To think that it is simply common sense to separate whites from coloureds?

[HecateTheCrone]

and NOT something a man of almost 50 would need to be sat down and given instructions on?

It has never ever occured to me that Himself does not do this. Ever.

I have wondered why all of a sudden, my bras go grey or the kids' pe tops go grey.

I've blamed the washing powder, the machine, poor quality clothing...

But today I find out that when Himself bungs a load in the washer, he just grabs whatever is in the washing basket and lobs it in

My last white bra is now disgustingly grey.

I mean, when I do the washing, I separate it. He has walked into the kitchen before and found me sitting on the floor putting the dirty clothes into piles - wtf did he think I was doing that for?

It honestly never occured to me that he is the reason I have dirty grey manky bras and that a grown man would need washing lessons.

AIBU? Naive? Thick?

DH is the same (sigh). His mother is a control freak house-proud type, too; those are the standards that DH privately wants me to adhere to, not that he ever learnt how for himself.

I always just chuck everything in. (If something is a bright colour and new, I'll wash that seperately). No problem with colours fading/merging. May be your washing powder?

I am the washing gestapo separate everything.Darks lights whites and brights! Hate dingy washing

I never do I have no grey bra's and my white tops still sparkle white... scoop of Vanish in the wash and my whites stay white

When I lived alone I didn't separate colours, but makes sense to if you live in a colony family group.

Doesn't the Vanish bleach your non-coloured items out a bit?

Blimey Hecate, for a second I thought daftpunk was back...

You have to separate stuff? Bugger. But if I have to do that I'll wait forever for a full load of whites.

I think it depends how hot you wash more than what powder you use. I often wash at 60 as I have a dirty husband and dirty children! I find that washing at 30 means that nothing gets clean. I always separate whites/lights and darks/coloureds as I wash frequently. My mother on the other hand will wash mixed loads at 30 and have no problem. I hate grey bras though so I feel your pain OP.
DH rarely does washing but he 'helpfully' loaded the machine with our red sofa covers however he didn't remove all the washing first so we got one pink toddler sock and one pink pair of pants. Not the end of the world but still annoying.

Ha hahaha DH doesn't because I don't. I taught him to use all modern appliances so he does things however I do them...

(not as bad as it sounds, he grew up with cooking over gas bottles and hand washing clothes!)

I don't separate.

I have black underwear, so it doesn't go grey. Every so often I will pull out all of DSs school shirts and put them on a hotter wash with some Vanish or something if they need it, but otherwise, we don't have grey whites.

I don't separate as I have hardly any whites and can't be doing with waiting forever for anywhere near a half load to appear. I hate having more than a load in the basket.

chuff?

you do, notthewowy. or you end up with (can you hear me bashing the keys angrily, Himself?) GREY BRAAAAAAAAAAAS

Once a bra is grey, is there any way to save it?

oh no, Hammy. Don't say it could be my washing powder. Not after I've just bitched at him for ages

I am using sainsbury's colour care liquid atm. but I use whatever happens to be on special offer.

He does - despite me going on and on and bloody ON about it, wash everything at 90

Could that be turning my lovely white bras grey? and not the big pair of BLACK PANTS AND THE PURPLE TROUSERS HE PUT IN THERE? (hear me banging, boy-oh?)

I've never separated any of mine. All washes are on 40 deg. All my whites are still white!

Have I been wasting my time all these years ! I have a lot of whites though and wash bras by hand thought the machine would ruin them.How did I get to 45 and not know this?

and I have just figured out what Chuff was saying. [thicko me emoticon]

noddy - I don't wash my bras by hand because they are not delicate lacy little things, they are more like industrial scaffolding.

It would take more than a spin cycle to pull those buggers apart.

A pack of rabid dogs couldn't do it!

We have had many "coaching" sessions in our house on this topic. DH is generally an intelligent man, but simply cannot grasp washing fundamentals. Mixing loads, washing wool on hot with biological powder, tumble drying cashmere, fabric conditioner in with nappies....the list goes on.

Afraid we have resorted to gender stereotyping on this one, ie I tend to just do it myself and save my clothes

DH wouldn't know where to find the washing machine never mind put anything in it.

If your bras are not 100% cotton, they will turn grey at 90C even if only mixed with white.

will they?

so either way, it's his fault?

good-oh.

YANBU, but it is not just your DH (or men more generally) who lack this basic skill.

All of my bedding and towels are plain white 100% cotton because it makes the washing easier. Some while ago I had friends staying and they commented on how white my towels were and that they didn't know how I managed to keep them so white. So I told them the secret - only wash whites with other whites and use biological detergent. They were astonished - for a moment, I thought they might write it down .

They had no idea that washing whites with colours would make the whites go grey And these are ADULTS! With their OWN HOMES! And many many years of laundry experience!

Dh didn't know that the labels in clothes told you how to wash them.

He thought I just knew.

Yes anything with lycra or elastane will turn grey if too hot. I have months of hand washing bl* white dance leotards I had to buy for a show. I forgot once I was the only grey one out of the line .