Apologies in advance for the most boring question ever!
A few months ago in an effort to save money I switched to supermarket own brand detergent. For a while I didn’t really notice a difference (probably helps that the kids were off nursery for the summer), but in the last few weeks I feel like I’m left with a lot of stuff that still looks a state and I have to chuck it in for another wash and hope the stain has come out next time.
I used to be a fan of the vanish bar for pretreating stains but the sheer volume of stuff that needs treating makes it quite arduous. I’ve considered buying the supermarket brand stuff for mine and DH’s clothes but doing the kids stuff separately in a branded detergent, but honestly I’m so disorganised I’d be chucking it all in together.
I do tend to use shorter was cycles because I’m mindful of energy prices. I also wash at 40 degrees not for the sake of the environment but because life’s too short to sort clothes and even if it’s wasn’t then if I’m honest I’ve no idea which fabrics might shrink if washed at 60!
So I’m wondering now whether anyone has anything they particularly recommend for those classic nursery grade stains that you don’t seem to get at home. Pretreatment spray/gel or one of the ‘laundry booster’ powders where you put a scoop in every wash? If so, can I get away with the supermarket own brand laundry booster? My head hurts trying to work out what’s more cost effective - a longer wash cycle, branded detergent, a scoop of something in every wash or an expensive pretreatment spray or gel. How does everybody else deal with this stuff? Any tried and tested methods or combinations or products?
Just to add I know that another solution would be to just have an entirely separate wardrobe for at nursery but I can’t justify the extra cost of this, especially when the youngest is into a new size every 3 months.