MAPICleaning & Maintenance
Simple, effective guides for cleaning, caring for, and maintaining your home and belongings. Find practical solutions for stains, routine upkeep, common problems, and preventive maintenance.
74 guides
Should You Remove Washing Machine Shipping Bolts Before Use?
Front-load washer shipping bolts are transport hardware and must be removed when the manufacturer's installation instructions require it.
Can Low Water Pressure Stop a Washing Machine From Filling?
Low water pressure can make a washing machine fill slowly, while other inlet restrictions can create similar symptoms.
7 Signs Your Washing Machine Is Not Spinning Properly
Poor spinning can show up as soaking-wet clothes, slow or interrupted spin, repeated balancing attempts, long cycles, drain-related behavior, or a washer that never reaches spin.
Why Is My Washing Machine Shaking During the Spin Cycle?
Spin-cycle shaking can come from an unbalanced load, an unlevel washer, shipping hardware left in place, or installation conditions that let the machine rock.
Why Is My Washing Machine Not Draining?
A washer may fail to drain because the drain hose is kinked, blocked, frozen, installed incorrectly, or because the pump filter is clogged.
Can You Put Stained Clothes in the Dryer?
Do not put visibly stained clothes in the dryer until the stain is removed. Dryer heat can make some remaining stains much harder to remove.
Why Do Clothes Still Smell After Washing?
Clothes can still smell after washing when odor-causing soils remain, the washer is overloaded, detergent is misused, laundry stays wet, or the washer itself needs cleaning.
Should You Wash Stains in Hot or Cold Water?
The best water temperature depends on the stain and fabric. Cold water is a safe starting point for many stains, while some tough soils need warmer water.
How to Remove Sweat Stains From White Shirts
Lift yellow sweat and deodorant marks from white shirts without damaging the fabric or setting the stain.
How to Clean a Stovetop Without Damaging It
Clean grease, crumbs, and cooked-on spills from your stovetop without scratching the surface or harming burners and finishes.
How to Remove Urine Stains and Odor From a Mattress
Remove urine stains and odor from a mattress by blotting moisture, using an enzyme cleaner, absorbing residue, and drying the mattress completely.
How to Remove Set-In Oil Stains From Clothes
Remove old oil stains from washable clothes by pretreating the dry fabric, washing with the right detergent, and avoiding the dryer until the mark is gone.