AIBU To Wonder About This Laundry Travesty?

[TheShellBeach]

I am forever reading threads on here about laundry, in which some people admit to putting all their washing in the machine UNSORTED.
Yes! Whites, coloureds, woollens, sheets, towels etc. etc. etc. all put in together.

How can you do this? It's just wrong, isn't it?

(lighthearted)

@Menopau I'd wash towels at a higher temperature if one of us had an infection, yes. They are normally washed with things like bedding, sometimes clothes, but I wouldn't include clothes if they required a 60 degree wash.

It’s too late by the time one person already has something contagious and you have spread it to all of you and all of your clothes and underwear, tea towels and cloths. But you continue as you wish it’s not up to me, I am already washing them at 60 no issue for me

I always wash towels at 60 degrees, too. If there are tea towels and dishcloths, they go in with them. Actually, there are always tea towels and dishcloths.

The last time DS had a vomiting bug was over five years ago, molluscum 13 years ago, another vomiting bug 14 years ago. I didn't catch any of them despite cosleeping and breastfeeding for the earlier two occasions. Just doesn't come up often enough to justify the extra energy cost for me.

What does wool do to other clothes or vice versa?

Needs to be a lower temperature (as opposed to can be a lower temperature, but will not shrink at higher temperatures as wool would,) and my wool cycle has a gentler spin.

In my post I said I used a wool detergent and cycle if washing wool. I mean why does it matter if I put other clothes in too to make a full load?

We separate our washing - we have three baskets (whites/lights, colours/darks, towels/bedding). It makes no extra work and I hate it when white clothes have that greyish look!

My childhood was full of grey whites, I was determined not to have the same as an adult. Separate washes all the way for me.

Life is too short,

Not to me it isn't.

Keeping my white clothes looking a prisitne white is important to me. I don't care if other people CBA.

Your wool clothes could get tangled up with other less delicate clothes. Best to keep wool washes to just a few items.

Quite right. I always wait until there are a few woollens to wash together, rather than sticking them on with everything else.

So you mean it's about the wool wash needing to be a small load, rather than what they are in with? I'll just throw in the underwear and socks next time I have some jumpers to wash rather than make it a full load then.

Yes, it’s about being a small load. I do this for hand washing items too.

I also reduce the spin cycle to 600 or 800 rpm.

Don’t all your jumpers shrink and felt ? (V strict laundry sorting rules here, including separating colours into sub groups, eg reds/deep pinks).

No, they are washed on a wool/delicate cycle with wool detergent. It seems the only thing I am doing wrong is putting them in a full load. I will put them in a small load when I next have a few to wash (usually spot clean where needed and wash in spring). Though they've been fine so far.

Don’t all your jumpers shrink and felt ? (V strict laundry sorting rules here, including separating colours into sub groups, eg reds/deep pinks).

Very untypical of mumsnet, I havequite a few acrylic jumpers that wash well, don't bobble or shrink, so they go into a normal dark wash. I wash my cashmere jumper by hand. I had a merino jumper from Seasalt that went very matted and bobbly on the wool wash, so after wearing it and handwashing it a few times it went to the clothes bank.

I rarely wash my jumpers which probably helps (I try to only wash things when they are dirty) I always wear a top underneath so they don't get deodorant on them.

And I’m boggling at the people who separate out the different colours. How on earth do you have enough for a full load?

I have a top loader washing machine, and do a small load. Merino clothing has its own wash and sometimes there might only be one item in warmer months.

I must say however that I haven't had any colours run for many years, and have never had a problem putting whites in with coloureds (not dark of course) and they stay white.

I'm another who loves doing the laundry/ironing. Hate all other household chores, including cooking, but love the laundry!

And I’m boggling at the people who separate out the different colours. How on earth do you have enough for a full load?

My washing machine has a small load option too (2kg).

Hey I remember these when I lived in Australia! I thought them really old fashioned at first like 50's or 60's then realized how great they are as the washes are cold, you launder whites first then the darks in same detergent. Really eco! Ah the joy of the super speedy drying in the Aussie 🌞

Towels need to be washed at higher temperatures also no fabric conditioner as it makes them greasy and flat.
Ideally a hot wash and a tumble dry to keep them fluffy and absorbent

I wash everything in cold water, as do most people in this part of the world, and I always use fabric conditioner - no greasy and flat towels here. They are fluffy enough for me, and absorbent, and I don't have a tumble dryer - they dry outside in the sunshine and wind. I don't understand this obsession over washing temperatures in the UK?

Actually, I have just realised that it will probably be the cold water which means I have no colour run.

Could be to do with hardness of water. I live in a hard water area and probably wash clothes different to those in a soft water area.

*differently

I remember someone on TV who talked about the colour 'knicker grey'!