn’t one of them.

Laundry Twister

Laundry Twister is a great game to play with friends for when you’re all stuck at home. First, make sure everyone has a pile of dirty laundry, a washing machine and detergent. The next step is making sure they stuff their laundry with all kinds of clothing.

image courtesy of funny/reddit

The winner is the one who can untangle all his laundry in the shortest amount of time. It could actually be a great idea to see the outcome. After all, you can always expect the unexpected when it comes to throwing your clothes in the laundry, and you could end up with an interesting pattern!

Clever Trick or Neckline Fail?

This little trick is either super smart or a pain in the neck. We think it’s both. The idea behind it was pretty genius-like because you can add a lot of clothes on top of each other while using a limited amount of space. But the downside would be a compromised neckline.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

Necklines are the important part of the show; you wanna make sure that they don’t stretch (unless you want your neck exposed). We think that to make this work; the jeans should’ve been at the top, or clothing with heavier material, preferably pants. Either way, this idea is a keeper!

Color Explosion

One of the things that truly sucks when you put clothes in the wash is that they can get stained if you leave colored pens inside them. Especially if the clothing is white, that’s a recipe for disaster. Best to make sure to check all pockets before washing.

image courtesy of alextumay/twitter

This person now has to deal with a red stain splattered all over his pants. In no way is it favorable, but what can he do? You can honestly dip this in a vat of paint or tie-dye it and make a cool pattern out of it. Since it’s already damaged goods, why not damage it a bit more?

Wifey Messed Up

This man’s girl put his laundry in the wash, and it accidentally shrunk. It’s an honest mistake! It happens. No harm done there. It only sucks because he can’t use it anymore. But hey, maybe his girl can? It makes for a cute crop top.

image courtesy of BlackDeathZombieSwede/imgur

It’s pretty bad, and it definitely doesn’t look okay. His reaction sums up his feeling about this mishap, but he’ll quickly get over it unless this was one of his favorite sweaters. Clothes that shrink can always be replaced. We just think they had a bit of a rough patch after, but this picture is simply hilarious!

New Kinda Style

This guy reinvented a new style of jeans, and it reminds us of the 80s. All he needs is a bright colored top, a headband, and a nice pair of sandals. This color turned out very well even though it was a fluke. He ended up washing his jeans with car rags.

image courtesy of BlackDeathZombieSwede/imgur

Car rags plus denim equals washed out jeans; this look is definitely worth it and makes for a unique pair of pants. The tear in the knee part adds a more grunge-like effect, and we’re living for this look. If only we could recreate it, but we think that it’s certainly one of a kind.

Feather Pillow Disaster

Some pillows are made of cotton, and others are made of feathers. Feather pillows are known to be very comfortable, but they can also clump up if you don’t plump them regularly. We also don’t think they’re meant to be thrown into the laundry machine.

image courtesy of BlackDeathZombieSwede/imgur

But this person learned that lesson the hard way. Bits of feathers cling to the door of the machine and, well, everywhere else. It looks like the pillow itself exploded in there, releasing all the feathers. Next time if you’re unsure, always refer to the care label before attempting to wash it.

For My Baby Girl

This fleece dress was for a woman’s 2-year-old daughter, but right now, there’s no way in the world she would ever fit this. What a waste of a perfectly good sweater too! It looks like it could’ve lasted her a couple of good years too.

image courtesy of BlackDeathZombieSwede/imgur

The thing is, fleece is very sensitive and demands that you handwash it. But being a mom, you’re more prone to go for the simple route just because it’s easier. This little girl won’t be wearing her favorite dress anymore, but maybe when the family has another mini-me, then she could wear it!

Toilet Paper Fiasco

This load of laundry ended up with a lot of leftover toilet paper clinging to it. It happened when he was doing his laundry, but a roll of toilet paper fell in to the machine unnoticed This is something that could happen to anyone. It isn’tgoing to be fun trying to get that off.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

It looks like the clothes were swept under a pile of snow. It’s quite hard to take off all the bits of paper, but at least the clothes can be rescued with some effort. It comes as no surprise that this happened; people often store their loo paper close to the washing machine, we are betting he will be moving his stock far away in the future.

