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…

2 bold/ febreeze pods per wash (big 10kg machine). Usually wash everything on a 40° synthetic wash which is around 1h45 on my machine. Never have issues with smelly clothes unless it's been sat in the machine for hours afterwards.
I wash whites separately on a 60° wash 2hrs and our white cotton bedding on a 90° 3.5hrs and add unstoppables to the bedding .

Lidls own Bio powder for whites and lights and their Bio Colour Powdwr for colours. No conditioner. I put the powder in the drum, some white vinegar in the conditioner part. I use the baby wash setting on my machine, it lasts about 1hr45 at 40° and there's an extra soak/rinse in it I think. I've found it best with sporty/sweaty teens. A quick wash or lower temperature doesn't cut it for anything other than freshening up in my experience. An eco setting might be better, takes longer but allows for soaking and uses less energy that a quick wash.

Gym clothes, warm wash, cold rinse. Reg time. Vinegar in rinse cycle. 1/4-1/2c.
I was pj's on their own, cold wash/rinse
Towels warm wash/cold rinse; hot when I use bleach and doing an extra thorough clean. Vinegar in rinse cycle.
Haven't been separating lights/darks for quite a while now as everything is colour fast.
All other clothes by person as it makes sense to me and easy to keep track.
No fabric softener.
Drizzle detergent on stains. I sometimes use dish washing soap on stains if greasy.

I have sensitive skin so I use Method liquid, most mainstream brands make me itch. Vinegar instead of fabric softener. For really sweaty stuff either I’ve previously used a specific sports wash but they didn’t have it last time so I got Sainsbury’s greencare bio liquid. My DH is very sweaty and cycles to work and it seems to be doing the job.

I use the minimum iron setting on my washing machine most of the time which is about 90 minutes so I suspect your program isn’t long enough for the dirtier stuff. I separate darks/lights and put synthetics in a guppybag to minimise pollution.

Better anti perspirant for your DH. Or he could buy undershirts and spare his shirts.

White vinegar instead of fabric softener.

Pretreat the underarms with an enzyme spray, or a hydrogen peroxide, Fairy liquid, and baking soda mix. Let sit at least half an hour.

You need a longer and hotter cycle for stinky items, and biological detergent.

not pods
https://citizensustainable.com/laundry-pods/
liquid half water
use laundry sheets

One other thing: If possible, don't buy anything synthetic, no polyester and ideally as less polycotton as possible.

DD had polycotton jumpers for secondary, they stank in winter underneath an equally bad polyester blazer. Her cotton shirts had no chance.

I changed most of my tops to cotton only. Our bedding and towels are nearly all 100% cotton, DD's Scout stuff may be different.

Get your DH and children to wash with proper soap instead of shower gel.

60 degrees exist for a reason.

Seconding absolutely everything @reluctantbrit says.

Synthetic clothes hold on to every odour - I cannot imagine how a 21st century classroom must smell. 🥴

And yes to proper bar soap. (Not Dove, not gels.) And cotton flannels or Japanese wash cloths.

And high temperature washes where needed.

Ariel pods. Vanish spray for food stains and Halo for whiffs on bedding/ clothes as I am incontinent.

Ariel cold wash gel, gets everything out. I use a bit of Vanish Gold rub on stuff on a bad stain but usually a bit of washing up liquid pre wash sorts it out. I like lenor outdoorable softener too.

I've never had this with pods. I used to get it in the drawer from the powder. It's one of the reasons I rarely use it now.

use white vinegar, don't use all those horrid scented products, they're so chemical laden

Persil powder, no fabric conditioner
I use dettol laundry sanitisanitizer directly on armpits for smelly stuff and add a bit to the wash as well

Oh and I mean persil bio powder!

Whatever is cheapest at Aldi that week.

I switched to fairy non bio liquid years ago and have found that it's the only one which leaves a nice smell.

Same. I have used laundry sheets for the past year, whichever is cheapest on the internet. It saddens me the advertising to young mums...there is no need for special products for babies.