Clothes come to my house to die

[Thatonenight]

I don’t know where I am going wrong but can not wash clothes properly. They eventually all end up faded or with stains that don’t wash out. The are obviously some items that I can wash as they stay normal but nicely coloured things die.

I wash colours and whites separately and I have a lot of baby clothes which seems to be the ones that I cannot get a washed stain out of.

I use either the fast 60’ or the Cotton setting if I think it needs a longer wash. I’m trying the colours wash right now to see if it makes a difference today.

I am not loyal to any washing detergent and I’m happy to buy whatever works.

Please help.

Is the 60 regarding minutes or temp? I wash everything on 30 degrees, and either for 30 or 60 min, and line dry, and my clothes live forever.

Do you treat the stains before you put them in the washing machine?

What kind of stain?

I think you’re using too hot a wash - for stained things I wash at 20/30c on a long cotton cycle with fairy powder and a scoop of vanish and some vanish spray on the actual stain. Most stains (mud, blood, tomato, carrot puree, grass, baby poop) seem to come out that way, at least on the second go. But I never tumble dry or hot wash anything stained until it’s clean again, I find it sets the stain and then you’re sunk.

Whiteboard marker and chocolate ice cream are pretty much impossible though in my experience. And sometimes you can end up spending more on vanish than the item is worth - stains on baby vests etc aren’t worth worrying about in my view. I just bought a lot of darker coloured or patterned stuff and gave up when my kids were little.

I wash whites and coloureds separately at 30c and dry on airers indoors(with a dehumidifier) or line dry outside. Mine survive well (unlike plants which I kill!) Anything stained I soak in a bucket of water before washing.
Do you tumble dry them as that is a great way to ruin clothes ime. Or try washing at a lower temperature.

Sunshine is your friend. It's good at getting rid of stains especially things like tomato.

Tumble drying tends to ruin things. Or you need to be careful. Line drying is better for clothes (and the environment)

I find soaking in vanish is good for shifting stains. I tend to do it longer than it says but only on cheap (supermarket/Primark/second hand) things. So far everything has been fine but it can bleach the colours a bit

Stains need a cold soak or cold wash, before a hot wash. You wash a stain on hot = you've set the stain forever more.

White cottons like shirts and socks need a hot wash and line drying to keep them white. Synthetic whites will go yellow with too hot a wash. Poder generally works better than liquid. Line dry synthetics. Get some colour catchers to keep mixed or coloured loads from greying.

I think it’s 60 minutes as it’s a quick ish wash but not too fast. I think I’m washing too hot. In my head I thought hotter meant it shifts stains. I do also use the tumble dryer but not for baby stuff.

I use vanish on stains and wash at 30 - my machine has a setting for synthetic which is about 1hr 30 mins and usually does the trick. I use ariel or fairy biological, I find the cheaper ones don't work as well. My machine has a stain expert setting which is good for teatowels and heavily stained items. You can add a scoop of vanish to your drawer too.

you are washing at 60 degrees! Treat a stain with a spray then wash at 30 max 40 degrees

Fast 60 is a 60 degree hot wash!!!

I'm guessing u need to use mix or colours setting

Heat actually sets some stains permanently, particularly proteins including blood. These need a cold soak with salt or specific spot treatment to remove.

Also washing too hot and too often beats up your clothes and wears them out quicker, go go easier on things!

I use washing powder. Old school but so much better than liquid or pods.

Best thread of the entire Xmas
period. Love a bit of laundry chat 😂

Am with previous posters. Hot washes trash your clothes and set some stains. Go for 30, longer wash, treat stains before (if it's greasy I use a bit of fairy liquid) or add extra scoop of vanish.

I live in a hard water area and I think it trashes your clothes and makes it hard to get stains out.

I used hand sanitizer as stain remover about 20 minutes before a wash. Use non bio as biological powder can fade dark colours (my mum used to wash everything 60 degrees with biological and moaned when 2 polo shirts I bought my stepdad got ruined)

Clothes don’t last well at my house either. Turns out shoving everything in on 40, tumbling everything then leaving things in a pile until I get round to folding them isn’t great for clothes.

I used to destroy everything I owned. Now I wash clothes on woolen/delicate cycle, I hang them on hangers over a big gym fan which is pointed directly upwards at the clothes, which is next to a dehumidifier to dry (its faster this way than a tumble dryer!). If i hang them with care, no ironing is needed. I put underwear underneath the gym fan. Works a bloody treat, wish I had figured this out decades ago!

• use 30 or 40 degree washes
• eco programmes tend to soak the clothes longer which is better for them than agitation
• stop tumble drying it destroys clothes
• treat stains with stain remover spray and put in wash immediately
• avoid using liquids and pods, use bio powder for best results
• follow the directions for amount of powder, more gives you a poorer result
• don't wash dark jeans in bio powder, use non bio and wash inside out
• do up all fastenings and ensure sleeves are fully rolled down, buttons done up, zips done up
• straighten clothes out when putting stuff on a drying rack I.e. pull jeans legs out to ensure no creases
• use woollen wash at 30 degrees for delicates, use a net bag if washing merino or cashmere
• Line hang whenever possible.
• stop washing clean clothes
• If they're unmarked and don't smell, rewear them. It's better for your clothes, the environment and your pocket.

Is that a Bush machine? I think the 60 is degrees not timing and it's too hot. My daughter was washing darks thinking it was 60 mins but it was degrees and things started fading!

All fast washes (regardless of temperature) are very rough on clothes. They work by using a higher level of drum agitation. My 20 minute quick wash costs far more than a delicate wash that takes an hour.
also check your handbook - if you have a 7kg machine (or whatever) that’s usually only for cotton or eco settings.
typically the other programmes will take half that weight, and much less for wool or quick wash cycle.

You’ve had some great advice above re not over washing clothes. Jeans I hardly wash same for cardigans etc.
check your fabric conditioner use, I do use it but if over used it leaves a coating on clothes and towels.
unless you work in a mine or something, or do extreme sports, your clothes are fine on eco or delicate cycles at 40 degree max. I do use an occasional 60 for towels but that’s more for the good of the machine and gives it a good clean.

Final suggestions - wash rough fabrics such as jeans very separately to delicate items such as baby clothes. People love using a fast spin and this is brilliant for towels etc but it is terrible for delicate fabrics even though it leaves them damper and takes longer to dry. Fast spin means more creases too. Sometimes I do a delicates wash with the pre set low spin. I then take out anything fragile. I might do a separate slightly faster spin for anything more robust!

I do use a tumble dryer but mainly to start things off and then hang, or finish off then put away to make sure they are aired and dry. This keeps things fresh but minimises damage and reduces the need to iron.

You are washing too hot. Read the labels. Most clothes specify 30 or 40 degree wash. Separate colours, ie black with dark colours only, light colours, medium colours. Pre-treat stains before washing. Where possible, line dry rather than using a dryer, these wear your clothes out faster.