To not see the problem

[ThisLittleKitty]

A friend was telling me her partner had a go at her for putting the bath mat in the washing machine with the towels. Apparently this is really disgusting and it should be washed separately. Friend agree and said she hadn't actually put them in together he just thought she had. Aibu to not see why it's disgusting?? Maybe putting the door mat in with the clothes but can't see what wrong with the bath mat?

The only reason I wouldn't put my bath and pedestal mats in with the towels is because the bath and pedestal mats are deep red and would leak colour into the other towels. But if I have dark red towels to wash too, then they all go in together. Can't see the issue.

... go back...

you wash chicken WITH A SPONGE? That you keep and just rinse?

Honestly, you don't have to believe anything from this forum, but please do google raw chicken. If you have little ones, or are pregnant, it's not remotely funny.

Come on..... Who washes their tea towels with their underwear??? That has to be a big NO NO.

I can't see the issue? If it's dirty, it goes in. It all comes out clean!

I'm fascinated by your line of reasoning that this wouldn't be ok. And where did you first learn these rules?

If washing with hot water and washing up liquid didn't work on cleaning things that have touched raw-chicken, surely you'd have to throw away the chopping board and use a new one each time?! If hot water and washing up liquid do work, then why would you be worried about the sponge? Genuinely baffled. There are no complicated 'rules' about raw meat. Cook it properly, wash your utensils properly before using them for anything else. That's about it.

Eolian, there's a reason I don't use wooden chopping board for raw meat, and have different boards for different things.

Shasta

The sponges are used to clean the sink, not the chicken

My bath mat is made of cotton towelling, therefore it gets washed at 90 degrees with the towels and tea towels. What is wrong with that?

God i do love a laundry thread.

RestlessLegKick

I'm with you on everything. Not separating feels yuck to me. I only use silk pillowcases to avoid wrinkles so they all get washed separately with the matching eye masks.

Lol can't tell whether the matching eye masks to silk pillowcases comment is a joke. If it is it is a funny one

I just bung things in by colour usually

I never wash anything over 40.

Dark wash, light wash, in-between wash.

Anything that is slightly complicated to wash tends to live at the bottom of the laundry basket.

We have a separate loo (with mat) and a 5yo boy. Said mat goes in with the towels or bedlinen its the last thing in the machine and everything gets washed on 90c.

To be fair I think the 5yo sometimes has aim issues and pisses on the floor behind toilet as opposed to the mat.

I do sometimes wonder if people actually understand how washing machines and detergent work?

I'm fairly particular about sorting, but if the wash cycle you're using isn't good enough to clean the items sufficiently then you're using the wrong cycle.

I never wash anything over 40.

Even towels and underwear? Then unless you're using bleach as they do in the US your washing isn't clean.

MerryInthechelseahotel

Nope, deadly serious.

Well I don't even use bath mats, we just get out of the bath or shower and stand on towels! It's worked fine for me for the last 20 years. I do 2 washes, darks and lights. Bedding and towels go in with school uniform, underwear, the lot. As long as they're a similar colour it's fine. I've even been known to shove the cat food mat in with my washing 😆

Dark wash, light wash, in-between wash.

Anything that is slightly complicated to wash tends to live at the bottom of the laundry basket

Yep, that's exactly what I do

The bottom of the laundry basket is currently housing a couple of handwash only items and a dress that I wore to a wedding in the summer that had some complicated washing instructions on that I can't even remember now. All I know is that it was chucked in with a vague "oh I'll do that some other time"

Then unless you're using bleach as they do in the US your washing isn't clean.

How are you defining 'not clean'? I never use above 40° either. My washing looks clean, feels clean and smells clean. I use biological washing powder which, I believe, has enzymes in, which are not as effective over 40°. Even when I used to use non-bio at 40° my washing seemed perfectly clean though.

Seriously, if it looks, feels and smells clean, what possible other indication could there be to suggest it's not clean? If you're going to tell me there is bacteria on my washing, how do you know? And if that bacteria is not apparent and has no discernible effect on anyone wearing the clothes, why on earth would it matter?

I too am baffled by people who don't understand how laundry works

I wash everything together, clothes wise. Occasionally will separate lights and darks if I have enough. Whites do get separated but they all go in with the white bedding because I have not enough white clothes for a full load.

It's mostly just me and sometimes my boyfriend's washing and he's rarely here and I'm often away. I'd need to buy about 20 more pairs of pants if I were to wait for enough for a full load just so I could do a pants wash.

Wood is naturally anti-bacterial. Much better for chopping boards than plastic or those horrible glass work top savers. It won't blunt your knives either.

I wash dishcloths, tea towels, cleaning cloths, dusters, towels and bathmats together at 60 degrees. Everything comes out clean.

When you use towels you're the cleanest you can possibly be, why do people think they're so rank?

From Which:

As to whether washing at 90°C will actually kill bacteria, the NHS website states that you should wash underwear, towels and household linen at 60°C to prevent the spread of germs, but says nothing about washing at as high as 90°C to kill bacteria. It also says that you should use a bleach-based product, such as washing power. As mentioned above under 'washing at 60°C', this is key to killing germs, as some bacteria will withstand 60°C temperatures.

Also: Washing at low temperatures all the time can also lead to a build-up of grease or mould on your washing machine's door seal and inside the washing machine's detergent drawer. Some people have also told us about musty smells caused by low-temperature washes. Manufacturers advise doing at least one high-temperature wash, known as a service or maintenance wash, at 60°C or above, each month, to maintain and clean out a washing machine.

Even towels and underwear? Then unless you're using bleach as they do in the US your washing isn't clean. is this true? I don't wash clothes over 40 as assumed it would ruin them?? Normally they say on them to wash at 40??