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.

*mould

How do you keep white clothes white?

I second the mould stain question, sometimes I have put something in the wash basket that’s been a bit damp, sometimes things with food/baby milk spilled down them, for one reason or another I haven’t manafed to put a load of washing in for a few days and the item will have developed mould stains, like little dots,

Also do the laundry cleansers (dettol one springs to mind) that remove 99.9% or whatever of bacteria actually work or is that just what detergent does anyway?

I haven’t got an answer for the mould question but had it happen once and since then I keep wet or damp stuff separated until I wash it, you could try alcohol gel, like the stuff in hospitals I found that worked well for some things.

I don’t use powder for whites gel for colour as I just buy whatever is on offer and have never had any problems with fading or whites looking grey etc but could that be because I am in a soft water area?

My last machine I had for 3 years, a hoover, eventually started leaving like black oily marks on my washing and after much googling came to the conclusion that it was on the way out so when we moved house I bought a new Samsung addwash machine. Anyway fast forward a few months and it started happening again and there is no way it could be the machine so I got a repair man out to look at it and he asked what I was using, at the time it was the persil powergems, and he said that I was possible using too much and you need to use about half the recommended dose (more you use quicker you need to buy more - like a clever marketing ploy). Also my machine has eco drum clean reminder on which is a 60o cycle but he said that wasn’t enough, I now run a 90o cycle once a month with dishwasher cleaner used to clean around the drum and seals and inside the drawer as this removes fats etc that are left in the machine from sweat etc which could also have been leaving some of the marks. Since I have followed all this I have had no more problems

My machine is set to 40o automatically for most washes and I leave it at that and again no problems as I iron everything anyway. I clean the drawer and inside after every wash to keep it clean and fresh and stop the black mound/mildew inside the drawer, when I do the monthly clean I use an old toothbrush to clean the top of inside the drawer

Have bought big box powder for whites after reading this thread and now I have another dilemma.

We live in a very hard water area so I use a softener tablet in each wash. The dosing on the powder varies depending on water hardness though and I’m unsure how to interpret it. I’m guessing I don’t need the suggested quantity for hard water, but should I follow the guidelines for medium-hard or soft when I add water softer? Who knew there was so much science in putting a wash on?

As an aside (& a microbiologist back in the dark ages) it always bemuses me when things say that 99.9% of bacteria are killed. That 0.1% can double (& then those double, and those etc etc) very quickly, so whether it's 90% or 99.9% they will still grow back. It doesn't bother me as I'm all for a few bacteria, but if course noone wants pathogenic ones growing exponentially.
As you were, sorry for the diversion. Love the thread!

This really is so interesting - thank you.

What products do you recommend for hand washing and is the handwash/wool cycle on machines really as good?

If something is damp pop it in to soak until you're ready to do the washing.

i put proper dettol in as the washing machine one smells rubbish. you need the actualy Dettol smell. well i do.

How do you advise washing bras and pants so as not to damage them but also be hygienic? (having seen your post about bacteria and temperatures).

Fascinating thread... Well done op

Question: you say vanish is pretty much bleach... instead of buying this as it's very expensive could I throw in a small cap of bleach into the drum with the clothes and wash as normal?

I'm a bit late to the party, but my question is - if you just wash a very small load, do you adjust the amount of soap powder accordingly? Thank you

How do detergant for delicate and wool loads differ from regular color detergant? (The ones Im thinking of both require 30degrees minimum)

For hand washing I recommend soap flakes (eg lux) and for handwash cycles in a washing machine use a silk & wool liquid.
I cannot say if machine “handwash” cycles are good because every machine will differ. My one is excellent and I bung cashmere and silk in there and turn down the rev’s. No issue.

I would not throw bleach in with your clothes!! Although vanish is bleach-based, it has been formulated for use in laundry. You can’t just put in some domestos and hope for the best

Bras I wash in one of those net bags you can buy from Lakeland/John Lewis (and I’m sure other retailers) which protects the Bra and also prevents the underwire coming loose and damaging the machine.
Everyday cotton pants I wash at high temps.
Any fancy or delicate underwear (few and far between these days!) I put in a cooler wash cycle.

Not sure what soap nuts are but I use a soap based powder either Sonett or Bio D for sustainable reasons. Happy that their cleaning power is less than the commercially advertised detergents, plus I can't stand the synthetic smells. What are you thoughts on this?

Thank you OP - can't believe how interesting I've found your posts! Have copied and pasted relevant points to stick on wall in utility room. Laundry science is the best! Could you do a similar thread on cosmetics or is this your main field of expertise?

Wonderful thread, thank you! I promise I haven’t namechanged for this.

I know a few people have asked, but I haven’t seen the response, apologies if there was one, but colour catchers? Can we have your opinion on them? I’ve used them a couple of times on mixed loads, but never been brave enough to put whites in with anything else.

Laundry bleach (in the UK) is peroxide-based regather than chlorine-based.

why do they turn to slime in the drawer of my machine and is it true that they rot fibres?

For anyone whose machine isn't taking fabric conditioner it may be that your washing machine isn't level.
The feet may need adjusting. We recently had the same problem and adjusted the washing machine and now it's been used.

You can use oxygen bleach in your machine, which is less expensive than many branded items. Oxygen bleach also is useful for cleaning your decking. It is also environmentally friendly.

Does hotter and/or longer washing make any difference to keeping whites whiter? Thank you

Do you recommend using liquid tabs or measurable liquid please?