First, please go through this checklist to ensure proper use of the laundry ball:

• Do not overfill the washer: the laundry ball will work more efficiently with more agitation and room to work. We recommend a 3/4 load or less. 

• Do not use heat (warm or hot setting) with the laundry ball as this may decrease the lifespan of the ceramics.

• The laundry ball is not designed to remove stubborn stains. Check laundry for stains before washing. Many stains need pretreatment. Use SmartKlean Stain Remover or your favorite stain remover in conjunction with the laundry ball. Inspect wet laundry before drying to be sure stain has removed. Heat may set in stain. 

• For your safety, the laundry ball does not contain bleaching agents. Natural whitening aids are recommended for whites. We recommend 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide (3% found in pharmacies) or 'eco-bleach' non-chlorine powders. 

If you're still experiencing challenges, please read the section below carefully:

Clothes not getting clean? Musty odor? You may have hard water.
The laundry ball does work in hard water, however there are some rare cases where the mineral/ph combination will keep it from working properly. When our customers tell us their clothes are not getting clean, we recommend they look into getting inexpensive simple ingredients like Borax, Baking Soda, Calgon, RLR or White King. Do this no matter what laundry cleaning product you use, because even detergent will not get your clothes clean unless you use a hard water softener in extreme cases. Some of the big detergent brands add fragrances specifically to trick you into thinking your clothes are coming out cleaner and hide the musty mineral odor that is invariably on your clothes.

Borax and Baking soda are the cheaper options and we feel they provide the best results for laundry. Just add a 1/2 cup of borax or baking soda per full load. Washing soda may also be used. These products can be found on Amazon or on the detergent aisles throughout most grocery stores. These simple ingredients are natural, inexpensive and can be used for multiple purposes in the home. 

My washing machine smells strange, as does my laundry – why is that? 
If you have hard water, the laundry ball may need a booster. See hard water section above. If you do not have hard water, this may be caused by old detergent residues. Before you started using the laundry ball, you probably used detergent. Soap residues may have stuck to the soap dispenser and to the inside of the pipes in your washing machine, causing them to clog up slowly and cause mold. This may be the cause of the unpleasant smell. It is strongly recommended to give the washing machine a thorough cleansing to remove detergent residues from your washer. Please follow the instructions on the pamphlet included in the packaging on how to clean your washing machine, or download the PDF instructions here :)

Some of my laundry is coming out with dark or black stains – why is that? 
Before you started using the laundry ball, you probably used detergent. Soap residues have stuck to the soap dispenser and to the inside of the pipes in your washing machine, causing them to clog up slowly and cause mold. Mold is then accumulated in different areas, but particularly the rubber seal on the door (HE front loaders). Since the laundry ball doesn't use any harsh stain-removing ingredients, the mold / scum may end up on the fabric and become difficult to remove. It is strongly recommended to give the washing machine a thorough cleansing to remove detergent residues from your washer. Please follow the instructions on the pamphlet included in the packaging on how to clean your washing machine, or download the instructions PDF here :)