Washing . . . Again

I've found that the shortest cycle on my machine doesn't get things smelling clean.

There are lots of clothes that can be worn multiple times without washing, in my view we wash too much as a nation.
I still use powder in the machine, cheaper and with no goo to clog things up, the machine always smells clean.
If you live in a hard water area like me then a shot of conditioner is necessary but ditch anything else.You don’t need much powder either.
Skirts/ jeans/ trousers/ jumpers/ cardigans just don’t require constant washing.

I don’t buy scent boosters, calgon , colour catchers or any of those things other than I use a little fabric conditioner when washing bed sheets. (Oh and I’ve got some vanish for any stains such as coffee or tea, but it’s only used for that, so not regularly). So all that goes in my machine with the washing is some daz powder (never as much as they say on the box and washing comes out clean) and I set it at 40 degrees. The machine is wiped out after every wash to stop that black mould developing on the rubber seals.
We really don’t need to use all those boosters they keep promoting for “freshness”. It’s a marketing ploy.

I don't buy any of the add on bits for my washing, either.
Always powder, as its cheaper.

I usually wash things at 30 or 40 degrees, a ‘quick’ cycle but still over an hour.

I use Tesco own brand soap powder and hardly any softener, plus a scoop of Tesco own brand Oxy in white washes.

Clothes hung on the line unless weather is really bad.

Put washing soda on a hot wash occasionally to clean machine.

Now we are both retired, our clothes seem to keep fairly clean and fresh without any additives. It was different when DH worked in a manual job.

Am sure we are brainwashed into thinking we need all this extra ‘stuff’ to be ‘fresh’.

Well, as my washing always smells clean, I suspect it is a sales' ploy.

The only garments I only wear once are my underpants! Everything else is used for a couple of days (shirts, stockings and blouses) for a week, (tea towels, dish-cloths towels) or for two weeks (bedlinen).

I do occasionally put the washing-machine on a hot cycle without clothes or laundry soap, to get rid of any residue of soap. I never use washing powder now, only liquid unperfumed soap and I never use softener. I also clean the filter of the dryer after every use during the winter when I cannot dry clothes outside.

I do it the way Oreo does.

I am also same as CalendarGirl in that now DH is doing a different job, I dont now need a certain brand of washing powder, and use additives.

I do wash undies and sheets at higher temps.
Think that is better to kill off more bugs.

If you live in a hard water area like me then a shot of conditioner is necessary

I don't use conditioner at all. I put some soda crystals in the wash to soften the water. Hardly even use any washing liquid.

I'm an advertiser dream.
I buy different washing liquid for different types of clothes.
Normal non bio Persil for everyday use, plus special products for jumpers/ delicates.
I also use smell boosters as well as Fabric conditioner.
I also add Dettol sanitiser, to towels etc .
Colour catcher for mixed wash.
I know complete sucker!
But tend to use max 40 ° on most washes.

I just use laundry powder in a box -or Ecover liquid.Line dry where possible,.Tumble dry if not.I used to use fabric conditioner-not any more.The water here doesn't make it necessary and can't say Ive noticed the difference. These adverts for extra products give me the rage.Marketing and more plastic containers going into the system.I don't like heavily scented clothes anyway. And don't get me started on plug in synthetic air fresheners etc.
I'm clean .Use a bit of light perfume occasionally. Sheets washed weekly. Underwear and socks and tights worn once.Other clothes washed as required .I occasionally use a cycle with a capsules of white vinegar to clean the machine and keep filters and seal clean.

Aldi powder, out on the line if weather allows, otherwise indoors, or over the bannister if sheets. Hand ironing ie smoothing, as I fold. Done. ☑️
I don’t clean out my washing machine often….. I should as we have hard water here. . Any suggestions?

Max 40.

One of my sons had very sweaty underarms as a teenager. I just used to splash some white vinegar on the underarms of his shirts/t shirts. Did the job.

If I'm honest I'd rather smell a bit of sweat than most of the highly perfumed washing products 😆 I have to send MrA to get laundry stuff because the smell in the aisles is so overpowering.

I can't stay at a friend's house because she uses scenty stuff on the sheets and the smell makes me heave. Last time I stayed I slept on the floor.

Yes, it's a sales technique, encouraging us to raise our cleaning game to frenzy level on the back of the virus-fear we developed after Covid. One of the most basic techniques of advertising is to present consumers with a nonexistent problem (like personal smells that "keep coming back" in our laundry). Luckily for us, the ad then reveals a miracle cure fin the form of whichever chemically-enhanced gunk they're flogging. This is actually quite clever manipulation of our fear of being criticised by other people. I now do most of my laundry with maybe a tablespoonful of eco-laundry-liquid, on a zero-degree wash. Haven't yet perceived any increase in the way our home/clothes/bodies smell...

One of the worst things is that all these chemicals find their way into the water systems and have to be cleaned out.

theworriedwell

One of my sons had very sweaty underarms as a teenager. I just used to splash some white vinegar on the underarms of his shirts/t shirts. Did the job.

I wonder if that would be effective on stains, and easier to apply using a spray bottle... 🤔

V3ra

theworriedwell

One of my sons had very sweaty underarms as a teenager. I just used to splash some white vinegar on the underarms of his shirts/t shirts. Did the job.

I wonder if that would be effective on stains, and easier to apply using a spray bottle... 🤔

I never thought about that, spray bottle sounds a great idea. It did get rid of all the smell, before I used it I would be ironing his things and get the smell and the vinegar stopped that completely.

Just ecover liquid plus (sometimes) good old-fashioned washing soda. Nothing else. I hate "artificial smells" of any kinds: fresh air is the best smell of all IMO. We have "average" water (not notably hard or soft) and no problems with laundry smelling! Sometimes we use the tumble-dryer (if desperate to dry towels or cotton bedding in wet weather) but even then we include only a "sheeps' wool ball" as a "softener".

Liquid soap, no conditioner or other additions, I use soda crystals to clean the machine every couple of months, leave the door upen after washing for a few hours. I’ve never had a rumple drier, so the washing is outside or on an airer with a dehumidifier running in a spare bedroom.
There are two of us, washing is roughly once a week on an eco wash, extra wash for towels, the drum takes a 10lb load.

In view of all the advertising, I kept sniffing my freshly washed clothes once they were dry, just in case.

I’ve never had a problem, but then I wonder, am I not noticing because we don’t notice a familiar smell?

We’re currently using those sheets, which was another reason for wondering about smells.
Some say. Put in the drum before adding the washing others have a little picture of a happy housewife tossing in a sheet on to of half a drum of washing.
Which way is right, and is one make of sheet only suitable for half loads?

Perhaps I really need term to start again so I’ve got something else to think about.

AreWeThereYet

One of the worst things is that all these chemicals find their way into the water systems and have to be cleaned out.

More likely they find their way into the seas and oceans and are damaging sealife.

AreWeThereYet
One of the worst things is that all these chemicals find their way into the water systems and have to be cleaned out.

Astitchintime
More likely they find their way into the seas and oceans and are damaging sealife.

A product that claimed not to harm the environment would be a really good product.

Our washing smells really nice, I love the smell of freshly cleaned laundry. I just use Lidl washing capsules and their fabric conditioner. Smells lovely when I wear the clothes.