AIBU to think some families have cracked laundry and the rest of us are doing it the hard way? (AD)

[LibbyMumsnet]

This thread has been created in partnership with Persil

We did a quick straw poll at MNHQ about laundry (STICK WITH US, WE PROMISE) and expected the usual answers of separate your whites, don’t leave wet washing in the machine for an entire weekend and try not to shrink anything expensive.

Instead, it turns out some people are operating on an entirely different plane. There was talk of enzyme soaking, specific stain strategies, strict rules about towels and alarmingly strong views on drum capacity. Frankly, it was a lot to take in.

So now we want to know what are your genuinely next-level and achievable laundry tips? The things that actually work on food, mud, paint, grass, school uniform marks and the general evidence of family life. Do you pre-treat? Soak? Separate with military precision? Have a drying system? Know exactly when something is salvageable and when it should be quietly retired? We also want to hear from you if your laundry basket is an overflowing, accusing presence in the corner of the room - what would make life easier for you?

We’re working with *Persil Ultimate Non-Bio Capsules on this thread, so we’re especially interested in tips that help with busy family laundry and everyday mess, while still being gentle next to sensitive skin.

We will also be picking one Mumsnetter at random to receive a £200 VEX voucher as a thank you for taking part (T&Cs apply). To enter the prize draw, simply post on this thread by Friday 31st July 2026.

AIBU to think some families have properly cracked laundry - and if so, can they please tell the rest of us what they’re doing?

*Keep out of reach of children. LEARN MORE www.keepcapsfromkids.eu ©A.I.S.E.

Wear clothes several times before they go in the wash, apart from underpants. Towels go in the wash once a week. I laugh at those who make more work for themselves and bigger electric bills.

We have a box each in the utility and clean dry clothes are folded and put into each person’s box. They then are asked to put them away, this bit needs some work…

Get to know your fabrics and what might leak colour. I separate light colours from dark rather than keep whites separate. Many light coloured items won't leak colour and are safe to put in with whites.

For things like my DDs grimy socks, I throw in a Glo White sachet with the wash to help get them clean.

If you get blood on anything, blot it and scrub it when it's still fresh, use cold water. Once it has dried and 'set' it's harder to get out. Baking powder, made into a paste, is good to use on the stain before putting the item in the washing machine.

When hanging things on a rack, don't pack items too close together as they'll take longer to dry.

Get a washing machine with a fast spin cycle. Clothing comes out less soggy and dries quicker.

Unless stuff is really filthy, the shorter 30 or 45 min washing machine cycles are adequate to get clothes clean and fresh.

In winter, I hang washing on racks and use a dehumidifier. It sucks the moisture out of the air and helps get clothing dry quicker.

Just stick everything in at a low temperature

if there are whites ( so that’s tea towels and dishcloths) do the odd run with napisan

Always astounded at the lengths some people go to

I am absolutely religious about separating my washing. I like my whites to sparkle and my coloureds not to fade - so hang coloureds inside out on the line. Soaking works for most really bad stains, but instant attention will make the most difference. I’ve had my fair share of filthy rugby kits left festering in a sports bag! If you’re in touch with Persil, tell them that I will never use those horrid plastic capsules - big box powder is best - and I also like those laundry tablets that you only seem to be able to get as non bio. I don’t care to have my laundry highly perfumed, either. I once used some of those Lenor grains because I got a free sample - I used half what was recommended, and had to re-wash my washing to get rid of the smell!

"Tip is to force yourself to put the folded laundry away before putting another load on"

No. Teach the kids to fold & put away their own - presumably DH does his already.

Any stains on clothes (blood, food, grass etc)in my house are pre treated with cold water and either hand soap or washing up liquid and a good rub. I rarely need to soak. The only thing I can’t shift is turmeric. Anyone know how to do that?

It's still an Ad.
Mumsnet wouldn't post it and mention a particular brand unless it was being paid to do so.
Other people giving anecdotes doesn't change that.

I'm absolutely okay with joining in threads that are adverts that are relevant to me, if it's upfront and clear that they are doing so.
But this thread has been placed in AIBU, it's not in the title that Mumsnet have posted it, it's not marked in the title that it's an Ad (I can see that has been added now but it wasn't posted with that), and it doesn't say on the post that it's an Ad. There are lots of rules about advertising, and I'm fairly sure this didn't meet those rules originally.

But fair play that they have added it to the title when asked

@LibbyMumsnet @BeckyAMumsnet Why isn't this marked as a sponsored thread? Yes, you've put 'AD' in the title, but that doesn't necessarily communicate that it's ADVERTISING.

And advertising by stealth, which usually means that threads get deleted!

I have never washed my husband's clothes, he's never washed mine and since the children turned 11, they've done their own washing. Any time I mention this to anyone it causes endless controversy, for god knows what reason. DH and I both wash the sheets and towels, as and when it's needed.

In the advertising spirt of the thread, I've recently started using pods (to stop the kids from using buckets of liquid) and I've found them really shit - a few times they haven't fully dissolved, leaving slimy residue all over the clothes. I can't believe how bad they are.

Wash towels separately. 60 degrees. Vinegar in the rinse drawer. Line dry. Five mins in the tumbler if you want them soft.

