What do you use to clean your clothes?

[Spuck]

I will hold my hands up and say that I am bloody awful at washing clothes.

I’m forever having to re wash things as stains don’t lift, clothes sometimes still smell (mainly DP’s underarm area on his tops) and generally just do not look or smell clean.

1. What would you recommend (pods, powder, liquid?)
2. How do I get DP’s sweaty underarm area on his tops smelling fresh?!
3. I always do a quick wash, should I be selecting a different option?
4. Should I be washing certain items of clothing together/separately?

I think they smelt best when I powder along with fabric conditioner but I switched back to pods as I felt the fabric conditioner ran out so bloody fast…

40 degree wash for most clothes with Aldi washing liquid and fabric conditioner

Husbands work clothes (bakery whites so get smelly!) and kids white school clothes are washed seperate on a 60 degree wash with above plus ace bleach in drum and laundry disinfectant in drawer

Undies and towels on 60 with washing liquid and laundry disinfectant but no fabric conditioner

Constantly get comments on how nice the clothes smell and how sparkly school shirts are and white husbands bakery whites come up compared to his colleagues

A bowl of hot, soapy water, a bit of a soak if need be, a rub with Vanish if necessary and then some elbow grease.

Oh, and I hang everything outside as much as possible, even in winter to lighten the dampness and then put in dry buddy if necessary. Leave whites out in bright sunlight as long as possible.

I also don't rewash clothes if they've gotten wet in the rain outside - not sure if it's just something my ma told me when I was using reusable nappies and has no basis in science; but she says it 'strip washes' all the crap built up. Whether it makes any difference I don't know, but even our cheap clothes stay looking good and smell lovely don't definitely doesn't hurt!

Smol non bio. Have used it for years. No fabric conditioner (it's a marketing gimmick). Smol stain remover on stains.
All clothes washed at 40 on an eco programme (over 2 hrs), with towels and bedding done at 60.

I have a LOT of sweaty sports kit to deal with (and muddy in winter) and have no issues. Sweaty kit doesn't go in the laundry basket whilst it's still sweaty though - it all has to 'dry' first (just hangs on the back of the bathroom door for a few hrs). That is key, I think.

Separate basket for each person so they can be washed separately, my stuff gets a quick 30. DD’s stuff gets a long 40 (she’s almost 5 and minging), DH’s gets a 40 and long or short 30 depending on what it is.
Towels and bedding on 40.

Pods as we lack storage space and with liquid or powder we have poor portion control and it doesn’t last! No fabric conditioner.

Stains are treated pre-wash and with stain remover in wash and dried out in the dun if possible. I also use the rinse programme for anything grotty first. That really helps.

Line drying helps with freshness, slow indoor drying can smell.

Laundry is one of the few domestic tasks I’m good at. I weirdly enjoy it.

Oh, and clean the machine regularly too.

Yes. I will use 2 if its a big load and for a small load I will use 1. They aren't overpoweringly scented with just pods and nothing else but still fresh and clean smelling, that's even with a quick wash.

The pods have fabric conditioner as part of the pod configuration.
Try putting some vinegar in the wash.

Same here! I don't understand why but it's a really horrible smell when you open the door. Clothes don't seem to smell of it, but the machine does. Have used powder now for years because of the stink of liquid.

Have you tried putting your machine on a cycle with Calgon or similar? It could be build up of gunk that needs flushing out.

I know pods cause a massive build up in the pipes. Machine engineer said they are the worst things especially on low temp washes as the gel capsule never fully dissolves and goes all gungy in the pipes. I have never used them after he told me this.

Follow these exact steps to get clothes back to normal

Machine needs to be on 40 for the gel or powder to work against smells and stains

Use biological washing gel or powder. I prefer gel

Don't use fabric conditioner for now

Put your stinky dirty clothes on a normal length wash cycle not a short cycle

In the fabric conditioner compartment add distilled white vinegar

And why on earth are you using a quick wash on clothes that smell and are dirty

A quick wash is for clothes that only need a quick wash not ones that stink and are filthy

Use your common sense

You need longer washes - the clothes need to sit in the water & be gentle moved for a long time to really get the stains & smells out.
I use Ecover liquid on darks & colours (separate washes) & Ecover powder on whites, sheets & towels. Hot wash on whites.
Also use The Pink Stuff stain remover.

Sounds like you need to do a "drum clean" wash ( empty machine)
Fabric conditioner can gunk up your machine (white vinegar instead)
Friend of mine fixes washing machines says most ppl use too much liquid washes / conditioner in too quick and too cold washes.
Don't overfill machine
Dry outside where possible
Bio powder is great it does't have to be fancy
Separating whites colours (&jeans , always inside out)
Elbow grease spray is great on nearly all marks
Also fasten things, bras so the hooks don't snag other items , shirts so they keep shape better

Supermarket own brand powder and fabric softener. I think you need a longer cycle, I find 1 hour is the shortest I can get away with and longer for dirtier things.

