I just think this is crazy! Do I need to stop being such a mum?

[michelleseashell]

One of my friend's washing machine is broken so I'm helping her out by doing her washing. Rather than waiting around, she's just left me with two big bags of mostly baby clothes.

The thing is about 95% of the clothes are ruined! They're all gray and absolutely covered in bobbles. This is baby clothes so they can't possibly have had time to get in such a state. They've obviously just been put in with darks, jeans, on really hot washes etc.

I just don't understand it! I am literally aghast! Why would somebody do this? Isn't it just a terrible waste of money? These are all Next and Gap but even supermarket stuff can be kept in good condition, surely? A charity shop would throw these clothes out.

I put on a 'white' wash with a stain remover pouch and a colour catcher and the colour catches came out dark gray.

Aghast!!

I stick my husbands stupid luminous yellow work jackets in there too, my son has a few orange and red bits and I have some pink things. If we made a pie chart of my washing load though, the biggest slice would be orange.

Michelle, I'm a laundry loser too!! YANBU. I don't understand why people can't be bothered to separate the whites.

I was gutted when I lent all DS's baby clothes to my SIL and she didn't wash them with care and they came back all grey and bobbly for DD.

I don't have an orange wash, but I do have a red wash so my DC wear a lot of red bought because I like the colour on them, but also to fill up a washing machine load. I have purple towels that go in with it.

It's always on my mind!! :o

I would be gutted too trixy. Did you say anything to her?

The next time I see someone buying orange or purple towels, I'm going to give them a big wink! I know their game! :o

No I didn't say anything. She had been kind enough to lend us loads of her baby stuff, so wouldn't have seemed right to say anything. Most I was not bothered about apart from the stripey "labyrinth" baby sleepsuits I bought in every size I liked them so much, but I'd kept the smallest one back anyway just in case.

Sorry about my non tops there michelleseashell.
To make up for it, I will share my ironing tip.
First though, YANBU. I also would never want my family members or myself to walk around looking like an old sock. (love that expression).
I previously posted about my ds deliberately washing his whites and blacks together, unbeknownst to me. So of course when he left his laundry at our place, I washed and bleached and hung in the sunshine to get them all bright again. He was mad, I "ruined" his grungy wardrobe and he would have to start to re grunge all over again.
So, I feel your bitter sweetness at being left 2 bags of dingy grey laundry. The anticipation of the challenge, to send it back to her totally clean and bright.
I once steam cleaned a daycare child's stroller, as it was so disgusting and filthy, I didn't want her child in it, or for anyone to think it was my child in my filthy stroller. I think I made up some story about a leaky diaper to explain the like-new stroller. She said she didn't know they could be cleaned.

Anyways, my tip is iron with home made lavender water. Add a few drops of lavender oil to a spray bottle of water, and use as you iron. It especially is great for pillowcases, cotton shirts and nightgowns. Sometimes I even do non wrinkly;y things, because it smells so great. I can't use fabric softener, as we all get insanely itchy, and some make me congested.
I use vinegar in the rinse water to remove any leftover soap.
PS
Don't forget to shave off any nubbies that don't wash away.

That really is sad trixy. I don't know if I'm the only one but I get pretty emotionally attached to baby clothes. What are labyrinth baby clothes?

You're talking my language now iscream! :) :) I was thinking about bleaching but they are SO gray. How bad were the ones you rescued? For perspective, I put a colour catcher in last night with a black load and it didn't come out as gray as the one that was in with her whites! I'm already planning to get a razor on the bobbles!

labyrinth baby

I think you guys are bonkers regarding laundry . I NEVER separate clothes and am always optimistic that everything will be alright in a 60 degree wash. After a few ruined shirts and shrunk sweaters, DH has taken over the washing machine operation .

iscream, how do you put vinegar in the rinse water...do you put a capful or something the small thingy for the fabric softener? I would love to be able to tell DH how to improve his laundry skills, because I bet he doesn't know this trick

Trixy- what a coincidence, my baby is sleeping in one like that right now! I love them. I have a red and white stripy hat too and I call it his Toby hat. Where do you get yours from? I got one by Blue Zoo and the red stripes are print rather than fabric so they can't run.

I can't believe someone would ruin them. :( Saddest story I've ever heard!

I separate everything, i spend ages doing bloody laundry. Whites wash, darks wash, brights wash, hot wash for bedding, delicates wash for lycra/jersey, wool wash, etc.etc.

it's very rod for my own back but I'm obsessed by it.

However i don't iron but fear I'm going to have to start as dd starts school this sept and i can't let her go in looking like an urchin .

