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Original poster

How do you separate laundry?

357 replies

Moonlightdancing · 12/07/2024 19:32

So.. need some honest opinions here. I posted a comment on a previous thread mentioning that washing tea towels together with knickers is gross IMO. Received quite a few comments telling me I'm uptight and bizarre. I honestly think that even if you wash them at 90 degrees, you still shouldn't mix tea towels and underwear. Am I in minority then thinking this? Genuinely curious.

OP posts:
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Zimunya · 16/07/2024 14:46

RhinestoneCowgirl · 12/07/2024 19:36

I do:

  • Whites
  • Darks
  • Light colours
All at 40 degrees

Then delicates (bras, handknits) on the handwash programme.

Have never separated out pants etc

Yup. Exactly this.

Eadfrith · 16/07/2024 14:23

I separate lights and darks, and tea towels go in with darks. I wash everything at 60 on the ‘allergy’ wash, which only takes an hour. The rest of the settings take like 3 hours and I ain’t got time for that. I think you’re being uptight. Wash the tea towels with everything else and it’ll all be the same amount of clean.

Bignanna · 16/07/2024 14:18

GinAndBeerIt · 16/07/2024 08:45

I don't dry crockery and cutlery with them, the dishwasher does that.
They're mainly used during cooking, handling hot pans etc, and drying hands.

Show quote history

But many do use them to dry their crockery and cutlery with them, hence not wanting to mix them with other items in the wash!

Whereissummer24 · 16/07/2024 08:51

Whites all together with a Dr Beckman sachet , Darks together - both at 40. Towels and tea towels together. Also use laundry sanitizer for all washes

GinAndBeerIt · 16/07/2024 08:45

Bignanna · 14/07/2024 14:53

Tea towels shouldn’t be put in with towels( or underwear) Why would you mix cloths you dry your crockery and cutlery on with towels you use to dry your nether regions ? Some on here are clearly having a hard time seeing why you shouldn’t!

Show quote history

I don't dry crockery and cutlery with them, the dishwasher does that.
They're mainly used during cooking, handling hot pans etc, and drying hands.

postingfortrafficabout · 16/07/2024 06:31

Sportswear 20 degrees - not supposed to wash hotter than this apparently.

I also clean the drum with bleach after something real dirty has been in and out it on an empty wash at 85 degree 🤭😭

postingfortrafficabout · 16/07/2024 06:27

Moonlightdancing · 12/07/2024 20:05

Tea towels and underwear should be in a 60 degree wash, according to guidelines. Not my own, to clarify.

Agree and I always wash underwear at 60 degrees - since I've had less problems down there in terms of recurring thrush etc

postingfortrafficabout · 16/07/2024 06:26

Sheets - 75 degrees

Bath towels - 75 degrees

Underwear - 60 degrees (only temperature to kill germs fully, can't believe anyone would wash on less than this)

Darks
Lights
Whites all at 30 degrees unless dirty in which case 40 degrees

Sometimes separate jeans and do those at 40 degrees

postingfortrafficabout · 16/07/2024 06:23

StSwithinsDay · 12/07/2024 19:34

I wash everything together. Knickers, tea towels, t-shirts, jeans ....At 40 degrees.
Nobody has died yet.

😵

Nottogetapenny · 16/07/2024 00:52

Whites, light coloured, medium coloured, darks. No matter what the item is I go by the colours and wash at mainly 40 degrees!

spikeandbuffy · 16/07/2024 00:25

@Bignanna the dettol laundry sanitiser does - that's what it's for. 99.9% of bacteria
I use it for gym clothes if they're sweaty but I still wash everything together

Immunocompromised and don't even think about it and I'm not dead yet. But I don't dry my dishes with a tea towel anyway

Femme2804 · 16/07/2024 00:07

Tea towel separated. I only wash it on its own or with any other cloth (like for wiping indoor windows, worktop etc).

whites and dark separated
bedding and towel together

all in 40 degree

Catsmere · 16/07/2024 00:03

I'm surprised at how filthy people seem to get their tea towels. What are they being used for, apart from drying clean things? (And the same people seem to be freaking out about putting them in the wash with underwear ... )

TangerinePlate · 15/07/2024 23:57

Separate white from colours.

