30 degree wash

ERMANTRUDE

Without going into too much detail I have recently been washing some extremely stained bedding, using Acdo washing powder from Home Bargains, with amazing results. I can't say that I used a 30' wash but it's worth a go. Really, you wouldn't believe what that stuff can shift!

newleaf

morganlefay wrote:

I am sure - as someone said earlier - that we overwash our clothes, and I'm now using cooler washes with much less powder/liquid and they're fine EXCEPT for the fat splodges which I get on my t shirts when I'm cooking (and I have to confess to sometimes dropping food down them while eating - what a slob). I do wear a pinny for cooking but my t shirted front attracts fat spots like a magnet. I spray them with Shout, or Vanish, or squidge a bit of washing liquid on them and sometimes they disappear and sometimes they lurk and lurk for several washes. I've watched those ads for the bright pink drums of powder of which you add a bit to your wash and magically fat splodges vanish (I think that stuff is Vanish) but they don't in my house. Has anyone got a foolproof method which doesnt involve boil washes, or anything silly like that (since I have several problem t shirts to do every week and can't be boiling all the time ?)
You would REALLY make my day (what a sad woman) if you have any brilliant ideas about this.....she says hopefully

I have got a small aerosol spray called 'De Solve It' which I get from Morrisons or Tesco and is the best thing I've found for shifting spot stains on the front of my tops - I invariably spill something between plate and gob And why is it always something that really stains, like tomato or curry?
Anyway, this spray stinks but you spray a little bit on the stain asap and then launder as usual. The mark has usually gone first time, but sometimes you need another go for a very stubborn mark. HTH

inkie

I wash everything, aprat from the whites on a 30 degree was an have never had any problems!

fred_flower

For some time (since seeing Kim and Aggie on C4) I've used soda crystals for cleaning my drains but I always thought they'd be too harsh to use for washing my clothes - I'm a non-bio person as bio washing products get me itching - but I've just looked at the packet and it seems they don't contain phosphates, enzymes or bleach. May be worth a try.......

What vinegar should be used for softening the water?

I took a look in the supermarket and I'm not sure whether the 'white vinegar' everyone is talking about is white wine vinegar or distilled malt (actually clear ) vinegar, or something entirely different.......?

Thanks in advance.

bizzylizzy

inkie wrote:

I wash everything, aprat from the whites on a 30 degree was an have never had any problems!

What powder do you use, and how much?

My machine only has a 30 degree wash with a slow spin so I don't know if it would be saving money to wash at 30, then do another (fast) spin. At the moment I wash on 40 with a fast spin.

tawnyowls

bizzylizzy wrote:

What powder do you use, and how much?

My machine only has a 30 degree wash with a slow spin so I don't know if it would be saving money to wash at 30, then do another (fast) spin. At the moment I wash on 40 with a fast spin.

Em, this was my earlier reply to your query:

bizzylizzy wrote:

Also the only 30 degree programme on my machine has a slow spin, so I would then need to put each wash through a fast spin too. Do you think that would cancel out the savings I could make on a 30 degree wash?

tawnyowls wrote:

Not necessarily. Has your WM got a display to show you how long it takes? To use a 40 deg wash with long spin on mine takes 72 mins, whereas on the short spin it takes 47 mins - to then put it on the long spin alone takes 12 mins, a total of 59 mins, so I'm saving 13 mins. If I use the 30 deg wash, the difference between the two (wash with long spin or short wash + long spin) is about the same, plus I'm saving the energy required to heat that extra 10 deg.

Can't do the maths for you, I'm afraid - you need to check your display. If you haven't got one, then use a timer.

Liz._5

I live in the West of Scotland where we have extremely soft water and I use powder for my wasing machine so that I can control the amount I put in. A tablespoonful is plenty at any temperature.
I use non-bio for allergy reasons and it dissolves at any temp.
The occasional serious stain I deal with before washing in the machine.

Liz._5

If you are worried about germs when washing at low temps, then steam iron dishtowels (steam is 100deg c). This will kill germs. It's the only thing I insist on ironing

morganlefay

Ah yes, Liz, but what do you actually do to those darn stains ? I sometimes think i'm the only person in the world who gets greasy spodges on her clothes and can't get them off so it's comforting to read that there are others out there, but please tell me what you do to get rid of them because I ruly think that (apart from the two good suggestions earlier) there is nothing I haven't tried - and they're only cooking fat splodges, nothing exotic......

tawnyowls

morganlefay wrote:

Ah yes, Liz, but what do you actually do to those darn stains ? I sometimes think i'm the only person in the world who gets greasy spodges on her clothes and can't get them off so it's comforting to read that there are others out there, but please tell me what you do to get rid of them because I ruly think that (apart from the two good suggestions earlier) there is nothing I haven't tried - and they're only cooking fat splodges, nothing exotic......

If they're only fat, they should come out with any sort of detergent - washing-up liquid, Stardrops etc. In fact, usually they'll just dissolve out in the wash - I spilt a bottle of cooking oil right down my front, and it all came out. On the other hand, if you've got splashes of other stuff (particularly protein-based, such as meat juices) in there, then you might be cooking them when you wash them; always best to try cleaning in cold water with plenty of WUL or whatever.