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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the Ozzies are mad (washing question)

206 replies

beautyspot · 13/03/2011 03:28

Living in Oz and renting. Our beautiful and expensive flat comes with a cold fill only washing machine!

(OliPolly's recent thread re washing her smalls by hand made me think about this)

My neighbour was in the other day and shocked to see me filling the washing machine with hot water from the shower (carrying buckets!). Most of the people I know here are happy to wash in cold water and says it protects their clothes and the environment. I say it can never clean clothes properly.

Am I being unreasonable to think that a cold water wash can never clean properly? My neighbours here think so.

OP posts:
Morloth · 13/03/2011 07:48

Have you SEEN the price of electricity in NSW?

I have a Honda CRV, $50 every two weeks. Love my car, give it a big kiss every day, after 6 years in London without one I really appreciate it.

Like Angels I walk the school run, and do the bits and pieces shop on foot. DH takes the bus to work. So we run it for a weekly big shop and on outings. Fuck I love having a car again!

The Napisan in the little blue and white box in the UK was not the same. It didn't budge anything, now I buy the MASSIVE tubs of the stuff because I am addicted. Grin

I do agree about 1000% about the fixed shower heads though. I hate it. You get your bits clean by a stupid bend and twist action. Love telephone shower heads. Getting one as soon as we buy our house.

tyler80 · 13/03/2011 07:59

When my sister went over to Australia she decided she liked the Corolla that she'd had in the UK so she'd just get the same, except she found the smallest engine size they do is a 1.8 (my corolla is a 1.4).

Most of my Australian relatives have 'normal sized' cars by UK standards, but in general they have significantly bigger engines. None of them live in remote places.

Perhaps the cold wash is to offset their cars? :-D

differentnameforthis · 13/03/2011 08:01

$850 for a week? For a flat?

I'd want a maid who does my washing for that! It's not much less than our 4 weekly rent!

differentnameforthis · 13/03/2011 08:01

The fixed shower heads get me - how do ozzie women clean their bits?

A flannel? A sponge? A hand?

Morloth · 13/03/2011 08:04

Rents in Sydney are insane.

Fayrazzled · 13/03/2011 08:09

A cold-fill only washing machine doesn't mean the washing is washed in cold water. My Miele washing machine here in the UK is cold-fill only but the washing machine heats the water to the required temperature (as opposed to hot-fill where hot water is drawn off the central heating system).

Fayrazzled · 13/03/2011 08:11

Angels on high- you're talking nonsense- washing at 60 degrees does kill more germs than washing at 40, or 30 or 15.

onlion · 13/03/2011 08:11

OMG do you hold the shower head down on your bits??? Shock bizarre

Bubbaluv · 13/03/2011 08:15

Would you actually stick a shower nozzle up your bits??!! That can't be good for you! Blush Doesn't it play havoc with your natural flora/fauna balance?
Wet hand bit of a swoosh about - job done!
I walk the shops/school run etc and I drive an SUV which is far more efficient than my much smaller car in London. I think they car companies offer smaller engines in the UK because of the car tax etc? I find in Aus distances even around local areas are bigger than back in the UK so I'm forced to use the car for more things. Some people are just lazy though.
I don't think $850pw is that shocking for a big flat in an affluent area of Sydney Eastern Subs/Lower Nth Shore, but I still think a washer with a hot tap in just a basic life necessity. Not sure what you can do about that though other than the Dettol or Canesten rinse. I guess you could rent one? Is there anywhere you could store theirs?
I have to say that when we were in the UK it drove me mad that the various washers we had never had a cold wash option, so either played havoc with my woollens etc or I had to do them by hand (so they sat in a pile for EVER).

Morloth · 13/03/2011 08:16

Not on your bits onlion but close to them and at a better angel that from a fixed shower head.

So much more effective.

Why is everyone so worried about germs on their clothes? Has anyone actually ever been taken ill by washing their clothes in cold water? Ever? How come we are all still alive?

Bubbaluv · 13/03/2011 08:16

Fayrazzled, isn't 60 degrees about the optimum temp for bacteria to breed? Am remembering bf/bottle feeding threads from long ago

onlion · 13/03/2011 08:17

IME there is a lot more water from aussie showers so its never been an issue.

AngelsOnHigh · 13/03/2011 08:19

Boiling point will kill all germs. Anything less will not.

Have always washed my clothes in cold water. Can't remember the last time I was sick or had the plague.

Clothes are always dried in the sun and smell absolutely wonderful when they are taken off the line.

Fayrazzled · 13/03/2011 08:21

Angels on high- you are wrong- it depends on the germs. Washing at 60 kills more than at lower temperatures. It doesn't have to be a boil wash to kill them all.

AngelsOnHigh · 13/03/2011 08:23

Pressure from my shower is like a fire hose. I can wash my hair, my bits (with shower gell and my hand or a washer , shave my legs, brush my teeth while the conditioner is on my hair.

Honestly, five minutes at the most.

StewieGriffinsMom · 13/03/2011 08:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AngelsOnHigh · 13/03/2011 08:26

What germs are we actually talking about here?

After all these years, do I have to start worrying about them?

I'm extremely clean and well groomed. Do I now have to start worrying that my clothes are inundated with creepy crawlies?

alienbump · 13/03/2011 08:27

Oh dear, I was all on board with the idea that cold water could do a good job and was just as hygienic as a hot wash until Bubaluv's casual mention of the flora and fauna thriving in "her bits"... Stick your knickers on a nice, long 90 degree wash, that's my advice!

Bubbaluv · 13/03/2011 08:30

I said in balance, not thriving! [shiock] Smile Thriving is what I aim to avoid by not douching my bits in a misguided attempt to be clean!

mousymouse · 13/03/2011 08:35

maybe it is also the type of washing mashine?
my mashine (frontloader) starts to smell when I dont do a 60 wash once in a while. I think frontloaders dont air very well when not in use.
when in the US the normal american toploader washed only as warm as warm tap water (not very hot, maybe 45). clothes never smellt, but never got really clean as well.

alienbump · 13/03/2011 08:38

Ha, only joking Bubbaluv, just made me giggle. The flora and fauna of Australia is so amazing I think you're doing the right thing by keeping it as balanced as you can!

valiumredhead · 13/03/2011 08:40

The machine needs to be run empty on a VERY hot cycle at least once a month or grease builds up in the machine and in the pipes.

My Miele is a cold water fil then the machine heats it up.

Forget 'bacteria' - if you wash everything at 40 you won't kill dust mites. We were told by ds's allergy consultant to wash everything that could stand it in a hot wash.

Bubbaluv · 13/03/2011 08:42

Alienbump - am now imagining Steve Erwin looking at my bits and saying "Crikey!" Smile

savoycabbage · 13/03/2011 08:48

I would LOVE a mixer tap on my shower. Neither of the places we have rented have had one. Every time you have a shower you have to fanny on running the taps.

alienbump · 13/03/2011 08:49

Now I'm quite jealous, you could maybe get yourself listed as an 'area of special scientific interest'. Whereas all I can hope for with my boring English fauana free bits is a potential preservation order and a Grade 2 listing....