Help needed with washing clothes! Powder and softener?

[sotiredfornow]

Really boring query, I know, but I need a little advice re: looking after clothes.

I've tried Comfort fabric softener (2 caps full per wash) and the clothes are barely any softer so I haven't repurchased.

As well as things being stiff and tough to iron I've noticed fading and that clothes just don't seem to be lasting up all that well.

Any advice on a good powder to use? We wash at 30 degrees and do use a colour care powder.

[bishboschone]

Are you in a hard water area? I think that makes a difference . If line drying don't leave washing out too long or it will go hard .

[Maverick66]

Hi OP I don't understand why your washing is so hard if you are washing at 30 degrees? Perhaps you live in a hard water area. My recommendations are:-
1 try using a liquid all in one such as Surf / ariel / Daz - no need for conditioner. Be careful with your dosage of powder/liquid too much is not a good thing and there should be dosage guidelines on packaging.
2 sort your washing into bundles - coloureds / whites / darks /bedding/towels.
3 wash clothes according to the label on them most things can be washed at 40 degrees.
4 towels and bedding need to be washed at a hotter wash ie 50/60 degrees - but check your labels.
5 try and not to leave your washing in the machine when cycle has finished as this will cause creasing.
6 don't dry your clothes on radiators as this makes them hard.
7 give clothes a good shake when you take them from the machine to minimise creasing.
Hope this helps.

[MyrtleDove]

Try adding a water softening tablet to the drum? You get them where the Vanish/stain remover is in the laundry aisle, they're not expensive. You shouldn't need two capfuls of softener. Vinegar is a really good alternative to fabric softener, put some basic white/distilled vinegar in the fabric softener section of the machine. Once the clothes are dry there's no vinegar smell at all. If you want to add some fragrance, a few drops of essential oil or vanilla essence dabbed on a flannel or rag added to the wash or in the dryer gives it a nice scent.

Washing powders are all of a muchness really but make sure you're not using too much.

[PigletJohn]

add some washing soda crystals to the wash. They help the soap to dissolve so that you do not get soap or scum residue in the clothes.

It sounds like you are adding double the correct quantity of fabsoft, which will leave an excess residue of wax behind.

Use hot washes, which are better for dissolving soaps and detergents. Try pouring cold 30C water on soap powder and see if it dissolves.

Are you line-drying?

[whereisthewitch]

I find lenor works much better at getting clothes soft! Thr blue one smells divine!