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.

I don't use fabric conditioner on towels for this reason @quencher

If you take the detergent drawer out (usually you push down on a lever at the back) you can put it in the dishwasher and it will be lovely!

Powder can usaually go in the larger slot of the drawer, I’ve never had a machine that could only take liquid.

I like a crunchy towel so no fab con and line dry!

Apparently fab con can stop the sports clothes from wicking sweat away so well. I use the dettol stuff instead to try and beat the sweat smell!

You can get fabric conditioner especially for towels, called “Lavender Towel Softener”, from Lakeland. The reviews are mixed, but I have used it for years. My towels are soft and absorbent!

Interesting thread. But what’s the dettol thing please

I love this thread!

Fabric conditioner can reduce the absorbency of towels yes. But the main issue is that people over dose fabric conditioner. Modern formulations are highly concentrated. Make sure you are dosing the correct amount using the cap provided and not free pouring into the drawer.
Some high performance sportswear has been treated with sweat resistant or wicking technology. Fabric conditioner would reduce the efficacy of this. Look at labels inside your sportswear to see if fab con is not recommended.

Great thread!

OP, I'm from Denmark where hardly anyone uses fabric conditioner as research shows that it is a hormone disruptor, and can make fish can change sex. What does the UK laundry industry say to this?

To the person who wants her laundry to smell lovely like her neighbours: Your neighbour probably uses double amount laundry detergent and double amount fabric conditioner and only washes half a load to achieve this. Personally I am horrified of the thought of contributing to pollution this way and also not keen on the amount of perfume and chemicals that your skin will absorb from your clothes.

To the person who has trouble with underarm yellowing of white T-shirts: Smear washing up liquid (neat) on the stain. Leave in a carrier bag (to avoid it drying out) over night and then was with bio powder. Works great for greasy tomato stains as well!

what about dosing?
how do you arrive af the recommended dose on the pack?

wild guess?

whenever I use the amount on the pack for drum size and water hardness I get a lot of foam.

The dose is set by an international industry body and applies to all manufacturers.
There is an industry-wide drive to concentration across all formats in both detergents and conditioners.

This is really interesting!

Lapin, similar to NoMorePeoplePleasing upthread, DS and I find that most powders make us itchy (including Fairy, Ecover, Ariel, Persil, Tesco own brand). We've only found one brand that doesn't leave us scratching and it is pretty expensive (Simply Pure). Some soaps and shower gels have the same effect but to a lesser extent.

Any tips as to which of the ingredients it is likely to be so that I can shop around a bit more?

If you find your clothes make you itchy after washing then do at least one extra rinse cycle and stick to natural fibres. See if that helps.
Are you in a hard water area?

Do those colour catcher sheets actually work??

If you forget your clothes in the washing machine and it gets that funky smell, what do you recommend?

Lapin - thanks for the answer. We are in a very hard water area. I have tried an extra rinse cycle before but it didn't really help.

I've just washed my hands in Simple "no harsh chemicals that can upset your skin" hand soap and they've instantly come up itchy so I guess I could try and start cross-referencing ingredients across products (the Simple list is relatively short!).

wasnt maybe consider installing a water softener for bath/shower & washing mashine?

Why cant we go back to the good old days, when powders smelt lovely? Its all this bio nonsense and washing at cold temps.

As I understand it, bio detergents contain enzymes to get rid of stains, all good BUT bacteria is not killed off, even if washing at a hot temperature the clothes still stink. I remember about 20 years ago when Ariel smelt gorgeous, its horrid now.

I only use a nonbio powder now, as it contains bleach which kills off bacteria. The best smelling ones are Persil and Formil from Lidl. I wash everything at 40c minimum.

I only use a small amount of fabric conditioner for jeans, etc to make them easier to iron, the smell is too overpowering and gets on my chest and I cannot breathe.

Why do some powders remain in lumps in the drawer (I'm looking at you Aldi). Every now & then I go back to them as they are cheap & seem to do a reasonable job & then I get huge lumps left in the drawer.

How do I stop my darker items coming out the washing machine with white creases down them?

The colour catcher papers do work. It's amazing the colour of them after a wash. Just watch as sometimes they work their way out of the drum and cause problems. You can also buy cloth ones which you can use 30 times iirc.

If I put dry washing in the machine but don't wash until the next day they have dots all over them from the drum. I clean the machine monthly. Why does this happen? They usually come off after a second wash.

As a laundry owner I look at the price of detergents and wonder why they are so expensive. Hard versus soft water, ph levels, why can`t manufacturers state quantities depending on the water in the area?

In north America we have a section in the drawer of the washing machine for bleach. To keep your whites white.

I wonder why the UK doesn't do that? When I emigrated it was v nervous of putting bleach in, but it works a treat.

I do that in the third drawer of mine in the UK (first and second are dispensers for liquid detergent and conditioner - no idea what the third one is supposed to be for) - and yes does work a treat.

i also do it when I do a 90o wash to clean the machine

The colour catcher papers do work. It's amazing the colour of them after a wash

That doesn't prove they work thought. It just proves they absorb colour as a pure white cotton square would with a load of dark colour run washing.

That's not the same as "catching" the colour so it doesn't get on to other clothes.

I'd also be interested to know what the OP thinks of colour catchers although it's not the same as detergent so may not be her field.

How is it that with each "new" version of a soap power etc., do the advertisers say it's "now improved" or "better than ever"?!