Washing at 30 degrees

[MissingMyDadAlready]

I've always washed clothes at 40 degrees, bedding & towels at 60 degrees and had one or two items that need to be done at 30.

I've noticed more and more clothes now say 30 degrees - DH work shirts, teen boy t-shirts, dresses, even jeans.

My washing system is now all over the place as instead of doing 1 machine load of DH's shirts, I'm doing 2 part-full loads, one of 30 degrees, one of 40. Its driving me crazy as the washing machine is on more often and it feels like more effort. A lot of the teen 30 degree stuff is strong colours which I worry about coming off on DH's shirts. I have accidentally washed some of the 30 degree teen stuff at 40, with the result that the colours ran.

Anyone else noticing this is becoming more of an issue?

Washing machine engineer recently said to me the following advice. Use powder not liquid or pods and a good long cycle. If you do that then 30 is enough. He said people use too shorter cycle and don't clean the machine regularly. Run a really hot cycle, empty with washing machine cleaner every month. Seems to be working for me so far

DH has loads of sports kit which is synthetic, that always goes in at 40. We only wear white in the summer though so I don't have to bother with a white wash in the cooler months. Our sheets are coloured and need 60 because of DH greasy skin and head which seems to be a man thing.

Right, the mud came off the jeans at 30 degrees but they still have grass stains on the knee. What's the best way to get that off now?

How interesting - I wash all my “wearing” clothes at 30 and always have and I have never had this problem. out of curiosity do you do a cleaning cycling for the machine? I do this once a month.

@MissingMyDadAlready as pp have said just wash everything at 30. No part washes for me.

Have tried bicarb and a bit of fairy liquid?