How badly am I fuc**** up?

[CatMilkMan]

i have never really done the washing (in the washing machine) and I would appreciate educating.
Here's what I do...

I put washing in the washing machine with 3 persil non bio washing capsules and a dash of Ariel actilift (which I pour straight in to the washing machine drum), I set the washing machine to cotton 60 degrees with extra rinse and spin.
I then forget about it and do the whole thing again.

I honestly have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Everything is clean and I then put it in the tumble dryer but I feel like I'm missing out on efficiency and I'm to embarrassed to ask in real life. (Obviously I should stop forgetting and just do it once but other than that?)

[honeysucklejasmine]

I don't really understand what you are asking. An obvious efficiency would be bit doing it twice, but otherwise its not hugely wrong.

Personally I'd suggest you don't need 3 capsules unless the clothes are really filthy. And i've never poured something in to the drum, but I don't pretend to know everything about washing tips and tricks.

Do you put any fabric conditioner in the drawer?

[honeysucklejasmine]

*not doing it twice

You can prob turn your temperature down a bit too if you are using a suitable detergent.

[CainInThePunting]

Stop washing at 60, it only needs to be 30 unless it's badly soiled.
I don't use those capsules so are necessary with actilift? Was does it say on the box?
You don't need the extra rinse and spin.
Stop washing twice.

[AbeSaidYes]

You forget about it so it starts to smell so you do it again? So that's three more tablets?

You just need to remember to hang it out/tumble it after the first time.

[CainInThePunting]

*are 3 necessary?

[OhPillocks]

Sounds ok to me. I only use one tablet though but I suppose it depends on the brand. Also 60 is quite hot. You would probably be ok with 30 or 40 unless it's very dirty whites.
You definitely don't need to wash each load twice. Just open the door and see if it's wet or dry if you can't remember if you have already washed the clothes.
Why are you embarrassed to ask someone in real life. Everyone has to learn sometime.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

What do you mean what are you doing wrong? Why do you think you're doing something wrong?
Washing it twice obviously isn't great but you've acknowledged that.

[cranberryx]

I used to have the problem of forgetting about it and then having to wash again as it started to smell.

This is what I do now,

Eco wash (30 degree) with some liquid detergent with built in fabric softener - THEN I put some anti-back laundry detergent in the fabric softener compartment. The anti bac actually means that it doesn't smell, even if left for a day when wet, I don't know why but it works.

Maybe set a reminder on your phone?

To be more energy efficient you could also air dry on a drying rack for a few hours and then put in the dryer to fluff up?

I think you are using too much detergent, I would only use that much if I was washing a muddy football kit really.

Although the 60 wash is fine for towels, underwear and sheets I would go lower for all other items unless really soiled.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Stop using capsules (disgusting things that leave snotty residue unless you boil wash) and just use a third of a scoop of powder because you don't need as much as they box says. Don't bother with the acti-lift unless there are stains and then apply directly to stain.

Wash at 40 unless it's white cotton towels or sheets and very grubby. For mixed loads use the synthetic cycle, don't wash wool or hand wash items in a normal load. Sort washing into colours, white and darks. I also often do a brights wash but it depends what you have. Do you really need an extra spin? If it's still sopping when the cycle's finished do it then.

Set an alarm for the end of the cycle and go and get it out!

Cotton at 60 with extra spin will take an age and washing it twice is very inefficient. If you follow what I've just posted above you will save money on detergent, electricity and water and time getting it done.

[MerryMarigold]

OK, here's my tips from someone who does a couple of loads a day:

• Use much less detergent than that. I tend to use the minimum recommended (roughly)!
  
• Use Dettol anti bacterial stuff (goes in conditioner drawer) for dirty bits like underwear, cycling clothes, cleaning cloths
  
• Use conditioner with towels only
  
• Do it all at 40 deg with a 1200 spin (I adjust mine down)
  
• REMEMBER TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE MACHINE
  
• Dry on airers near a radiator

[AcrossthePond55]

If you mean that you're washing twice because you forget & it gets smelly, then set a small timer and put it in your pocket. I have to do that because my washer doesn't have a buzzer and sometimes I forget when I started a load.

[Potatoface2]

are you a man.....wow....are you married.....lol

[wowfudge]

My tip is use fabric conditioner on everything but towels. It coats towels and makes them less efficient at drying.

Don't dry washing all round the house as it makes the air moist and creates condensation and the perfect environment for dust mites to thrive.

[MerryMarigold]

You need a bit of moisture to compensate for central heating, which is very drying.

Tumble dryers destroy clothes very quickly and use tons of elec.

No condensation in my house, but it's fairly modern and not prone to damp.

[APlaceOnTheCouch]

One tablet: lower temp (unless soiled or a boil wash eg for towels). It may need the extra spin- it depends on your machine. For some reason mine sometimes stops before the spin cycle so I have to manually set it at the end.

