Laundry tablets / powder/ pods?

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I’m wanting to save money on washing detergent. I’m trying to cut down on loads too.

How many loads per week for a family of 4? Do you washing towels and bedding separately?

Eldest DS has eczema so I have to use Surcare when he is around but since his been at Uni I have been able to use different detergent that smells nice! I currently use Persil bio pods, and Surcare liquid for colours. I use blue comfort when DS away too.

I hate the way fabric conditioner leaves my machine - black gunk. So I try and avoid but hate my “cardboard” laundry. Are the pods with conditioner any good?

Also if you are in a hard water area how often do you descale your machine?

I dont use pods or liquids. Powder keeps the drum cleaner as it contains bleaches that the pods and liquids dont. I use fabric softener in most washes

We do a lot of washes as dh and I go to the gym and he also plays football. Ds plays rugby and also goes to the gym plus has school wear.

Bedding and towels can make up a load by themselves and i tend to do them at 60⁰C. Other washing is done at 40⁰C. Every so often I do an empty hot wash to keep the drum clean.

I have started using Smol, which is delivered through the mail. It's good value and saves plastic. You can try it for £1, I think. We also have sensitive skin so only use non-bio and don't use fabric conditioner. I've been washing at 30 to save power, except for bedding and towels and I never get cardboard laundry! Family of four, I probably do 6 loads a week.

Four adults and between 4-6 loads a week. I wash whites separately, usually at 60. Everything else is on 40 half hour wash. I try to make loads dark or not so dark, but apart from whites, I don't always separate. Towels, sheets, tea towels and dish cloths are all white with no coloured edging or whatever - they are often a separate load, but I do put all white T shirts etc in with them.

Home made powder is a mix of soap and soda crystals made into a powder. I mix some non bio powder in with that and use a scoop for all washes. For whites, I use half and half home made with Ariel. Every few weeks, I'll do a white wash at 90 - used to do once a month on Miele engineer's advice. Now every couple of months. Washing powder in drum on top of clothes.

No fabric conditioner. I used to use it all the time, but don't buy it now. I did notice a difference at first, but not now. I'm not sure if that's because of the soda crystals being in every wash.

Towels aren't hard and scratchy, but they're not as 'fluffy' unless tumble dried - and that's got to stop. But everything is 'soft' enough.

Bicarb in the wash and vinegar in the rinse gets your towels soft.

I have been known to dissolve my powder detergent in a bucket and use it as a liquid or gel (if it has set). Not too much water.

I also use my powder detergent to scrub my bath. 2 tsp in an couple of inches of water in a bucket with a sponge. Slosh liberally and scrub with a sponge, Scum lifts off. Also really good at washing walls.

I only use powder, the pods gunk up the machine.

Married to a laundry Man, non bio powder for washing, for whites quick wash at 30c with oxygen bleach, then non bio even the socks come up white. Don't use conditioner. It's science I'm told

I have been using bio powder for whites and bio liquid for everything else. Powder contains bleaching agents which can fade colours over time. I'm in a hard water area so add softening powder from wilko to every wash.

Towels and bedding washed at 60, everything else at 30.

I also use fabric softener.

I use shop's own bio powder for colours ( for both colours and whites) and a half scoop of shop's own 'Vanish' for colours (for both colours and whites). I do one hot wash per week (60C) to ensure the machine doesn't smell.
We live in a soft water area so use the extra rinse option (recommended in the washing machine handbook) in virtually every wash. I never use fabric softener.

I have carefully calibrated a measuring cup for the powder, three lines for light, medium and heavily soiled washing. I use the lightly soiled dose nearly every time and the box of powder does double the stated number of washes.

Thank you so much loving all these useful tips. We are in a hard water area …. Should I be descaling my machine?

Yes, I think it's important to descale. It will lengthen the life of your machine. Your instruction book will say. I never descale, we don't have that problem, thankfully.

I descale every so often when I remember. I just put a cup of white vinegar in on a 90 degree wash.

I don’t use pods , only powder detergent from Aldi.

I wash everything in cold ( my machine does cold, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75 and 90 degrees) Except for towels and bedding which I wash at 60 degrees .

Towels and sheets twice a week.

A load of clothes or two every day. Family of 4 adults and a cat and dog (their bedding twice a week)

Hard water area. Family of four. 4 or 5 loads a week. Only use supermarket bio powder on everything and use about two thirds of the recommended amount. Wash at 30 (or 40 sometimes for sheets or towels) and line dry if possible. All comes out clean (except sometimes DH’s tops stink and I pre soak them in dilute vinegar and then wash as normal).

Most economic solution is powder + white vinegar in place of softener. It makes things soft and it brings out the smell in the powder.

You can also use a teaspoon of soda crystals in with the powder, to help combat hard water.

Pods are worse for gunking up the machine - since I started using them, I get so many suds in a plain rinse cycle. Had to do four hot washes the other day to get it to just do a plain water rinse. Likely to be no good for allergies. I'm thinking of going back to powder.

Can anyone tell me which is better between using bicarbonate of soda and soda crystals for getting washing clean and for the hard water problem please.

Powder is the most economical . I buy the largest box when it's on offer .
Use non bio as we have skin conditions . A dermatologist advised me to use half as what's advised on the boxes and I still get a good clean out of it , so win win.
I have been put off conditioner by finding out most use animal fats in them and keep meaning to look out for one that doesn't use it .
Anyone have any suggestions ?

Eco brands like Method, Ecover, and Wilton are vegan and therefore tallow free.

@paulmccartneysbagel

Thank you for your suggestions . I bought Ecover a few weeks ago , but have not yet used.

Very hard water here.
Liquids make the machine mouldy and manky.

I use powder and put straight in the drum. Also a dash of white vinegar in the drawer (about 40p a bottle).
Occasionally I put a cleaner through on very hot. Machine stays clean and fresh.

I’ve ordered some detergent impregnated sheets, 100 for £14 delivered. 100 washes will last me 7 or 8 months.
They dissolve in the water and are plastic free, supposedly suitable for sensitive skin so we’ll see. I only use a tiny slug of softener so a bottle lasts me a year.

This is a great price @BorgQueen, do you have a link?

It's a myth pods are environmentally good, they don't completely dissolve and the plastic and chemicals enters the water supply; hence the warning to marine life on packets.

How do you find them? Do they get really dirty stuff clean? Which ones did you buy?

This was meant for @BorgQueen

No way! I’ve only just started using them … I won’t be buying anymore! @OnaBegonia