Washing . . . Again

I agree white vinegar or soda crystals do the job with a tiny amount of washing powder nothing else is required. However, I do clean my machine out after each wash, wipe the rubber ring and leave the door open also always take the soap drawer out, dry inside the drawer compartment, wipe the soap drawer and leave it outside for 24 hours. My machine is 10 years old now and like new, no smells and washes everything clean at 40 & 60 respectively. I only wear my underwear and socks once, but everything else is worn until it is stained.

Formil powder from Lidl = one for whites and other for coloureds. Cycle of 1 hr 11 mins to include 'extra rinse. Soft water area, never use conditioner.

I use Stergene [yes I know it's supposed to be for washing by hand] and some bodywash that smells of the sea for machine washing, white vinegar for rinsing, no conditioner, and dry clothes on lines in the sun. They smell fabulous and fresh.

Ariel washing liquid and Comfort conditioner plus HG powder to clean machine every 3 mths or so. Do many things at 30 or 40, sheets & towels at 60 with an occasional blast at 90.

Most of my washing is done on 40 degrees using washing powder and conditioner. For items that need a quick refresh I wash at 30 degrees and use Dr Beckham Magic leaves as they leave no residue.

Whenever I stayed with my sis in law, who used conditioner, it took couple of weeks before I stopped itching. No allergies with anything else, just conditioner.

JennyCee

Whenever I stayed with my sis in law, who used conditioner, it took couple of weeks before I stopped itching. No allergies with anything else, just conditioner.

We have to be careful about which washing stuff we use when family visit.
One DSIL is allergic to anything except Persil and three of the other family group are allergic to stuff washed with those sheets-brings them out in a rash.

Stopped using conditioner when found out that most contain animal fat .Yuk.
Ecover doesnt but use that rarely . Mainly use powder , never pods and due to eczema and on advice from a dermatologist half the recommend dose .

I do it all on a 60 minute wash at 40. No softener. Clean now and again at 60 with soda crystals.

Hellsbelles

Stopped using conditioner when found out that most contain animal fat .Yuk.
Ecover doesnt but use that rarely . Mainly use powder , never pods and due to eczema and on advice from a dermatologist half the recommend dose .

Our plumber said it causes mould in washing machines and hair conditioner can cause mould in showers.

55Granmarderby
Yiu can still get powder in UK but it's hard to find. The larger supermarkets or B&M often have it.

I use one Tesco non bio capsule per load and usually do the Bosch hour wash at 40°. My washing comes out clean & smelling of nothing particular which suits me fine. If I then hang it on the line, as I do when the weather allows, it has that gorgeous fresh smell which money can't buy. I don't use anything in the drier, I don't like fake smells of plants, cotton, mountain air & whatever other weird & wonderful smells the advertisers think we might need in our lives!!

Oreo

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.

Washing things too often is bad for the environment - all those detergents going into the waste water - and it causes more wearand tear on the clothes too.

When I was still teaching a cheeky student once pointed out that I was wearing the same top I'd worn the day before, as if this was a crime. If I'd thought quickly enough I'd have pointed out that she was wearing her same school uniform! After that |I started a system where newly washed were on hangers in the wardrobe while worn already but still clean enough went on my bedroom chair to be worn again after a day or two to avoid such remarks. Since I retired I don't have to worry if I wear something a few days in a row. The sniff test is pretty reliable, as is the check to see if I spilt last night's gravy down the front! I'm pretty sure my clothes will last longer and the environment and my bank balance benefit in equal measures.
I use water softner tablets as we are in a hard water area but since I can no longer get the powder form, I cut open the plastic wrap, which supposedly dissolves, and empty the contents into the drawer to prevent more microplastics getting into the water system. Hopefully every little helps.

MaggsMcG thankyou, but it is the powder tablets that I can’t find anywhere. 🙂

Witzend

Doodledog

Most fabric conditioner contains rendered animal fat, which is why I prefer Tallow & Ash, as it is vegan.

I had always thought that tallow was made from animal fat! Hence in former times ‘tallow’ candles being considered very much inferior to wax ditto. (Presumably they were unpleasantly smelly).

Yes it is. It's a strange choice, I agree, but it is a brand name.

🤯

Clothes smell bad if not dried thoroughly and stored where they can't fully air. I'm sure the scented washing stuff is frequently to mask that smell. I think lots of people don't have to means to get things thoroughly dry and sometimes blame the washing process for the smell.

I can remember my Nan boiling underwear and handkerchiefs in a huge pan on the stove. As I have 5 sons that played cricket and rugby I'm very happy to have a washing machine to do the job.
My OH was a washing machine engineer for many years and he swears the best way to keep the machine clean is to to add a little bleach to the drawers and do a 60° long wash. Make sure to do a rinse 2-3 times after and wipe out the rim with a cloth. We do this every couple of months and never have a problem with gunk build up in pipes or mouldy smells.
All these extra smelly potions companies advertise we should be using are in my opinion not necessary. They only damage our pockets and the world we live in. Oooops, sorry for the rant. I'll get of my soapbox ( excuse the pun) 😁

Advertisers would not spend millions on pushing unnecessary chemical additives and “aromas” in washing and cleaning products if there were not some gullible, easily persuadable consumers, ready and willing to buy.

Most wash clothes far too frequently anyway, whatever is used. On a similar thread recently I read that some wash towels daily, and also wash clothing after each wearing!! The only item of clothing I wear only once before washing is knickers.

I consider myself a little bit obsessive when it comes to washing! I’m another fan of Lidl’s Formil - the bio powder for lights/whites and the bio liquid for darks. We have very hard water here so I also use their Doussy fabric conditioner (the white one which is very lightly fragranced). Most of the year, everything is line-dried but we do own a tumble dryer, which is also great for giving towels a quick blast to soften them after drying on the line! I never wash at lower than 40 degrees (I just can’t imagine it gets things clean!) and I don’t use those scent booster thingies either - they’re SO expensive for one thing! My washing machine gets a tub clean every month using Dr Beckmann washing machine cleaner … reading this back, I think I definitely need to get out more!

I have used Aldi box powder for years and years.. I am very eco conscious so use the lowest temperature cycle .
I hang everything out, even on grey days if there is any hope of a little drying.
I have no problem with odour at all.
Everything smells clean but not chemical perfumed.
I never use fabric softener.
I think there is a lot of commercial hype about laundry, personal hygiene and odours.
A lot is totally fabrication and unnecessary.

I worry about boomerang smells although I've never put a boomerang in the washing machine.

I don't think my boomerang smells..

I've been hit by one, it nearly felled me!
I nearly put it in the bin.

Most things are washed at 60 here (40 for socks and jumpers). I use ecover liquid and take the empty container to be refilled. I've never used conditioner or scent boosters and line dry if at all possible. If I wash other things at 40 there is sometimes a smell when I iron them, so I've gone back to 60. I know 40 would use less power but I avoid bringing more plastic packaging in, and the power, plastic etc. used making conditioner etc. I could weep when I look at the shelves of plastic bottles in the supermarkets full of scented chemicals. If there is animal fat in conditioner that must contribute to fat bergs in the drains.