Washing machine not getting clothes clean!

[princessbeer]

Hello Mumsnet
I have a Bosch washing machine. It's less than a year old. I use Ecover liquid.
Lately have noticed that my toddler's clothes aren't coming out clean - food stains & other stains still there.
Any thoughts on why this is?
Any tips? It's a bit annoying

Is it maybe something other than the washing machine? Has the formulation of the liquid changed ? I never thought much of Ecover for cleaning power. Has your toddler got muckier? - started feeding themselves, walking/falling?

Are you putting too much laundry in the machine?

It may be that your using a liquid detergent, DS2 uses Ecover (powder and liquid) because of skin issues and we've never had any issues with clothes not being clean with it (and he does come home covered in all sorts of stuff from college). Give Ecover powder a try? also maybe if you're washing at 30 and using a short wash you could try switching up to a 40 wash?

Try doing a boil wash with the machine empty (or with white vinegar). My machine gets gunky and stops cleaning if I don't do this once a month.

Thanks all
Toddler has been mucky for a long time
Washing 40 degrees
Might be putting too much washing in... Hmmmmm

Thanks alegretto
Might try that now

Try a 60 degree wash, sometimes 40 degrees just isn't enough! (Vanish soap is good for stains too , and cheap)

Ive found powder works much better than liquid. I think 'which' magazine did a review and liquid detergent is about 75 percent fragrance so the clothes smell 'clean' even though they're not actually clean

I also find powder better.

What does your load consist of? If I put more than one towel and/or bedsheet in with the clothes I find clothes are still stained (I haven't got time to do different loads for different items before someone tells me to wash towels and bedding separately)

My load consists of 'chucking anything that's vagually the same colour in the machine'
Might rethink that one
Thanks 4 all the tips

"I use Ecover liquid."

This ^^ is why. Washing at 40 degrees with a laundry liquid is the other reason.

You need to use washing powder and run a couple of washes through at 60 degrees.

I thought I was being eco friendly by using Ecover liquid and washing at low temperatures, but basically washing machines don't like it. The liquid just creates a load of gunk and blocks the pipes and outlet drains and washing at 40 degrees using non bio stuff created mould in the washer and made it smell.

After reading this article which an MN member posted, I switched to Ariel and started washing some loads at 60 degrees. The smell disappeared, and more importantly so did DD's eczema. It had been caused by the mould, not the washing powder.

My Bosch washer is more than 13 years old and still going strong.

That's interesting!
The reason I use ecover is cos of my DDs eczema!
Are you using non bio powder, nickname?

No and yes. I use Ariel powder for whites, towels and bedding, and Fairy powder for colours. My clothes come out clean, my washer doesn't smell and DD very rarely gets any eczema.

I was using Ecover because of eczema, but it didn't make any difference. It is a commonly believed fallacy that bio powders cause eczema. It is usually the perfumes not the enzymes that cause the problems.