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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Washing powder: come and tell my DP...

22 replies

TrillianAstra · 21/05/2009 12:15

... why he doesn't need to use two tablets of powder even if his shorts are 'a bit sweaty'.

I have used 1 tablet for ages because I'm stingy and everything seems perfectly clean-looking and clean-smelling. He wants proof.

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MerlinsBeard · 21/05/2009 12:23

proof ... 3 DSs - 1 who attracts muck, 1 who grubs on eth floor and a baby... i have no stains (well other than baby food mush on bibs but thats normal!) and i only ever use 1 tab. If i want things to smell strong i use fab softener lol!

oh and DH who is a smoker and musician so gets pretty sweaty gigging

Podrick · 21/05/2009 12:26

a lot depends on whether your water is hard or soft?

LovelyRitaMeterMaid · 21/05/2009 12:27

We have hard water and use not much powder. Don't use tablets as I can control how much we use this way.

I have occasionally forgotten to put any powder in and things still get clean

Original poster
TrillianAstra · 21/05/2009 12:30

It's hard water. Tastes better, but leaves water marks on everything.

OP posts:
Original poster
TrillianAstra · 21/05/2009 12:39

Come on, I need the might of MN behind me!

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Original poster
TrillianAstra · 21/05/2009 12:40

(thanks MoM and Rita by the way)

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MerlinsBeard · 21/05/2009 12:43

i can send you one of DHs gig socks if you like will wash one and leave the other as is !!

CherryChoc · 21/05/2009 12:43

Hard water tastes better?? Yuk, not IMO!

Not sure about washing powder, sorry, I am clueless at these things

clumsymum · 21/05/2009 12:45

Right, he wants proof.

Put on one pair of shorts. Play squash/run round block/do whatever you do to get all sweaty.

Now change into another pair of shorts, do it again.

Then wash one pair of shorts in a load with 2 tablets, wash the other in a load with 1 tablet (don't tell him which is which).

Get him to tell the difference.

Original poster
TrillianAstra · 21/05/2009 12:45

I think you get used to whatever flavour water you have - I grew up with soft, moved here and though it was yuck, but now whenever I go back the soft water tastes all flat and empty.

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CherryChoc · 21/05/2009 12:45

Well actually, wait a sec, he wants proof? Ask him if his washing is usually not good enough, surely he hasn't noticed until now, isn't that proof?

E.g. I walked into the kitchen yesterday to see DP squirting tomato ketchup into the pan of spaghetti bolognaise on the hob, I said no!! What are you doing? (I hate ketchup) - he said he always puts it in. I've never noticed before, so I have now changed my mind and decided I do like ketchup in spaghetti bolognese.

Original poster
TrillianAstra · 21/05/2009 13:01

I think I might have to do a blind trial.

Then he'll argue that one wash might not result in a discernable difference but there could be greying after lots of washes.

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MerlinsBeard · 21/05/2009 13:44

could you not just go on letting him use 2 tabs and you carry on using 1 - that way he thinks he is right and you can use it against him at a later date rest in the knowledge that you are righT!!

Mintyy · 21/05/2009 13:51

Lol at anyone buying washing powder tablets. Have you seen the price of those things?

clumsymum · 21/05/2009 13:54

I agree with MumofMonsters, it doesn't seem worth causing a great big family row about, unless you are sooooooo short of spondulics that the price of one washing tablet will cause great hardship.

clumsymum · 21/05/2009 13:56

"Have you seen the price of those things", yes but given the utter bloody mess I finish up with if I use loose powder, I am happy to pay the difference.

I can't get over the price of those liquid pouch things though. Can't ever see me buying those.

MerlinsBeard · 21/05/2009 14:00

tabs cause less mess when a 1 YO gets them than powder does

Original poster
TrillianAstra · 21/05/2009 14:00

I'm not changing what I do, and we're not going to have a big row about it, I just want you all to tell him that I am right!

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clumsymum · 21/05/2009 14:29

Ah, you need to teach him this phrase.
"I'm sorry Darling. You are right and I am wrong, I'm sorry"

Which he should use at least twice a week

ThePellyandMe · 21/05/2009 14:48

I've been through this with DH. He still won't accept that 1 tablet makes no difference.

As he puts the washing machine on most of the time we are using 2 tablets again. I swear if the box told him to use 10 tablets he would

Cosmosis · 22/05/2009 11:41

as above surely the proof is that he thinks the washing is ok when you are using 1?

Original poster
TrillianAstra · 22/05/2009 11:48

Thanks everyone, I will show this to him but I can guess his response will be that washing seems fine when 1 tab is used but maybe whites are going grey faster than if we always used 2, etc.

Only way to test that would be to divide all clothes into 2 and wash some with 2 and some with 1. Which I am not doing, because it is stupid and I don't have that much spare time on my hands. So he will have to put up with me using one, and I will probably have to put up with him unnecessarily using two on the occassions that he puts the washing on.

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