4 common laundry problems and how to solve them

Even if you have the best washer and dryer, there are no guarantees that your laundry will come out perfect every time. Your fabrics may pill, colors may bleed, and after awhile the washer may start to smell. So we asked the laundry experts at Consumer Reports how to get the most from your efforts load-after-load. Here's what they said.

Problem: Soap residue
Solution: Measure the recommended amount of a top-rated high-efficiency detergent for a medium or regular load. It won't be as sudsy as regular detergent and improves the performance of HE top-loaders and front-loaders. And be sure to use the detergent dispenser because it mixes water with dissolved detergent at the start of the cycle, improving wash and rinse performance. If you're a fan of detergent pods, put the pod at the bottom of the washtub, then add laundry. Residue streaks can also occur when fabric softener is added during the wash cycle. If all else fails, select the extra rinse option. When adding bleach, follow the instructions.

Problem: Fabrics that pill
Solution: Pilling can happen when items with short, weak, fuzzy fibers rub against ones with long, strong fibers. To minimize the risk, don't wash short-fiber towels, fleece, corduroy, sweatshirts, and cheap T-shirts with long-fiber items, such as sheets and most synthetics.

Problem: Colors that bleed
Solution: Larger capacities and longer wash times make it tempting to throw everything in the same load. But don't. Wash darks apart from lights, and items that can be washed in hot water, usually cottons and whites, separate from those for cooler temperatures, such as synthetics. Lightly soiled items should be in one load, heavily soiled in another.

Problem: Mold or mildew in the washer
Solution: Moisture and debris can get trapped in a front-loader's door seal, causing mold and odor. After doing your laundry, wipe the door gasket and glass dry, and clean dispensers monthly. If you don't have young children, keep the washer door ajar when the washer isn't in use to let air circulate. Some models have a cycle that washes the inside of the machine. If yours doesn't, run an empty load with a hot-water wash or with some chlorine bleach.

The best laundry detergents from our tests

• Best liquid: Tide Ultra Stain Release
• Best powder: Tide HE Plus Bleach Alternative
• Best packs: All Mighty Pacs Oxi

—Kimberly Janeway