I'm shit at laundry- help me out!

[BearCubX]

I've somehow made it to 30 without ever becoming one of those people who just know all sorts of tricks re laundry. Throw a toddler into the mix and I now need serious guidance to ensure we're not all walking around in clothes covered in sand/dairylea/pombears all the time.

In an attempt to not be totally hopeless, I've put my general washing routine below and got some questions. Someone please come along and help me out!

I split colours and whites. Put washing powder (generally whichever is on offer- is there a specific brand that's best?) in the drawer. Wash at 30. The cycle lasts 1hr15, then I do a spin cycle that I assumed essentially rung out most of the water? That's 10m or so.

Everything comes out smelling lovely and feeling clean. But general grubbiness (dirty knees on toddlers clothes for example) don't come out anything like spotless and the marks are still there.

I wash towels at a higher temp but do all clothes at 30 as I'm always worried of shrinking.

Where am I going wrong?!

Powder is best for the machine, according to a machine engineer I knew. Using a range of cycles (rather than just one over and over again) is allegedly better for your machine, though I'm not sure why.

The whites load will stay brightest if it's only white, not white-with-coloured-trim etc.

Towels are a full load on their own in this house and go on a hot wash with no fabric softener.

Bedding also gets a hot wash because we are sweaty people and because the cat can still get on the bed.

Modern machines seem to have long cycle times, my economy 40 setting is over 2 hours. I set the delay timer so it's running around the time we get up and finished ready to be hung out after breakfast.

A load a day is usually enough to keep the basket from overflowing.

Nothing useful to add except:

Take the powder drawer out and put it through the dishwasher to clean it.

And if you have an economy 7 energy tariff set the delay timer so it washes at 6am.

God I love laundry threads!
We’re all so different!

No little kids here any more, so grubby knees are a thing of the past, but when I had boys playing football etc I used to soak the filthy stuff in the bath with some laundry liquid & scrub the worst bits with a nail brush. (Bathroom is my laundry room)

I have a Bosch washer where most cycles are 2-hr plus, but it has a speed option which loses an hour which I normally use.

For adult washes - divide clothes into lights & darks (& darks into heavy - jeans etc - & lightweight). Wash at 40 with Lidl Formil bio powder (in drum inside a plastic dispenser thing. I loathe clogged-up drawers) plus fabric rinse - generally a sensitive one, not too smelly.

For persistent greasy spots I keep a bottle of washing-up liquid handy

Wash bedding separately, as above but with one of those bacterial liquids (eg Dettol) instead of fabric rinse.

Towels ditto.

Line/airer dry everything (over banister for big stuff in winter) & finish off in dryer instead of ironing.

Dettol ANTI-bacterial liquid

Bedding, towels, underwear on a 60 cotton wash with a dettox bacteria scoop

Split whites from colours, both done on 40 wash, whites with a not really vanish, vanish brightener thing

Use ariel pods
Comfort pure fabric conditioner

As far as possible, everything is hung outside to dry except towels and bath at which are tumbled dried.

Wsaher cleaned and run n hottest wash with washer cleaner about twice a year.

Like most people on here I keep 30 for delicates like bras, special tops, dresses.

Normal mixed wash of tops 40.
Anything black goes on a 40 wash of just black as black dye can run.
Sheets 60, towels 60.

Tops or skirts or dresses just worn briefly or once go on 40 quick wash where I also then put on a rinse and spin cycle 1200.
Line dry everything except winter if raining then I have a Lakeland rack and tumble dry the towels and sheets.
Never had any problems so far.dH has shrunk a couple of things that should have been hand washed.

I separate the laundry into 5 piles.

Whites.
Pastels.
Darks.
Brights.
Towels.

Everything is washed at 40.
Grease based stains get fairy liquid rubbed into them.
I use persil liquid.
I put vanish powder in the drum (seems to work better than in the drawer)
Fabric conditioner.(not with towels, it affects the absorbency)
Soda crystals (have really hard water)

I try and dry everything outdoors as the sun helps fade stains.

Whites, darks (black, navy, jeans) and colours. Oh and delicates (my bras and other such similar stuff). I use Lidl bio powder and fab cond. 30 minute 30 degree wash and 1200 rev spin. Sorted. I have boys who have permanently grubby everywhere especially knees. I use Ace (from wilko or budget Home type stores for around a pound) on anything not clean after the first wash. Use the sun/uv on the line for orange based stains like tomato soup or bolognese as well as curry and similar including blood poo and urine stains. Works a treat. Occasionally I have to get out the stain remover bottles but tbh I save anything like that up for a couple of weeks and do an intensive all singing all dancing wash. Friends bring their stubborn stains to me as I'm rarely beaten I won't talk about the bloody 'washable' markers in school that don't come off ever washable my arse!

1. Use powder. Trials recommend lidl’s Formil bio as the best, then Arial bio, then Tesco’s bio then Sainsbury’s bio. I would avoid non-bio unless you have a skin allergy because it doesn’t wash stuff properly - on tests it always comes bottom.

1. Minimum temperature 40 degrees (unless delicates). Forget 30. Plus at 30 your machine doesn’t clean properly and bacteria builds up.