Feeling Knoty

Sometimes this can happen with laundry; how it ensues, we have no idea. It honestly must have something to do with the way the clothes were washed that it was able to contort itself in such a way. This occurrence is pretty rare, yet it always yields unique results.

image courtesy of somearsehol/reddit

It’s amazing how the other clothes weren’t affected, and this lone item was. Sometimes life has a funny way of presenting surprises to us even though we don’t ask for them. Even though this is a bit of a hassle, it would still make our day in more ways than one.

Can’t Answer Now

Sometimes we forget pens in our pockets or even wads of cash. But what we usually don’t forget is our phones. This person totally forgot that they put the phone in their back jean pocket and only realized when they saw their phone spinning around and around during the rinse cycle.

image courtesy of somearsehol/reddit

It isn’t great, though, especially since we’re not sure if the phone will be able to survive the harsh conditions of the wash. We sure hope this person could salvage their phone, as we all know how we would feel if this happened to us. They should try using the old rice saving tactic.

Sweater Weather

Here we have another person who’s sporting the headpiece look. It really is becoming a trend, especially with men. Maybe they’re trying to hide from their girlfriends when they go out in public? This look is both adorable, and he also kind of looks like a turkey.

image courtesy of kirsty_brucestudioReport/reddit

It’s cute when people can make the most out of an unfavorable situation. After all, sometimes there really isn’t anything to be done. This man did his best to keep his life together by still keeping the shirt. Its purpose, though, seems kind of futile.

More Soap For Me

Sometimes washing machines mess up clothing by shrinking them, cause them to bleed color, or tangling up the load into a tight ball. What it also can do is to produce copious amounts of suds. It’s fun for the entire family, except for mom who will be left trying to clean this mess up.

image courtesy of mom_is_distracted/reddit

We think that they might have overfilled the laundry machine with detergent. After all, who wouldn’t want to make a private foam party at home? It seems like so much fun to have a laundry machine oozing with soap and the kids must have had a grand time playing around with the bubbles!

Pretzel Disarray

This pretzel catastrophe ensued when the person started the laundry without checking the clothing piece by piece. One of the shirts must have been hiding a half-eaten bag of pretzels that had been left on the sofa. In no way is this a good thing because it just defeated the purpose of a washing machine.

image courtesy of tristina5/instagram

He’ll have to rerun the laundry machine after cleaning it out, but hey, that’s fine. It’s better to wash clothing twice anyways to make sure it’s spotless. Next time, it’s best to leave snacks in two places: Your mouth or in the pantry.

Dad’s Sweater

We have another doggy picture where they’re wearing their owner’s clothing. Maybe someone should start a clothing store for people to donate all their shrunk clothing. Then, they can gift them to dogs, children, and whoever needs it.

image courtesy of mom_is_distracted/reddit

This loving dog lives with a gorgeous family who cares about his happiness and keeping him cozy and warm in winter. They decided to give him this little ol’ sweater after it shrunk in the wash, and he looks well pleased. Someone give him a gray beanie and a pair of Vans to complete his outfit!

Bunched Up

This sweater looks like all the joy was sucked out of it. Once when he was young, he was bright and vibrant and had a white tone to him. Now he’s all shriveled up. It’s a metaphor for life, and this sweater has lived past its expiration date.

image courtesy of kirsty_brucestudioReport/reddi

We’d probably still use this as a rag. But sometimes when this happens, it becomes a huge waste of clothing. Clothing companies really do need to make their instructions for washing very clear and possibly on a bigger warning tag!