I blame my mother, she's a complete laundry fanatic too.

Oh grand! Another washer woman!!! :)

You guys have made my week. Seriously.

I'm also fixated with vanish stain wash removal powder and have pure soapflakes for the delicates/woollens.

if I wash the bedding on less than 60 without some sort of brightening agent in it i don't feel it's clean. i've tried to buy ecover and stuff but it just doesn't get things clean enough!

Michelle, Minx and all you other laundry goddesses, are you like this about everything ?

Are you baking divas who produce perfect cakes every time...?

Delia-type-perfectionists with precise recipes and perfect results...?

Just askin'

Having one obsessional Monica trait does not a Monica make, flatbread.
No, is the answer to your question.

I do use eco products - there are a few here in Australia - but also Vanish/Napisan on stuff that needs it. When I was in the UK, I used Persil non-bio, Persil colour, Lux soapflakes and Lenor fabric conditioner (but I started going off them because they kept increasing the scent!) The stuff here is far less scented so clothes smell clean but not overly scented, thank goodness!

flatbread, I add a cup of white vinegar into the clothes/water, when it begins the last rinse cycle. I have a very basic washing machine, it is 17 years old, I am eagerly awaiting its demise so I can get one with all sorts of settings.

i'm with you all the way michelle.

washing is about the only thing i do with any kind of system.

cannot understand why anybody wouldn't sort clothes out for separate washes.

it's so easy and yet so incredibly satisfying. she's missing out on one of life's unsung pleasures.

God no, definitely not a monica about everything. I keep things neat and tidy and I quite enjoy cooking but like if I don't keep up with the dusting, my fireplace isn't going to fall off. I think there's something a little ocd/satisfying about doing the laundry, not least because it is easy. The washing machine does all the work really.

I actually didn't have a washing machine at all for nearly three years. I'd spent so long delicately laundering my clothes by hand that I was quite frightened of the washing machine ruining everything at first. It lit up like a little space ship and I was backing away from it like I'd come out of a time portal from victorian times. We're the best of friends now though!

I also don't have shit loads of cash but enough for the odd treat, so I really like to make sure that what I've got is kept nice. I'm a real favourite jumper, favourite socks, favourite etc etc kind of person too.

Which is why I'm so stupidly precious over it :o

I do envy some of your cavalier attitutes to the washing though :o

Baskingseals- :) :)

Michelle you have really made me laugh with this thread - LOVED the use of aghast in the the OP. Plus good on you for taking the flack and being all chilled when some mners tried to start a row.

I am a laundry loser as well. I can't believe people wouldn't separate their loads - it only takes seconds. I do whites, pastels, colours, blacks and DP's work clothes get washed separately. I gaily put on about 3 washes a day (but before the environmentalists kill me, I have solar panels on the roof, never have baths (showers only and not a power shower at that) and don't have a dishwasher).

I have 3 separate detergents (colours, bio and cheap tesco value crap for dp's work clothes) and use soda crystals. I don't use fabric softener for towels or bedding.

I feel a strange thrill of delight when I fold up my towels in set square lines and they are all lined up in serried ranks in the airing cupboard. Then some bastard comes along and uses a towel .

Does anyone else give a visceral roar of rage when a motherfucking black sock (how? why?) gets in the white wash?

Yes I am a huge saddo. Yes I should occupy my time in other ways (I do work ft as well before anyone starts).

Tell her to get one of these laundry baskets.

Just drop clothes into the appropriate section, and when you have a full load, stick it in the washing machine. No extra time taken!

Here's one on ebay in East Sussex.

I'm really not a Monica (much to the grief of my husband who is, but I separate colours, and I never wash at stupidly hot temperatures!

yes, Tilltell, sounds good in theory. But imagine this scenario:

You have been sorting out the whites and colored nicely all week. And then, you have a full loads of whites, but only a handful of coloreds.

So you stuff the whites in the machine, and turn to 60 degrees because the badly-behaved mutt might have sneaked into bed. And then, you see the red top in the colored section. You know you look gorgeous in it and you have a dinner to go to that night and you need some confidence boosting.

What would you do Yup, chuck the top in and hope for the best, right?

So in my opinion, no point in wasting time in separating the clothes in the first place. So think the OP is being VU

iscream, thanks for the tip. Hope you get your new machine soon

Flatbread- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Hand wash it in the sink!!!

flatbread - no. Never in a million years would I chuck a red top in with the whites and "hope for the best". If it didn't turn everything pink, which at anything hotter than 40 it might, it would almost certainly trash the top to wash it at 60. I'd sooner hand wash it.