Washing clothes

[expatinspain]

My DP's mum has told DP that we should be washing all of our clothes at 20 degrees as that's what she does and that it's better for the clothes (no idea why). I pretty much wash everything at 40 degrees, apart from towels and sheets which I was at 60 degrees.

He's been putting washing on at 20 degrees, including sports clothes. The sports clothes don't smell clean when they come out, they still have a slight odour of sweat. Surely this concept of washing e everything cold is a bit unhygienic as it doesn't clean the clothes properly?

Does anyone else think this is not the way clothes should be washed or is this something most people do?

30 is the lowest I use.
40 and 60 for higher much /towels!!
Tbh your dp should smile and ignore.

That's what I do with her 😂. I think he thinks she's some kind of sage on all things domestic!

My machine doesn't have an option for 20.
I wash most things at 30 apart from towels and very dirty clothes.
30 is the recommended as it uses so much less energy but gives pretty much the same result as washing at 40 - never heard of anyone suggesting 20 before!

But what you wash your clothes on is no-ones business but your own!

20 degrees won't kill the sweat bacteria, will it? I only do a 20 degree quick wash for rinsing swimming kit. Otherwise I use normal temperatures that get stuff clean. And detergent.

My machine doesn't have 30. I've got 20, 40, 60 and 95. So I wash everything at 40, towels at 60.

Ignore Mil.
Instruct Dh on temperature for washing.
Your house, your rules!
Btw you are right!

40 is surely more appropriate.
I have to say though when I wash gym stuff at 40 it does come out still smelling slightly sweaty, I think it's the Lycra material tbh, they smell better once hung out to dry.

Same unsure, no 30 degree option on mine either.

Just do what you think best when you do the washing; let others go by their rules.
I wash almost everything on 30 with short , low impact spin.
If clothes are delicate looking I do the lower ?20 deg temp.
If clothes are dirty or sweaty I soak overnight .
Whites/ sheets / towels I usually wash on a longer 40 deg wash unless eg towels have been left to fester in which case 60 deg.
Clothes don't smell despite sports and teens.
I do 90 deg was for sake of machine every week or two with the cleaning cloths.
I wouldn't presume to advise anyone as I have come to the above set up by my own trial and error but I do bear in mind energy costs and bashing about of clothes.

BuffyBee I was pretty sure I was right 😁. I have left DP's stinky top for him to sniff when he gets home and hopefully that will be the end of the 20 degree saga.

He washed some of DD's socks, which can vertically stand up on their own when they're dirty, and they are still grimy and gross too. Luckily no knickers went in, but I can't imagine them being clean at that temperature. I know his mum kind of preps the clothes before washing; rinsing out the crotch of knickers, scrubbing socks, putting stain remover on loads of things etc, but tbh I don't have time in my life for that unless something has a bad stain.

• virtually not vertically

So she hand washes all her clothes before putting them through the machine?
Well of course then in that case 20 is fine but that's not how she described it to dp is it!