I'm going to repeat my post from two years ago, because nothing has changed, and my solution is still working. If you find spots only on the front of your solid-color t-shirts after washing them, this will take care of them. It's a pain, but pre-treating them faithfully with Stain Stick--I now have to order it from Amazon, as WalMart and Kroger stores have quit carrying it--but it relieves the frustration of finding spots on freshly washed clothes. Spots only occur on the fronts of our t-shirts, never the backs or sides, so I think it has to do with getting grease on the front either from cooking or eating. Have you ever seen the spot a tiny crumb of potato or corn chip leaves on a brown paper sack overnight? My solution: pre-treat all visible spots with Stain Stick. Works most of the time, and seems to always work the second time around if there is a spot or two after the first wash. It's a pain, but compared to the trouble of making my own detergent, I'll continue doing it. I tried using spray pre-treatments, but once you spray you can't tell what spots are from the spray and which need to be treated. I have a top-loader and use Costco Free and Clear, but have tried Tide and other detergents, as well. Makes no difference. I use a dryer and fabric softener sheets. I tried no sheets and different brands--no difference. I typically pour the detergent down into the bottom of the tub so it goes into the area below the tub with the holes it, but don't wait to put clothes in until the bottom is covered with water, so it's possible some of the unmixed detergent is getting on the clothes. But as I started off with, if the spots were being caused by the detergent, they wouldn't be just on the fronts of the shirts.

Thanks!!!

Izeve, I can't guarantee it... but I'd say the Aldi "Tandill" Fabric Softenener with the Pink Cap is extremely similar if not the same. I think the the biggest difference is the Wal-Mart & Costco verisions advertise "scent pearls" & "7-14 days of freshness", which the Target Spring Bloom & Aldi Brand didn't. The minor differences in the formula may be what makes or breaks the scent, if not more. I hope one that helps :)

Before I did any more washing, I would just place the afghan over a wood drying rack outside on a sunny day. It can be cold, you just don't want cloudy or any rain. You will have to fold in half lengthwise and place over the top and out to both sides. Bring in when the sun goes down and leave on rack to keep airing in the house. Sunlight kills mold spoors, if that is what it is. You may have an old mothball smell. Mothballs smell musty to me and the sun and fresh air will also remove that. I wouldn't add any more chemicals to the mix. I think it just needs to air out a time or two. If that doesn't work, you can always go further. I have the acrylic afghans just like yours from the same time period.