How to 'boost' a 20 degree wash?

[CanoeDoYouThinkYouAre]

So my washing machine is on the Whirlpool list of doom which means I can only wash at 20 degrees.

We have a lot of muddy clothes thanks to dog walking at this time of year and I'm concerned that 20 degrees is too low to get DH's gym gear properly clean.

Any recommendations for what I should use to ensure everything gets cleaned on a cold wash? I assume bio is best than non bio but is there anything else?

Dunno. I read that sheets and towels should be washed at sixty which I do. Twenty is low, but you have to follow advice. Bicarbonate of soda? I put that in with sheets , dunno if it’s effective but you could give it a whirl?

Use one of those antibacterial wash things that can be used at low temps? Tesco do an own brand one.

Use some disinfectant with the gym gear - it helps get rid of the sweat.

I'm always recommending it, but halo sports wash from amazon or sainsburys is amazing, I only ever wash my gym wear at 30 and it never retains the sweaty smell. For muddy clothes, doing a prewash might help

I would soak the dirty and sweaty items in a bucket of hot water with suitable detergent and leave them for a few hours before adding to the load and washing. That's what I do with bras that have got sweaty but need a cool wash and also when I have hand washed the nappies on holiday.

For the hygiene/smell issue I was going to say Halo Sports Laundry Liquid but then it says on the bottle works as low as 30 degrees.

Dettol Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser added to your wash as says it CVC works at 20 degrees or lower.

www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/laundry-aids-accessories/dettol-laundry-cleanser-15l

For the stain removing qualities then Bio would be best. My bottle of Ariel Colour Bio Laundry Gel can be used as low as 15 degrees for clean washing (according to the label) though I've not tried it as low as that temperature.
Even my box of Ariel Bio Powder says it gives clean washing at 20 degrees.
Also if you need it add a bit of stain remover.

Don't where that CVC came from in the sentence about the Dettol.

Stain remover powder for coloured clothes works well at lower temps.

Soaking in a solution of Biotex can help.

Halo will get the job done, its fantastic.

For the muddy clothes, I'd do a prewash to get the worst of the mud off, then they should be fine, though maybe it would be better to chuck some over trousers on for dog walking in the circumstaces

My friend told me to put the laundry fresh zoflora in the prewash part of the machine and make sure it's set to do a prewash.

It's worked wonders on my daughters stinky school blouses.

I would soak the muddy stuff with a vanish type powder, you could always use the kettle so it's soaking in hot water.

If you read the label on a normal bottle of dettol, it says you can add that to your wash, it doesn't need to be these specific laundry ones that are more expensive. Are you likely to be getting a new machine because this would drive me mad!

Brilliant ideas thank you!

No idea if I'll get a new machine. I've registered on the website and apparently they'll start repairs and replacements in January but I'm not confident that I'll get anything before the summer.

I use a capful of zoflora instead of fabric conditioner and Vanish powder in the pre wash drawer. It works well.

Detol in Wash liquid

If I was having to wait for a repair I’d definitely get a new machine asap, on credit card or by any means really. Or buy a decent 2nd hand one. I’d never be able to trust that brand even on a cold wash and the cost of a new machine would be far preferable than replacing the whole contents of a house if the worst happened

Does it have an eco cycle? They are designed to wash more efficiently at lower temperatures, they take longer but incorporate periods of soaking and gentle agitation so would probably work well for the muddy stuff. My machine manual recommends using a liquid rather than powder on eco cycles as it dissolves more easily at lower temps - I prefer to use powder and don't have any problems with it dissolving though.

I would soak gym wear and bedding in a big bucket of hot water with a sprinkle of miofresh or a similar product before washing on 20.

If you don't pretreat stuff your washing machine will very quickly build up gunk.