I developed laundry detergents AMA

[LapinR0se]

For many years I was responsible for innovation for one of the biggest laundry brands in the UK.
Any questions you have on stains, wash cycles, laundry products etc you can ask me.

Does this link work?

@LapinR0se I'm glad you've come back to this thread - I have a question about Fabric Conditioners.

Q1 What does a Fabric Conditioner actually do?
Because the last thing a washing machine does is 'Rinse' (an' spin) - which surely removes all Fabric Conditioner.

the softener is added at the last rinse.

it coats the fabric to make fibres softer (and adds perfumes in most cases).

don't use it for sports stuff, it ruins the sporty properties and can ruin elastics. and can 'lock in' bad smells.

Thanks for trying @DanFmDorking, but it doesn't.

I can see the Which report. The overall winner was Morrisons Bio Powder.

My mil uses washing pods. When the laundry has been washed using these the clothes never smell clean. They also feel sort of waxy. When the laundry is done with laundry liquid it smells and feels so much better. Is this because pods do not dissolve very quickly etc? I watched a video of someone who tested the pods in a transparent machine and it said they did not properly dissolve until near the end.

Why are colour catchers controversial? I used them on mixed washes and it's amazing the colour and dirt they pick up.

I've just found this thread courtesy of Facebook - read the full thread and loved it! If the OP is still around, I have a question. I have always separated my laundry piles into quite a few categories, but then I saw a YouTube video saying that you should also separate according to the heaviness of the material. So I am now dividing into towels, lightweight towels, heavy denims, lightweight denims, darks, lightweight darks and so on..... Then separating further into items that say 30 degrees and items that I can wash at 40. As you can imagine, this results in smaller loads, so not efficient. And also some items hang around a loooooong time waiting for other similar items to wash with, so I NEVER see the bottom of the wash basket. Any advice would be appreciated.

@Rollinghill there's an episode of the BBC podcast Sliced Bread that looks at eco laundry sheets:

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001hnm2?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

Thank you. Are you able to share the full list, please?

Just ignore it and wash as before. life is too short .

@glowfrog thank you, I like that podcast - obviously haven't caught up with that one yet!

How should I wash this white linen tablecloth with colourful embroidery? I've been staring at it for months now, too scared.

Absolutely unnecessary and quite wasteful

@Axcis hand wash or dry cleaner I would say

Thank you x

What are your thoughts on quick washes at 15/20 minute cycles on 40C - are they effective than normal 2hr cycles? My thinking in using the quick washes is to save on electric costs. My clothes don't usually have much soiling/get dirty so I think a quick wash should be suffice. I do all my washes on quick inc. bedding and towels. Would you recommend this?

NB. I use LIdl/Aldi bio powder put into the drum, and conditioner like Lenor concentrate in the drawer (Is concentrate better than normal?)

I heard that using half or so of the recommended dose of washing powder will do the job of cleaning just as well as the normal dose - is this correct?

Can you use Fairy as an alternative to a proprietary stain removal product? Or something similar?

E As sappoopzz

@Nachtvlinder Here's a youtube video about quick washes versus normal or eco washes, which mentions quick washes actually using more electricity and water and leaving more water in after the short spin

@ADifferentPathAuDHD Wow, I didn't know any of these reasons why short washes are not effective as longer ones. It's definitely going to change my habit from now on. Thanks so much for this.

Yep - think of it like a sprint vs a cross country run - the machine has to use a lot of energy to get the water hot enough that fast, as opposed to 1hr+ to do it.

If your clothes aren't dirty, then a 30° wash is more than enough as well.

@glowfrog I found that my clothes smelt a bit musty on a 30C so decided to use 40C which worked - was recommended on here to go higher.

I don't clean the machine like you meant to, but after watching that video from the expert, I'll do so from now on. Is white vinegar useful, or buying one of those proprietary products is better instead? Also, sometime ago, I gave up using conditioner as I read that it hinders the absorption of clothes when you sweat, causes residue build-up thus, mildew in the machine etc.,

most manuals tell you not to use vinegar.

we use those descaler tablets once a week when we wash bedding on a warmer long wash.

@greenacrylicpaint is it necessary for those with soft water?