Tissue Savvy

Tissues are important. Without them, the world would stop spinning. Well, not really. But they are an integral part of living and functioning in this society. This person loves toilet paper so much that they even have it in their laundry machine.

image courtesy of kirsty_brucestudioReport/reddit

This was a big fail, and now they have to spend time picking up all the pieces before they do another round of washing. This can be super tedious, and it would be much easier to clean food than strands of tissue. Let this be a lesson to keep the tissues nowhere near the washing machine.

Airpods Where?

This girl spent a while looking for her AirPods. She had her phone, her work, but one thing was missing: her beloved earphones. So she turned to the washing machine and saw that she accidentally chucked them in there by mistake!

image courtesy of mom_is_distracted/reddit

The problem is, Apple products are quite sensitive, and we don’t think that they will be fworking after their dip in the machine. Hopefully she still has the receipt and was able to convey to the store her “washing machine dilemma”. We’re pretty sure this has happened multiple times and these types of people need a discount.

Meow Like It

This cat is pleased with his sweater. Not only is he looking dapper, but he looks like he could turn heads with this look. He’s clearly rocking it, and he looks pretty classy too. It’s all about the pairing of the plaid shirt and the gray sweater, tres chic.

image courtesy of tristina5/instagram

A lot of people could learn a few style tips from this furry feline. If a fashion brand for animals was conducting fashion research, they should look at the pictures of owners who shrunk their clothing. There’s a whole catalog of them out there, and this cat looks like he’s ready to vogue!

Making Art

Not only is this laundry machine great at cleaning clothes, but it’s also an artist at heart. This person left a pen open without the cover, and this happened. It looks like a whirlwind of black ink that somehow merges to create a pathway.

image courtesy of mom_is_distracted/reddit

Maybe the laundry machine embedded a secret message for us humans to comprehend its meaning. Maybe it’s trying to say that even though there are pen marks and bumps along the way, we need to keep rolling and going with the punches. Just like how the laundry machine works. Thank you for the insight, you hunk of metal!

Great ID Pic

We can imagine this guy’s dilemma when he gets pulled over. A cop pulls him over and asks him to see his license and registration. He pulls this ID out, and immediately his ID is rejected. It looks almost like an art experiment or a new album cover for Radiohead.

image courtesy of BlackDeathZombieSwede/imgur

While it looks artsy, the cop doesn’t want artsy. Nor any other vague looking idea with splatters on it. An ID is one of those things in life that just can’t be tampered with. Anything else can be soaked, and that would be fine, but IDs in the wash are a definite no-no.

Give Me a Hand

This person shrunk her glove to about the length of her lipstick. MAC lipsticks are great, but they’re also tiny so imagine how small this glove must be! For now, she can use the shrunken glove as a holder for her cosmetics and lipsticks.

image courtesy of BlackDeathZombieSwede/imgur

It doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. It’s also a great place to put your keys in or anything valuable and small. This glove isn’t at a complete loss, unlike the leather gloves in this article. It can still be recycled and used again, or maybe passed on to a kid.

Dollar Dollar Bill Ya’ll

It’s always a relief to find money in unexpected places—especially when those places are dry, and you can still spend them after. The problem here is this person put their clothes in the wash and their money too. Oy very, that isn’t good.

image courtesy of deadflow3r/reddit

At least they didn’t leave a wad of cash; this was just one bill. It’s a small price you have to pay to learn a lesson, and rest assured, this guy understood the lesson when he put his bill in the wash. Yes, it’s a downer, but it’s also a blessing in disguise since it teaches a lesson, and he will be checking his pockets more carefully in the future.

Favorite Sweater Ruined

This little girl’s sweater was shrunk in the wash, and she isn’t pleased with it. After all, who would be when your favorite article of clothing changes sizes? In no way is it a good thing, but she seems like she’ll get over it with that hopeful face.

image courtesy of deadflow3r/reddit

It’s nice to keep clothes for a while and have the memories to go with them. Sometimes, you have to learn to let them go so that better things can fill up your life. Even though this is a slight mishap, there’s always a silver lining – mom and dad can get her new clothes!

