What laundry rules do you follow or ignore? Share with Fairy Non Bio for a chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

With laundry stacked high and always increasing, it can be tempting to break even the most basic of laundry rules in order to keep on top of the task. Fairy Non Bio would like to hear about the rules you implement (or ignore!) when you’re doing the laundry.

Here’s what Fairy has to say: “We want to know what’s important to you. Have you found a way to save time? A way to get the best stain removal? A way to keep clothes huggably soft? Or even just a way to not lose matching socks! We would love to hear your tricks of the trade.”

What’s your perspective on laundry rules? Either way, Fairy Non Bio wants to know. Do you obey temperature regulations or simply stick everything in at 40? Perhaps you’re the kind of person who avoids overfilling and never fails to air-dry fine fabrics. Or, maybe you fill the machine to the brim and adopt a one size fits all approach to drying that would make manufacturers weep. Whatever they may be, divulge your laundry indiscretions.

Share the rules that you follow and those you ignore on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I don't follow any rules. I do my laundry when I no longer have enough underwear.

I wash my whites on a high temperature and seperate my colours into dark and light but wait until I have a full load.

hand wash only, i dont have time for that

Just lights and darks separate x

whites and darks go separately, colours are attempted...but generally all end up going in together....who has time to do a 'yellow' wash?!

Rather than doing a full wash cycle I’m really lazy and to save time I just do the 1 hour quick wash for all the washing. Also, if items have been washed plenty of times I don’t bother to separate colours!

I've never once separated my whites...

Apart from keeping whites seperate I just cross my fingers and hope for the best :)

I always sort colours and whites and I wash all delicates on a low temp. I don't use fabric conditioner when I wash towels and t-towels, as it makes them too soft for drying!

I don't do different cycles for different things. Most of the programs on my machine have never been used - when I've looked at them, their running time has been up to 3 hours! Who on earth has time for that? I do at least 2-3 loads of laundry a day, I'd be spending my life doing it! So everything just goes in on Daily Quick cycle. The only thing I alter is the temperature if necessary!

I always wash whites and darks separately to avoid disasters especially when it comes to school uniform

I quite like doing the laundry
I do a lights wash and a darks wash generally. Bedding and towels is usually done separate. Sometimes do a dirty wash with dh work/gardening clothes. Always wash at 40 degrees and will wash most things that cant be washed at 30 on a gentle or quick cycle. Love to get things hung out but the reality is its often more trouble than worth so its indoor drying/tumble dryer.

Everything goes in the machine. I never hand wash or dry clean anything and I have never ruined an item yet (touch wood)

I put all delicates in to a small laundry bag that is suitable for the washing machine. It means you don’t lose socks (especially good for baby socks which are tiny) and you
can use separate bags for different family members so you don’t spend ages sifting through what belongs to who after the wash.

As a mum of a toddler and twins I couldn’t
do my washing any other way!

I've started washing a lot more on 30 degrees instead of 40 - less likely to ruin items, better for the environment and does the job perfectly as long as there are no enormously stained clothes.

Never ever ignore the warning 'Do not put trainers in a washing machine' I did it for one of my kids and it broke a paddle, thankfully I have my washer insured and it was repaired but the guy who came said so many people put trainers in and don't listen when told it will break your paddles.

I tend to follow the weight restrictions as I don't like packing my washing machine and I put most things on at 30 (with the exception of towels or stains).

The rulee I break are I don't follow a strict splitting of clothes into separate washed. Lights and darks only for me!

I do dark wash, light wash, the OH workwear wash, dog wash (all inside an old duvet cover to keep the machine hair free), bedding wash and uniform wash.

All go outside to dry if the weather is good enough - and even in early January on a sunny day my clothes go out even if they only get half dry in that sunshine then chucked into the tumble to finish off - I am a bit tight and like to save on the electric! (and the planet benefits).

All powder washes - I really dont like the liquid tabs - we have a 11kg machine and with the powder i can put the right amount in, one tab too small, two too much and it really smells strong of fragrance.

I totally ignore dry clean only and handwash - basically anything that cannot go in that machine and take a pumelling is dead in my eyes - I dont have time to be washing by hand and so I avoid buying anything like that in the first place if I can, having said that there are a few items that have been through the mill and come out fine.

Our machine keeps the temp up for a while (you should check this out when buying a machine as most only get UP to temp and the thermostat stops it getting warmer, ours keeps it at that temp for a good few minutes making sure all germs are dead.

In dark wash goes the underwear and with that i put two drops of Zoflora into the machine (also with the dog wash in inside the duvet that is done separately) - machine is squeeky clean and fresh and I do a tub clean every month.

Being a bit sad I would love one of those really good Amish washing lines for my laundry - as I have one of those whirly things (was here when we moved in) and its always wonky - no matter how much we try to reset the stake it always ends up on an angle!

I used to be really careful with washing my clothes and following all the instructions to the letter but these days there is just so much laundry that the only rules I follow religiously are separating the whites and the darks. Everything else just gets chucked in the machine on a low temperature and I hope for the best!

At home - Do 60 degree whites quick hr wash! 1200 or so spin AND PRAY LOL. Scoop of powder and dash of fabric softener. (never know exact doses! as so many variables!) Worry washing at 40 the machine is going to be buggy. Fill 50% to 75% full unless at laundrette then 100% full moneys worth!!!

Wash dark colours together. All colours ger bunged in the same wash. I sometimes add beige as well.

Disclaimer: I only scored 37% on the mumsnet washing quiz so follow the above at your own peril!

The worse one is I handwash certain things that are dry clean only

We always sort the whites from the coloureds.
Tend to stick everything except whites on 40.
Very delicate fabrics I hand wash.

I cant be bothered with the washing so I usually chuck most of it in together. The only rule I stick by is keeping whites separate and it I have bought something new I keep that item separate too so that colours don't run.

I wash whites separately and towels and bedding on a hotter wash - colours just all go in together on a lower temperature (such as 30 degrees) and sometimes I just add stain remover straight to the stubborn stains.

Cool wash for wool with a fabric softener.

It's been okay so far as I have learnt not to mix a red sock with a white wash... I have shrunk a few things though by accident.