How to get WHITE whites, and grease out of clothes?

[NutterlyUts]

Hiya

As the title suggests, I need help getting whites white (mine go kinda off white and eventually grey) and how do I get stains out of clothes (including the whites!!) that are mainly from cooking and therefore grease based? Normal washing powder doesn't seem to do the job..

Thanks!

biotex in yer prewash hole so to speak
MIl swears byt i t afetr doig dhs whites for years

Um.. which is the prewash hole?! The washing machine doesn't have an instruction manual and came with the (rented) house. I have just been sticking the powder into which ever slot I feel like .

never ever ever wash whites with anything that isn't white. permissible exceptions - white faceclothes/socks/pants with tiny bit of pale yellow or pink trim. wash at 60. none of my whites are remotely grey.

o in ours hte BIGgest one is washing powder
the middle one slightly raised is fab cond
the smllaest rhs is preswahs
tirn it onto prewash nas look hwhere hte water is

It may be that the washing machine has something stuck in the pump ie a coloured sock that is greying your whites - surely your landlord should provide you with an instruction manual? Anyhow the best thing is to stick the powder in the drum anyway! Also there is a stain devil that is very good for oil/grease stains.

hatwoman - thanks. I've only ever washed whites with whites and I still get the grey effect... Where am I going wrong?

cod - I am well and truly confused - I will go and take a picture for you to identify the correct slot for me

turn it on to a preswash
the water will go int ot that hole

BuffysMum - the landlord provided a manual, but it is for a different machine. He's not the most helpful guy either.. am still waitin for the back gate to be fixed as well as the cleaner he was going to hire for a day to clean the kitchen that was left sbout 6inches thick in grease the day we moved in...

Wash whites at 60, use Ariel (non-bio OK), and don't let anything that might run sneak in with them. (I do put eg pale blue cotton shirts in with whites)

Ariel also quite good for general grease but if you have a stain that won't go (my DH is expert at these) then try a pre-wash spray.

In my machine main wash is on L, conditioner in middle, pre-wash on R (don't use that though)

R you using a product such as fairy / persil non bio liquid?

They do not contain optical brightners aka bleach that bleach whites white (and also fade / bleach colours....)

use a biological (but NOT colour) product and hang outside if poss, cayse the uv rays in sunlight also bleach things white.

make sure u use a colour product for coloured clothes or they will be bleached aswell

i assume daz has a higher concentration of optical brighteners (just guessing dont quote me on that!) so that may be worth a try too

(Oh, and I use Ariel tablets lately, not powder or liquid or those nancy capsules)

Ok.. prewash slot located. What is the one with the flower for?!

Re biotex.. where will I find it?

(Before you all think OMG a grown woman can't do laundry, I'm only 19 and live away from my mum so am learning as I go!!)

Flower is for fabric rinse I think. (Prewash says I and wash says II?)

Yup JanH.. Man I didn't expect clean clothes to be so complicated!!

I currently use surf tropical and have a seperate fabric softener. Haven't been using it because I don't know where to put it (the fabric softener!). What is the best washing powder? Shall I invest in some Daz?

Nope, get Ariel - it's on offer in Tesco or Sainsburys more often than not, but anyway it really does wash better so it's worth the extra (honest! )

Def could be coloured item stuck in pump or something - happened to me in a student house - had been like that for a couple of months until it broke and the repair man retrieved blue sock, silver bangle and a few other items it had eaten.......

Biotex should be along with stain removers etc.

Another option buy some colour catchers (laundry section too) you bung one in with your whites and any colour leaking from clothes (or sock stuck in pump) will be absorbed by the colour catcher sheet.

If all else fails if they are just whites stick some bleach in the detergent draw whilst the water is running through it filling the machine - and not too much either!

Also, instead of biotex you can get Vanish or Oxysomething as a pre-wash additive, but honestly with Ariel you don't need either (I used to use own-brands plus additives but don't bother with them now).

Thanks buffy's mum, will try that to brighten the current whites.. Do I just use regular bleach? And which drawer?!!?! Prewash?

fairy is fine for whites - even if it doesn;t have optical brighteners (wtf...) as long as you don;t mix your whites with anything.

I was told once that washing whites on a hot wash makes them grey. So I wash mine on 40 degrees and they are still white.

If you do the bleach thing it may be worth buying laundry bleach stuff - have a browse in a big supermarket. Other wise ordinary stuff will do - I would do it with a towel wash or something first just in case it goes all wrong!

You need to put it in the main wash section (put the powder in the drum) like as said as the water is flowing throught the drawer to make sure the bleach doesn't get onto the clothes neat.

I think vanish and Ace do laundry bleach.

when yer washign machin stinks use powder
a dn it saa LOT cheaper

oh btw grease use vanish on whites and stain devils in coloureds

Napisan is good for whites. You can presoak or put it in with the detergent.