Slenderman

Legend talks about a creepy guy named Slenderman. He lurks in the darkness and comes out at night. The reason you can’t see him very well is because he’s wearing this sweater. It covers his long neck, extra elongated arms, and figure.

image courtesy of bgff_18/reddit

That would be a great backstory to this sweater. The shape is just so bizarre and unique that it deserves to be framed in a museum. Hopefully, the person made some art with this and not let it go to waste because that would be a shame indeed!

Before and After

In this scenario, the girl is thrilled in her sparkly white dress. It’s almost flapper-girl like in appearance, and she’s rocking the look. Too bad she’ll never be able to wear it again, hence her sorrowful face on the right-hand side. At least she had a good night with it once in the past!

image courtesy of bgff_18/reddit

It’s a huge downer when our favorite clothes shrink, morph and change in the wash. But this is all part of wearing certain types of outfits. They aren’t supposed to be thrown into the laundry and to live with you forever. This girl just wishes she had more time with her dress, but the good thing is that she has photographs of how fabulous she looked at the party.

Silly Parents

A Husky is one of the last animals that should be wearing a sweater. After all, they’re huskies. They can survive the coldest of winters with their resilient coats, and adding a sweater on top is downplaying its role. But hey, at least they look cute.

image courtesy of funny/reddit

His parents decided to dress him up with a sweater that was too small. It wasn’t their fault; it was the laundry’s fault for messing up the sweater. This dog isn’t pleased with the sweater but he’ll have to accept it. And it matches his eyes too!

Over Board

When you work on a ship, you must take extra precautions not to ruin any important documents. Needing your passport, and not being close to an embassy to get a new one could pose a whole host of issues. The chances of accidentally throwing an important document into the wash is always a risk.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

This person didn’t have his important documents soaked by the sea, it was soaked from the laundry. How ironic that your ID/passport is soaked in a laundry machine when you are surrounded by the ocean! The chances are uncanny. The moral of the story is: always check your pockets.

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

One of the worst things that could happen is when your clothes are ruined by other clothes—especially when a color is prone to bleeding, and you have white shirts in the wash. The best thing to do is always to wash whites separately from color.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

The color might fade with numerous loads and bleach, but they will never be white again. , We hope this person loves pink, because they now have multiple shirts and towels in the same color. At least they’re wearable! This person hilariously captured their clothes in all their pink glory, and it looks like a homage to the movie Mean Girls.

If It Doesn’t Fit, You Must Acquit

These gloves were made of leather, and leather should never be placed in the wash, especially if you don’t want to end up with shrunken misshaped gloves like these. We guess this was a pretty expensive purchase, and their experience in the wash has left them useless.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

The thing is, there’s no way to recycle gloves that shrunk this way. In some cases, you can let your cat or dog wear them. But in this case, it’s unsalvageable. When dealing with leather, make sure to wipe it down with lukewarm water, no washing at all.

Hand Wash Only

When this lady knew that she had to hand wash her beanie, she thought: “why not chuck it into the laundry?” Some people like to go against the grain even if it means not following instructions. If you don’t follow instructions, you might end up like this girl.

image courtesy of hippaul/reddit

A shrunken beanie is useless if it doesn’t fit. But the other positive side of it is that you can give them to your niece or nephew. It makes for a cute and functional gift even! But next time, when an article of clothing says hand wash, it says that for a reason.

What Did You Wash?

This guy must have thrown a shark into the wash in addition to doing his laundry. We can’t quite figure out what happened here. It’s a conundrum of sorts. Either the spin cycle was thrown off, or something was washed that wasn’t supposed to be.

image courtesy of LeCorndog/reddit

Or, the laundry machine could just have been made from cheap material. There are endless outcomes, but this person did not expect this to happen. The clinging and clanging made the whole thing fall apart, but hey this would’ve happened at some point, and this person captured this laundry fail perfectly.

