Come and talk to me about laundry -TW for a riveting thread

[Begonne]

How do you do a wash?

Do you sort ? By colours? By fabric weight? Bio or non-bio? Fabric softener? Smelly bead things? Oxi- powders? Do you use colour catcher sheets - or off brand ones? what temp do you wash at?

And …why!?!?

I realised the other day I don’t actually understand a thing about laundry and I’m actually performing some kind of superstitious ritual and hoping the clothes come back clean.

I used to have 4 laundry baskets ( black/dk colour/light colour/white) but now use 2 (black/dark white/light)

Four adults in the house
I wear scrubs at work which need a 60c
10kg washing machine , TD, small heated rail, Dri-Soon Pod and various rails dotted about , also an outdoor rotary drier .

I use - Sainsbury colour powder on darks .
Sainsbury non bio powder on light colours and add some Astonish powder for whites
Ecover dark liquid for black clothes ( I would use this on everything if I could but it isn't good for the WM , I know)
Ecover apple blossom and almond fabric conditioner in the dispenser .
Everything gets the detergent in a dosing ball , not the drum.
If something is dirty , a scoop of soda crystals .

I have white towels and black towels .
Bras go in laundry bags with anything delicate and a powder I got from QVC.

Last winter the DriSoon Pod was my godsend buy , everything on hangers , dry , then hang on rails to cool and air ,

As for temperature , apart from my scrubs (60) and towels (40) I use 30c or an EcoWash for overnight

I'm confused. How does someone get to 40 and not know how to use washing machine? What does "TW for a riveting thread" mean?

It's not just the machine though , it's the massive choice of detergents and the simple fact that One Size Does Not Fit All.

Bio/Non Bio , there are enzymes or a lack of . One is activated at a certain temperature , one is deactivated above a given temperature ,
Some have bleaching agents and some have colour protectors .

My WM has cycles I don't need and having no Jeffing clue what they are for .

Every week a new product . I noticed a load more laundry pods with cardboard packaging .
Trying to be more Eco Friendly but anyone who has had trouble with their WM , first question is "Do you use laundry pods / liquid"?

TW , I took as being a warning for *it's not the most exciting thread on here, be warned^ .
You obviously don't want to chat laundry , so nothing to see here .

Laundry egg for everything except hand wash stuff. No sheets, softener, snake oil. 20 or 30 degrees except for bedding, towels and baby soiled stuff. Loads are:

Whites
Brights
Darks
Wool (hand wash liquid)
Bedding
Towels

I sort into :
White washed at 30 or 40 with Lidl bio powder
Soaked before hand if stains in vanish
Line dried if poss
Lights : if all sheets and towels washed on 40 and full spin
If clothes in 30 degrees and lower spin speed
LIdL colour powder
Again soaked over night if stained
Darks I wash on 30 delicates with LIdL colour powder or black wash liquid if black jeans
I never use softener and have no dryer .
I wash the cleaning cloths on 90 every couple of weeks and do a full wash cycle.

I only wash at the weekend by which time I tend to have enough washing for one load of every colour 🙄

Always use bio powder, always wash at 40 and do the maintenance 70° wash every fortnight or so.

I use the 30° denim wash with the slower spin for all 'delicates' like my Boden work dresses etc.

My mum always used to say (25 years ago!) that she felt people who said they used supermarket own brand washing powder always looked a bit grey and not very clean. As a result I am completely incapable of buying anything other hideously expensive branded powder because if I even touch a box of non branded powder I can hear her voice in my head!

I do a dark wash and a lights wash, 40 for both, I put a colour catcher sheet in if anything is vaguely new so likely to leak colours. I use lidl 3 in one capsules because I'm lazy. I do 3 loads a week typically because it's a 10kg machine (so fits 14kg+) and we rewear a fair amount, also not the fussiest with towels and bedding

@Tarantella6 I can relate to the mum voice. My own dm couldn’t give a toss about washing or anything housework related but my gran had very strong opinions on all her neighbours’ washing. I can laugh about it, but if there’s an afterlife, she probably has a lot to say about me.

@mightymam I’m in awe of your cashmere care. What type of shampoo do you use? And why?