Dear FlyLady,

I LOVED my purple rags, but in my SHEness, I didn’t read the directions and washed and dried them with a regular load of clothes. Now, they just are not as amazing as they were and they are not doing the work they used to be able to do.  Is there any way to bring them back to life? I can’t afford another set right now.

FlyBaby A.

Dear FlyBaby A.

Here is what I would do! First off! Forgive yourself! We have all made mistakes! In our excitement we don’t read the instructions or all the testimonials. Your Ask FlyLady question will help a lot of FlyBabies from making the same mistake.

Now I don’t know if this will work, but it is worth a try. What have you got to lose!  Take your purple rags and brush them with a Rubba Scrubba if they have lint balls on them from the other clothes. Put them in their laundry bag and rewash them in hot water by themselves. I would use a strong laundry detergent. Then rinse them a couple of times.

I wash a load of chenille mop cloths with my Purple Rags, Silver Rags, and Pink Rags, all together in hot water. Then I just hang them up to dry.

If you have used fabric softener on your rags, you may need to use some vinegar to help release the fabric softener. These rags are virtually indestructible. They have even survived a garbage disposal. So don’t worry. Just keep using them and washing them. The more you use them the better they get.