What temperature do you use? I mostly do 30, but adult tops need a 40 wash every now and then to kill off bacteria build-up in the armpits, which could be the problem your having with your DH's tops.

Put some white vinegar in a spray bottle. Turn any smelly clothes inside out and spray armpits then put them I’m washing machine. Add bio powder, liquid or pod and wash at 30 on a long wash.
if the smell hasn’t gone, re spray without drying, re-wash at 40 on a long wash.

40 degree wash with bio powder, Surf atm because it was on offer. I treat stains on the inside and the outside, and will put a scoop of Oxi stain remover in if it’s a soiled load. There’s not a lot I can’t get out. I never wash for less than an hour

Towels and bedding go on a 60 degree wash

I don’t use fancy stuff, the old ways are the best. The only time I use a quick wash is to wash a single item in an emergency.
I always separate whites/delicates/darks/colours etc.
Always turn them inside out to wash.
I treat any stains in the sink before going in the machine with carbolic soap. It has so many uses and hasn’t let me down yet. I just wet the fabric work a bit of soap in and let it sit for 10mins before rinsing and adding to the drum. Do not use it on sweat stains or they will turn pink. You need to google ‘using hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar’ for that. Hydrogen peroxide is amazing stuff and you’ll often find that it is in the list of ingredients for oxy power type products. It is dirt cheap too. Comes in a 3% solution bottle from the chemist.
Hydrogen peroxide or vinegar can help the smelly clothes as can bio powder, as you need to break done the enzymes causing the smell. Avoid fabric conditioner.

Use a biological powder and wash everything except real delicates at 40' and things like shirts, towels and bedding at 60'. You need a longer cycle as well, a good couple of hours.

The quick wash cycles are really only for freshening up, and all that guff they go on about in the adverts about a quick wash on cold? Cobblers.

Quick wash is usually for small wash loads as it uses less water. My usual wash is about 1½ hours long at 40⁰C

For smelly clothes pits I use Dr Beckmann spray for removing antiperspirant/stains.
I use bio powder mostly as it keeps the drum cleaner.
Fabulosa laundry cleanser in with gym/sports kit

As pointed out by pp you probably need to thoroughly clean your machine, as repeated low temperature quick washes will leave an awful lot behind. Think there’s a Dettol product?

Powder is supposed to be better for whites. Ecovero Bio Powder works flawlessly.

Liquid is supposed to be better for coloured fabrics. If I could be bothered to buy something separate it would be an Ecovero Bio Liquid.

No fabric softener ever.

Dr Beckmann’s bio sheets when travelling.

I suit the washing temperature and time to the demands of the different types of clothes and how they’ve been worn.

• What would you recommend (pods, powder, liquid?)
Powder.

• How do I get DP’s sweaty underarm area on his tops smelling fresh?!
Spray with white vinegar before washing.
Use white vinegar instead of fabric softener.
Wash at a higher temperature and for longer.
Clean the washing machine.

• I always do a quick wash, should I be selecting a different option?
Yes, use the longer programs as standard.

• Should I be washing certain items of clothing together/separately?
Ideally separate by both colour and temperature, e.g. white 40C, light 30C, dark 40C etc.

Persil pods and fabric softener and wash at 40 or 60 degrees. Quick cool washes won’t shift smells and stains x

Must say I’ve been deeply unimpressed with pods.

I sort my laundry into the following:

dark colours, bright colours, lights and light stripes and whites that can go at 40 degrees. Long wash cycle with Fairy non - bio pods or powder and the whites are washed with Persil bio powder. I use a colour catcher for brights and light stripes and fairy fabric conditioner.

Then:

coloured underwear and socks.

Gym kit use halo sports wash for this.

white vests, socks and plain white bedding and white towels.

coloured bedding and towels

Bath mats ( changed daily)

Tea towels and dish cloths

All the above are washed at 60 degrees minimum, sometimes 90 if really grubby on my longest cycle ( 3 hours) with Persil Bio and fabric conditioner.

All washes have 1/2,-2 scoops of napisan in with them to kill bacteria and lift stains.

occasionally use fairy scent boosters, as I love the smell.

Don't use the short cycle that's not for grubby clothes! I would only use this to freshen a couple of items that were not dirty .

Washing machine gets a maintenance wash and a drum clean weekly. I also clean the seal and drawers at this time.

I also love the smell of bold powder or pods . Bold has built in fabric conditioner, but they irritated my skin.

i personally find fairy and persil work well .