Just put quarter of a capful of Dettol in with a load of laundry ...

[Mintyy]

Is everything going to be alright?

Will it stink of Dettol when it comes out in 2 hours?

I'm doing it because Mumsnet told me to.

What's it meant to do to the laundry?!

I'm intrigued, why do you out dettol in the laundry (unless you like the smell)?

What like dettol bleach or the disinfectant?

The old fashioned plain disinfectant.

It's to kill the bacteria on some honking sports kit and socks.

I can only wash it on 40 so have used a large scoop of bio colour powder, quarter cap of dettol and set the machine to do an extra rinse.

We shall see, I suppose.

Let us know how you get on, I have some minging squash kit I've soaked in bicarb and bio-washed at 60 to no avail. Next step was to set fire to it but Dettol is a bit less drastic.

I was napisan for this. Works well with no after smell

I soak minging stuff in a bucket of dilute pine disinfectant first
Then rinse
Then wash as usual
It sometimes comes out with a faint whiff of pine but that's preferable to mingingness

I've never thought about disinfecting clothes before. Surely being washed then tumble dried gets rid of any bacteria.

I'd put a slosh of white vinegar in with the wash in this sort of scenario (although my mum told me this week apparently vinegar doesn't do the washing machine seal & pipes a lot of good).

I might smell a bit of Dettol I would think, although I personally do like the smell of it.

I occassionally throw a bit of zoflora in the wash with my gym clothes. They're only washed at 30 so they get a bit smelly, especially if they've been sitting in the basket a couple of days because I've forgotten about them. Seems to work and smells nice.

I've never tried actual Dettol but I use the Dettol laundry stuff on sweaty things and can confirm it does get rid of the stink from cycling gear and work shirts at 30 degs.

I find soaking my husbands minging gym tops in white vinegar usually gets rid of any stubborn pongs.

I always use white vinegar for rinsing gym tops too and that seems to act as a preventative. And I try and get it washed as soon as possible after the stuff getting sweaty - like within the hour. I don't know whats made the difference but our gym kit (well his really, mine never seems to get particularly gross) doesn't seem to get a smelly as it did.

I use dettol in towel and tea towel washes. Also chuck some in when I do an empty very hot wash every once in a while to clean washing machine.

Everything will be fine Mintyy

It will be fine. I chick a capful in when I was my 4 year olds wee soaked bedclothes when I haven't washed them immediately. It doesn't make them smell of Dettol (although I wouldn't mind if it did as I love the smell).

I use dettol laundry cleanser, it doesn't leave a smell

I put about 60ml Dettol in the fabric softener section (no FS) when I wash sheets and towels. No extra rinse or anything, and no smell when it comes out the other end.

I do it because our flat doesn't have great ventilation and our towels don't dry 100% every day, and by the end of 4 or 5 days they are a bit smelly.

Brandnewandimproved - I don't use a tumble drier. And, anyway, sports clothes like football shirts cannot be tumble dried.

Well, I'm glad to report it worked beautifully! No smell of dettol and all the armpits and collars have come out smelling delightful.

I put the washing powder directly into the drum, so the quarter cap of dettol went in the main powder drawer, meaning it went through the wash not just the rinse cycles.

I'm certainly not going to be a sucker and buy that Dettol Inwash Laundry Cleanser or whatever its called.

Def trying this

I read about a washing liquid called halo on here, I've bought some but not yet used it, it's supposed to be great for smelly/ sweaty sports clothes.

Yes, but Halo has been discontinued. No idea why!

why can you only wash it in colour powder and only wash at 40? Surely a 60 wash with bio powder eliminates the need for using Dettol in the washer?

I never wash clothes on anything other than cold, or they end up ruined.

Towels and sheets I'm happy to do on 30-40, but that's all.

Back home in Aus I didn't even have the hot tap connected on the washing machine.

plastic functional sports clothing can't be washed hot or tumble dried.
and they can get incredibly smelly. disinfectant liquid works well. some come in really nice scents.

you'd need to put a quarter of a bottle in to do anything!
I put about 100- 200ml vinegar in the wash with stinky sports stuff, and line dry to air

Jeez. Sports kit, like football shirts with transfers and numbers on them will be ruined in a 60 degree wash. Why shouldn't I use colour powder it is biological?