Washing clothes at 30 degrees doesn't clean them?

[IndigoTea]

Just took out a wash that I put on at 30 degrees and there is still dirt on the clothes!

Most of LOs clothes have a limit of 40 degrees and boots sleepsuits shrink if you put them at 60! What am I supposed to do?

Wash them at 40?

get a better detergent. Poo stains bleach in the sun.

40 tends to get things clean for me. Buy sleep suits from tesco instead? Think they were ok at 60......

Don't the labels say "if its not dirty wash at 30?" so if clothes are actually dirty rather than just worn then wash at 40.

What detergent are you using? Powder tends to work better than liquid and bio works best at low temps. Could you use a bio powder then do an extra rinse if LOs' skin is sensitive?

Er... Wash at 40?

30 degrees is below body temperature (37.?? degrees, if I remember rightly). For that reason it is less effective at removing stains from bodily fluids that washing at 40 degrees. The higher heat, along with a reasonable detergent, does much more to dissolve and remove things like sweat, baby puke, urine and poo stains.

Forget about the saving in electricity. It is no saving at all if you have to put them on for a second wash, so use 40 degrees.

You can add Napisan to your powder, it's supposed to work at 30.

Pre-wash soak in napisan or vanish shifts most things.

If it's not dirty, why wash it?

Scrub poo stains with a bar of ordinary soap and a nailbrush. Then spray with Vanish and wash at 40.

Depends more on the detergent and cycle than the temperature in my experience.

Washing at sixty tends to set stains, I find. Sort of cooks them into the fibres irretrievably.

For stains I pour a little washing up liquid on to the stain, then put some sugar on it and rub it to make a paste on the stain. Then wash at 40C. Does the trick every time.
For orange coloured stains (baby food, tomato sauce stains etc) do as above then once washed dry in direct sunlight.

Sunlight for banana-grey.

Frusso - try my washing tip above, follow with drying in direct sunlight. It worked on a curry stain, so worth a try.

My machine has a baby wash. It's 40°, thorough yet gentle.

Otherwise I'd suggest 40° delicates wash for those more delicate clothes.

Soak them first if stained with something. Then wash at 40

Do you think it might be your washing machine? I do all my washes in cold water and everything comes out clean (I'm in New Zealand, everyone washes in cold here)