Mixed wash woes!

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

Am sure it's been mentioned a million times, but how do I avoid it happening!!
DD had some lovely new bright bright clothes. After one wash with the rest of our coloured clothes, on 40, using surcare and dylon colour catchers they came our looking crap. The lovely next yellow trousers are an odd greeny yellow now, and DH's white & red striped rugby shirt is just looking grubby.
Any ideas?

It's really hard to undo damage of dye transfer. Do you use a fabric conditioner? It can help lock colour into clothes and stop it running.
As painful as it sounds though, the only way to really stop it happening is to do small loads with only colours from the same family in them. Or handwash (horrid).

What about the 'colour catcher' sheets from Dylon? I use them routinely just so that I don't have to sort loads very carefully, and they work for me! You can buy them in the supermarket.

Oh gawd, sorry I've just noticed I missed your mention of them, sorry! Very tired is my excuse!

Thanks!

Small loads it is then. I've tried the rest so I'll try that....and lose the surcare & fairy non bio as they are quite crap actually.

Anyone got a recommendation for unscented washing liquid?

Have got a major laundry issue here. Really its a bit of an issue with my sister and I (inherited from our Mother) and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But my skin starts to crawl if I mix certain colours in the wash (am not like this about other things).

So I do the obvious split washes like whites/darks (really black/navy/dark grey & denim) /towels (like colours)/linen(like colours) and then do a light coloured wash (pale blues/pinks etc) and a bright coloured wash (red/orange/bright pink etc).

I do woollens/delicates separately, mainly in the machine on handwash cycle but in very small loads and make sure to take out immediately and dry flat. DS's rugby jerseys with mix of coloured & white stripes and white collars are the worst. I find if you wash them with anything else the collars tend to go a very dirty white so try to wash them alone - actually try not to buy an jerseys with white collars any more!!!

As you can imagine with this complicated laundry system, sometimes you have to wait for a very long time for something to come back from laundry in this house! I am not recommending my system by the way. Its a nightmare!!!

Hi Countess - there is no unscented liquid because the base odour of the active ingredients (surfactants etc) is truly horrid so it needs something nice to at least neutralise it (and most people like a "fresh" smell which needs to be added in by the use of hypoallergenic fragrances).

I am just like you Sleepless, I sort my load into about 6 mini-loads!

I have a twin laundry basket (ikea thing) so I believe I will need another.... shopping trip in order..good advice

I guess I need your recommendations on good washing liquid then, can't bear strong smells (that advert for "every time you hug, you release more smell" turns my stomach!!!)