He Made Me Do It

Dad wanted his little puppy to wear the sweater that shrunk. Only thing is, we believe it’s constricting his oxygen flow. Or maybe that’s just his eyes? This look is indeterminable. Is the sweater too tight? Does he maybe need some water?

image courtesy of LeCorndog/reddit

We sure hope he’s happy with his new sweater; maybe that is a look of joy! After all, it does have a funky pattern on it and fits his overall mood. Some people say owners look like their dogs, but in this case, the dog looks more like his owner with the sweater on.

New Headpiece

So the sweater has shrunk in the wash. What to do now? There’s not much you can do besides plopping it onto your head and making the most out of it. If it’s wintertime, it’s the best time to keep your head warm and cozy. This guy is doing just that.

image courtesy of bgff_18/reddit

Since it can’t fit past his neck, this sweater on the head move will suffice. All he needs to do is cut eye holes and a mouth hole, and he’ll be fine. The only downside is that he won’t be able to walk into stores without attracting doubtful faces.

Not Washing Machine and Dryer Safe

When throwing your wallet into the wash, expect the unexpected. Soaked dollar bills, a beaten up credit card, and maybe a soggy photograph. But this person didn’t expect to see a whole dog perched inside his wallet in perfect form.

image courtesy of bgff_18/reddit

The laundry machine had a bit of magic in it and spun its art. It must have had some extra some laundry soap in it to craft this picture. We wonder if it’s embedded for the long run or if it will fade. Either way, maybe it’s a sign this person should get a dog if they don’t have one already.

Patterdale Terrier With a Sweater

Patterdale Terriers are some of the sweetest dogs out there, and they’re great at dealing with children. They know how to help them, and they make great companions for your kids. Although some people may think that they look aggressive, they’re actually the sweetest dogs alive.

image courtesy of bonuscheese/reddit

This guy’s sweater shrunk to 4x its normal size, and he had no idea what to do with it. He easily could’ve donated it or given it to a child, but his doggo was wide eyed and willing to accept any donation. After all, how could you not give him the tiny sweater with those dreamy eyes?

Fits Ela Perfectly

One of the greatest joys in this world is to have a child to pass on your knowledge, lessons and life experiences too. Another great joy is seeing your child with the biggest smile on their face because you gave them a special gift.

image courtesy of Christine Achterkirch/facebook

This is one of those moments. Ela was well pleased when her parent gifted her with her new sweater. The only thing was, it wasn’t a new sweater. It was an old one that now fits her because it shrunk! Sometimes bad experiences aren’t so bad after all.

Spot the Difference

Upon looking at this picture, you’ll notice one main difference: one of the socks is smaller than the rest. That’s because it’s the only one that shrunk! It’s strange considering the fact that they’re all made from the same material and have the same texture.

image courtesy of bgff_18/reddit

The shrinking is bizarre, and we’re not quite sure how this happened. Maybe that one sock was overused, and the washing made it shrink even more? We have so many questions about this lone sock, but we’ll leave it here for you to come up with your own guesses.

First Time’s Not The Charm

When operating a piece of machinery for the first time, it’s essential to make sure that you know the ins and outs of how to use it. So instances like this can be avoided. This guy could’ve wreaked some serious damage in his home with this.

image courtesy of funny/reddit

Maybe he should have checked with his mom, or watched a bachelor guide to doing laundry on Youtube before attempting to do this task solo. Well, if we need to see the positive side of this situation, it’s that he wont need to hang anything on the line to dry. We’re very glad that the house wasn’t set on fire, and hope he has clean socks!

A Treasure Trove

This husband was able to uncover a treasure trove of belongings. It wasn’t exactly inside the laundry machine, but it was hidden in the bottom panel where the things accidentally fell. He found underwear, a credit card, and even $7.00 in change!

image courtesy of Cathy Hinz

It’s funny how you can uncover so many surprises if you shake things up a little bit. They needed to clean out the bottom panel and saw how many things fell out, pretty crazy! It’s like uncovering a whole new side of your laundry machine that never knew existed.