1. Use 60 degrees for sheets / towels / underwear.

1. Don’t overload machine. Consider doing smaller washes overnight.

1. Fabric conditioner - meh - I can’t really find one I like enough to use a lot.

1. I use vanish for stained clothes like the ones you mention

As soon as the cycle finishes, take the stuff out and shake it really hard before hanging - massively cuts down on the ironing issue.

Can I butt in and ask a quick question (or two)?

Are we checking labels for the suitable temperature?

If so, my bedding and towels all say to wash at 40, some 30 I think. Can I still wash at 60? (mixture of colours if relevant) What’s meant to happen if you wash at a higher temp?

My clothes which say 30 go in at 40. I haven’t had one yet that can’t handle it.

Bedding do at 60 but don’t put white stuff in with coloured stuff as the colour can bleed out sometimes.

This might be controversial but I have just recently started washing most things on 60. Nothing has shrunk thus far. I used to use fairy non bio but recently switched to Lidl non bio and it seems to work just as well. My son is at nursery and his clothes get filthy. I do a separate whites wash, darks washing and towels/bedding wash. I will put anything flimsy or synthetic in a 30 wash with low spin. A dry cleaner once told me that using non bio powder and a low spin helps to stop more delicate items from shrinking.

Just out of curiosity, after how many uses do you wash towels ? I divide my washing into lights, dark, white all at 40. Towels and bedding at 60.

I wash all my blacks on a 30 degree cycle because I get tiny white hairs/fluff when I wash them on anything higher. Does anybody else find this

Are we checking labels for the suitable temperature?

If so, my bedding and towels all say to wash at 40, some 30 I think. Can I still wash at 60? (mixture of colours if relevant) What’s meant to happen if you wash at a higher temp?

Manufacturers are putting 30° wash on most labels - it's nothing to do with the fabric and is all about being "eco-friendly" (personally I think it's probably not better for the environment because people end up re-washing, using harsher stain removers and even getting rid of clothes which they can't stop from smelling - so a very small electrical saving per wash is cancelled out IMHO).

So to conclude - unless its a delicate item/fabric ignore the label and wash at 40° for clothes and 40/60 for bedding & towels.

If you’ve cleaned it well enough (drawer/door) you dont need to put anything in the drawer for the wash. The hot temp will kill germs and get rid of any other dirt (I generally use the highest temp setting possible which does use a lot of water/time but worth it!)

You're all bloody laundry heros!

Main change I will implement immediately is switching 30 to 40, after giving the machine a good clean.

Now to spend my Thursday night reading through all the other info and putting together a comprehensive stain attack laundry programme.

There's a really interesting thread on 'AMA' from someone who works in laundry detergent manufacture. I learned a few tips. I don't know how to post a link but try searching it?

Great tips, thank you.

All my laundry problems disappeared when I got rid of my old 6kg load washing machine and replaced it with a 9kg load machine. I then replaced my dryer from a 3.5 kg load to a 7kg load. Use plenty of washing liquid and rub Fairy washing up liquid into stubborn stains before washing - even oil and grease.

Another thing I don’t think has been said is to dry things outside if you possibly can. I have two toddlers and that gets most stains out. It’s also good for getting rid of germs.

Also I use napisan in all my washes now (since kids), just a small scoop. This means you can wash at lower temps (although still 40!) but get rid of germs. I think it’s good for stains too.

Don't use fabric conditioner on towels it ruins the absorbency

I split whites, darks and colours.

For whites I use Persil bio powder, and sometimes a sachet of whitening stuff (whatever is cheap). I usually wash at 40.

For colours I use Persil bio liquid and wash at 30 plus pre-wash, or 40. Depends how dirty the stuff is.

For darks I use the liquid and wash at 20 as I read this stops fading? Obviously this doesn’t include very dirty stuff or underwear etc.

For towels, bedding I use liquid and washing at 40.

For the dogs bed, 60 and I add zoflora to kill bacteria.

I recently realised my machine drawer kept clogging because I was using Comfort Concentrate. I have now switched to normal Lenor or Fairy, as they have a thinner consistency. The machine never gets clogged now so definitely won’t be using concentrates again!

I recently read the tip about rubbing stains with fairy liquid. Will definitely be giving that a try, as with a toddler in the house stains are a daily occurrence. Usually with stains I immediately put the items of clothing in a sink of cold water and pour some Persil powder on top and leave to soak for a while, then wash as normal. Works really well but always on the lookout for new tips.

To keep the machine clean I remove the drawer and wash it regularly. Have also started running the machine on a 95 hot cycle to clean out any build up every couple of weeks. I don’t add any products to this cycle, and during it if I look in the drum I can see soapy bubbles which shows that product definitely can build up quite easily. It’s very satisfying to do this and I highly recommend it Using white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda can also keep the machine nice and clean.

I’m becoming a bit of a laundry nerd and enjoy leisurely strolls up the laundry section of supermarkets to browse new products

Regards keeping machines clean - don't use fabric softener. Its vile stuff that puts an oily film over the clothes to fake making them softer. That oily film builds up in your washing machine too. It stops clothes washing as well as they should.

You really don't need fabric softener. It's better for your machine and clothes not to use it.