Washing always comes out stiff

[InsideOutandBacktoFront]

I need a laundry expert to please advise me on this.

My clothes are always very stiff after i've washed and dried them. I'm not sure where i'm going wrong with it. I normally put quite a big load in at once, throw 2 Persil bio washing tablets in the drum with them, put a capful of fabric conditioner in the top drawer and then stick it on a 40 degree wash. I haven't got a tumble drier so they either dry outside on the line in summer (results in slighter less coarse clothes), or on a clothes horse in winter.

I have an 8 week old baby and i wash her clothes separately. It's normally a much smaller load, with 1 non-bio washing tablet in the drum and no fabric conditioner (as i've heard they aren't good for babies skin?). I'll also wash these on a 40 degree cycle. The results are the same, they all come out stiff.

I would like to know how to get them nice and soft, particularly for the baby as it's not nice putting her in coarse clothing.

Also i feel like i'm rubbing sandpaper on me when i put on a towel after a bath. It's not pleasant.

Please help me.

Maybe a smaller load with one tab and a bit more fabric conditioner?
I've never heard that conditioner is bad for babies.

Do you have particularly hard water? I bought some own brand Calgon tabs to add to my wash and it's definitely made a difference to the softness of my clothes.

Sounds like hard water to me.

less detergent (recommendations are ridiculous ime)
instead of softener you can try white vinegar.

I think we do have quite hard water in my area. I'll give the Calgon tablets a go. Thanks for the help.

Soda crystals work as well as Calgon in my experience. Our water is very hard and I only use vinegar in the final rinse, but I do use soda crystals in every wash. I do this primarily to look after the washing machine.

I make washing powder with grated soap, borax and soda crystals but I mix in some bio washing powder too. For whites, I use bio washing powder and a scoop of soda crystals.

Sometimes, new jeans are a bit stiff if they're line dried but everything else is fine.

Due to eczema skin I've recently been to see a consultant dermatologist at my hospital. She recommend that I used half of the stated dose of washing powder/liquid. I'd say using two capsules per wash are too much. Perhaps they are not rinsing sufficiently. Agree soda crystals to soften water.

I agree probably too much powder and hard water...

Maybe try an extra rinse?

Clean out soap dispenser drawer first of all and around where it fits. Fab conditioner bit may be blocked. I would also do smaller loads and get some Calgon.

Less powder and white vinegar instead of softener. The vinegar removes soap residue. It smells when still wet but it dissappears when dry. If it doesn't disappear use less vinegar next time. Try to only fill the machine half full. Technically your machine isn't designed for the volume of clothes but the weight when they are wet. If you test it (make your washing wet and then weighing it) you'll realise that you're probably filling it too much.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will definitely try out all the suggestions.

I don't get the big phenomenon on white wine vinegar as I tried it instead of fabric conditioner. Towels came out non smelling and dried stiff as a board despite tumble drying them after a partial line dry.

Gone back to fabric conditioner and towels smell gorgeous albeit still a bit stiff but I rather they smell nice.

I would recommend a second rinse OP and perhaps try a bit of softener when you do the baby clothes wash as the second rinse will take away any residue. My DD has eczema and we use a sensitive fabric conditioner and non bio sensitive powder - no issues.

I'm not convinced by vinegar either, but I'm trying it. I had a bottle of fabric conditioner and when it was almost empty, I topped it up with vinegar, and have continued to do so. It must be almost all vinegar now.

I don't use much and when the washing comes out of the machine, I can't smell vinegar. I'm still line drying while I can, but soon, I won't bother - everything will be dried indoors. I haven't noticed a reduction in softness since starting with vinegar. I may give up with the vinegar as most things will be tumble dried over the winter.

When we used to do camping holidays, it was a family joke that socks would be crunchy when hand washed and line dried. I used fabric conditioner, so I think it was hand washing that did it. Too much detergent in an effort to get socks clean and insufficient rinsing. At the time, I blamed it on lack of tumble drying, but now I think it's more about how clothes are washed. Nowadays, I probably use a lot less detergent than OP.

Is your fabric conditioner maybe getting dispensed before the final rinse? This happened to me when I cleaned out the drawer and didn’t put the fabric conditioner compartment back together properly.

you could try using less detergent and an extra rinse.