[dementedpixie]

No need for 3 tablets plus extra detergent, that's overkill. I use powder (around 100mls for my 9kg machine) and some softener in the drawer. Most things washed at 40 degrees but sometimes do towels and bedding at 60 degrees (depends what else is in with them).

Not supposed to use softener with towels or microfibre cloths as that stops them working as well as they should.

[OhPillocks]

Tumble dryers use surprisingly little electricity as long as you have on that's not too ancient

[SecretSpy]

Potato- are you a man /married? ? What the actual Jeff? Because everyone knows that the essential criteria for using a washing machine is ovaries, right. And the poor little menz couldn't possibly do it.

The 1950's called, you seem to be lost.

OP, I occasionally forget too. If I rewash I only use a tiny bit of detergent. But a 40 wash and one capsule will be plenty for most loads.

[BubsandMoo]

I've only just got my head around a "grown up" laundry routine in my thirties, and my Mum has had lots of phone calls along the lines of "Hi! Yeah I was just thinking about you and wanted to say hello..... oh that sounds lovely..... Great..... Anyway yeah so I've got this wool jumper I need to wash.....". Don't be embarrassed to ask

1. Sort properly in the first place - to save time I have seperate places for different types of wash so loads are pre-sorted as they are put in the laundry in the first place.
   

Your categories are going to vary depending on what clothes you have but mine are:
Delicates (lacy underwear, tops with embellishment/lacy detail, wool)
Darks/brights
Lights/whites
Towels (mine are all white anyway, I also wash coloured bath mat/hand towels separately)
Bedding (I cheat here, change bedding weekly and send a months worth to the launderette!)
Tea towels & microfibre cloths
Dog towels

Sorting has a bunch of advantages. Some things need different temperatures- most clothes will do at 40, some delicate items need 30, towels I always do at 60. Washing bright/dark colours separately from light/white clothing helps stop white clothes going grey or pink. I also have some net pods to put bras in to protect them in the wash.

2.Choose an appropriate setting for each load. This is going to depend massively on your machine, but temperature differences as above, and lower spin rates for delicate things. Use less detergent than you think. I prefer gel that you put in a little pod in the machine, less fussy. I try to keep things out of the drawers so there's less cleaning of drawers to do. I might pre-treat a big stain with something designed for that. Fabric softener is personal preference, but definitely not on towels.

1. Take it out, hang out on the airer what can't/shouldn't be tumble dried (check symbols on labels). I put most things on an airer, but put hanging things on hangers to dry. I don't iron.
   

In terms of not forgetting, getting into a routine is key. I "do laundry" in the morning and evening as part of my home routine- it's a check box in a routines app to remind me. "Do laundry" might be check laundry baskets and put a load on if one is full (advantage of pre-sorting means I can instantly see this); check machine and get load out if it was put on this morning/last night; check drier and fold/put away any dry clothes. Routines help with efficiency in general, and ticking off check boxes in a routine reminder app gets me doing it!

Laundry has now become a bit of a happy thing for me, because I feel I'm in control of it I actually kind of enjoy doing it.

[BubsandMoo]

I wasn't going to dignify Potatoface's post with a reply as clearly the OP's sex and marital status have no bearing on the issue we're discussing (and aren't funny so I don't get the wow/lol) - although maybe it should be reported as irrelevant & offensive. I couldn't work out if the idea of a man doing laundry was meant to be funny or if they were insinuating that his wife should be doing it, either way it's not an appropriate post and Potatoface does not come across well by it.

[wowfudge]

Merry I am guessing you don't have a tumble dryer. They do not "destroy clothes very quickly" (where did you get that idea?) and a modern one doesn't use much electricity and they don't have to be on for very long to do their job anyway.

I would much rather bung washed things in the dryer and, when dry, fold them and put them away in the space of a couple of hours from beginning to end than spend time draping them around, etc.

[MerryMarigold]

wow, I do have a tumble dryer. I use it in those weird months between being able to dry outside, and the radiators being on. Well, I actually use it to finish off the clothes as it takes so long from them being fully wet.

The amount of fluff that comes out of the clothes, they get holes in. And to dry from wet, it has to be on for ages, maybe 1.5hrs (and they never seem fully dry either). It was a AA rating when I got it, but that was 7 years ago. And yes, it uses a lot more Elec than not using it, especially for 1-2 loads per day.

[wowfudge]

Well, those are not problems we've had we've had with any of ours over the years. Mind you, ours is one of the Hotpoint ones that needs attention.

[DoreenLethal]

I usually put a wash on when we are expecting a dry spell - if I hadn't been ill yesterday there would be a line full this morning.

[MerryMarigold]

Doreen, i don't know where you are , but we've had rain for days now!