What really helps is having a warm boiler/utility room, with a retractable washing line. The ceiling is too low for a Sheila Maid but we have one in the room where the wood burner is.
This means we can dry everything in winter and bad weather, without a tumble dryer, which we do not possess. We have a dehumidifier, but seldom have to use it. I always add an extra spin to the quick wash cycle, which isn't fierce enough.
I do have a Baby Burco boiler, which is still the best thing for boiling tea towels, dishcloths, etc.
I no longer use fabric conditioner, sometimes bung a bit of Zoflora in the drawer, especially when washing at low temperatures.
I use powder rather than single use plastic bottle liquid, which also buggers up the washing machine.

We keep it really simple - no sorting or pre treating and no ironing, everything gets washed together (usually overnight when electricity is cheaper) dried during the next day then put away.

Hi @BIWI there is a banner at the top of the thread but app users couldn't see it, so we amended the title.

Yes, but the point I'm making is that "AD" isn't clear enough - you need to make it ADVERTISING instead.

I have 2 adult DC who still live at home, plus DH and DC3. All do sports several times a week, plus the partners of DC1 & 2 who are here a lot too.

We all work full time so Ive got strict rules with my washing otherwise Id never get through it all. On average 10-15 loads a week.

Rules for washing:
Always use powder (its better for the machine & works better)
Always use a colour catcher in a small netting bag so that it doesn't travel through the machine & end up in the filter causing trouble (has happened more than once to me)
Don't use fabric conditioner in sports washes or towels (causes stains on sports clothes & affects water absorption of towels)
Clothes are separated into: whites, lights, brights, black, sports wash, towels, bedding

White washing (we have a lot of white nike socks) is done on a 60 degree wash with bubble soak with a scoop of vanish alongside the powder
The rest of the washing is on a cotton 40 degree wash & I only use the bubble soak option if they are particularly stained or dirty
Vanish is used in a similar way - only when needed (I have white & coloured versions)

When I have wool clothes to wash, I use the wool option on the machine & a special delicate wash liquid & no fabric conditioner

I always make sure my washing machine has a rinse & drain option (used more often than you'd imagine) but not all machines have this as standard anymore

And I love the 'add wash' on my machine as it means I can stop the programme & quickly add any stray sock or top into the machine mid wash. Life saver when you do as much washing as me!

I love that my machine is also connected to my phone so it tells me when the cycle has finished so I can go & put the next one on (I dont trust the machine itself as it can stay on 10 minutes for bloody ages!)

Daz is far superior. No wonder you don't sparkle Boily!

Wash whites and coloureds separately.

Tumble dry sheets and towels. Rest goes on clothes horse with a dehumidifier, or outside if warm enough. I’m not a washing- outside-all-year round person.

Tend to wash heavier stuff (jeans, sweatshirts etc) together.

I iron almost everything. Prefer non-creased clothes and bedding.

I wear things more than once before washing, apart from underwear, and during hot weather.

I never fill the drum up to give it space to move.

Most goes on at 40. Towels and sheets at 60.

Gosh, we tend to leave it all to one weekend a month after weeks of nagging and most of us getting down the last pair of pants or my DS raiding my DH’s sock draw. Obviously we love doing the laundry - not. It’s the ironing that results that drives me to a wine/Netflix boxset-fuelled ironing marathon.

But the process in our house is separating darks from lights. I then separate specific fabrics: DH’s work shirts, woollens, delicate blouses, my DS’s premium football shirts or special band merch tees (as these are washed on low temp and air dried to avoid shrinking and damaging logos).

Towels/bedding are also separated because I do them on a 60degree hygiene wash - these are all white. I have the same bedding on every bed, the same towels, so they can just be swapped as needed - obviously throws, cushions and other miscellaneous tat distinguishes individual rooms, so white bedding is perfect and goes with any colour scheme. Also means I can bleach as needed if there are stains from food sneaked to the kids rooms or visits by Aunt Flo.

It sounds complicated, but I literally sort at the start, bag each type into Ikea bags and work my way through them in a very low stress, systematic method. Everyone in the house knows to empty the washing machine for hanging/tumbling and put the next load in if one is sitting finished.

We do actually use non-bio capsules as several of us are prone to eczema, but I’ve found that having tried the ‘Big One’ tabs from various brands that they are too much for many washes - they leave stains which I never got by just putting two capsules in for heavily soiled washes. Won’t be buying those again after a recent pre holiday wash where I had to treat and rewash lots of clothes to get the Big One stains out.

Teach children how to put laundry into the right basket from as early age. Then little and often and out away immediately. It becomes such a huge task if you leave it

3 adults 2 children. Everything goes in at 60 for the same pre programmed wash every time. Nothing is ever damaged. No build up of washing no seperating

I put a dark load in every night without fail on a delayed start. So it is ready for hanging (airer in winter line in summer) out in the morning.

Then I do all whites together after school on a Friday to deal with white shirts. That always has a scoop of stain remover in with it.

Towels are done as needed. Always on a 60.

Bedding is the weekends. Always on a 60. Always with stain remover.

Random stuff (cushion covers, blankets for the sofa, washable curtains etc) are done when the weather is nice and I have some free time or I am doing a deep clean.

But the darks load every night is what keeps me sane!

I’m of an age where I have done a lot of washing and am of the get on and do it and don’t overthink it, mindset.

So, I separate colours up to a point, but don’t worry too much unless it’s brand new denim. Anything with stains, gets a splodge of washing up liquid before going in the machine with powder (sorry not capsules) and a water softener tablet.

That said, I put a load on first thing, just before we had a few spots of rain so now have a dilemma about whether to peg it out or not.