Separate towels (all kinds) because they are going on high temperature (to kill lovely bacteria feasting on dead skin cells and get rid off grease from kitchen towels)

Bedding goes with everything else,however washing machine dislikes it (duvet cover/sheet seems to wrap itself around smaller items creating uneven load).

Catsmere · 15/07/2024 23:52

"Death by Knickers", Güsset Residüe's almost forgotten first album!

Sparrowball · 15/07/2024 23:15

It seems 84% of us are happy with our tea towels swirling in gusset residue and poo particles.

Has anyone ever seen a death cert with "Death by knickers" as the cause of death? No, me neither.

Bignanna · 15/07/2024 17:46

Bodeganights · 15/07/2024 15:35

Ummm you havent explained it very well.

Teatowels must go in their own wash load, because faecal matter, and/or washed by hand in a super hot wash despite them never going near disgusting gussets.

No one yet has admitted doing a drum wash between loads, but surely you all must, because fecal matter. And the other option is dettol or similar in each wash load, then no need to separate anything bar colours.

I'm stumped because even on the worst cooking day, I dont go through a 8kg wash load of teatowels, and I dont have that many teatowels anyway. Christ I struggle to get enough whites weekly. And if you do have enough teatowels to fill a small bunker, they must be left in a stinking pile until theres enough to make up a whole load.
Or your washing a few which is a massive waste of water, detergent and energy.

Show quote history

I’ve got loads of tea towels, and yes, I wait until there is a decent sized load, but not 8kg. They are not stinking.
Dettol would not be sufficient to kill bacteria!
The filter in the base of your machine should be cleaned regularly. The pipe also releases any stagnant water in the base.

Bodeganights · 15/07/2024 15:35

Bignanna · 15/07/2024 14:45

If that’s what you want to do, do so, it doesn’t affect me! I don’t think I alone with not mixing underwear and tea towels! What I can’t understand is how some of you don’t understand why!

Ummm you havent explained it very well.

Teatowels must go in their own wash load, because faecal matter, and/or washed by hand in a super hot wash despite them never going near disgusting gussets.

No one yet has admitted doing a drum wash between loads, but surely you all must, because fecal matter. And the other option is dettol or similar in each wash load, then no need to separate anything bar colours.

I'm stumped because even on the worst cooking day, I dont go through a 8kg wash load of teatowels, and I dont have that many teatowels anyway. Christ I struggle to get enough whites weekly. And if you do have enough teatowels to fill a small bunker, they must be left in a stinking pile until theres enough to make up a whole load.
Or your washing a few which is a massive waste of water, detergent and energy.

DappledThings · 15/07/2024 14:59

Bodeganights · 15/07/2024 14:32

Whereas
Limp bizkit
Def leppard
The monkees
The byrds
The weeknd
Etc all fine bands, deliberately spelled wrongly.

Feacal swirling is not only imaginary but in the company of stars.

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Should have given them a metal umlaut really. Maybe Fekal Swirling by Güsset Residüe

RedPony1 · 15/07/2024 14:57

I only separate whites (which is about once a month as we don't buy anything white!) and colours, plus a 60 degree wash for bedding and towels.

I'm absolutely not separating anything further, it already takes too long.

Bignanna · 15/07/2024 14:45

If that’s what you want to do, do so, it doesn’t affect me! I don’t think I alone with not mixing underwear and tea towels! What I can’t understand is how some of you don’t understand why!

YouJustDoYou · 15/07/2024 14:42

You'd hate me washing my reusable pads with everything else...

Sparrowball · 15/07/2024 14:40

Bignanna · 15/07/2024 14:16

Faecal- get it right!
Sorry intended for previous poster!

Edited
Show quote history

It makes more sense than separating your tea towels from your knickers before washing!

Bodeganights · 15/07/2024 14:32

Bignanna · 15/07/2024 14:16

Faecal- get it right!
Sorry intended for previous poster!

Edited
Show quote history

Whereas
Limp bizkit
Def leppard
The monkees
The byrds
The weeknd
Etc all fine bands, deliberately spelled wrongly.

Feacal swirling is not only imaginary but in the company of stars.

Bignanna · 15/07/2024 14:16

Catsmere · 15/07/2024 08:29

🤣🤣🤣

Show quote history

Faecal- get it right!
Sorry intended for previous poster!