Old style laundry - hints and tips

jennyjo_2

I would never have thought of using a cold wash, I always thought the water had to be warm for the powder to disolve

Ticklemouse

Excellent thread.:)

I cleared out a box from the understairs cupboard a little while ago and it contained half a box of Napisan. Now I'm an MSEer I couldn't throw it out, but didn't know what to use it for. I use Oxiclean, but I'll be swapping to Napisan from now on. Along with my vinegar/bicarb conditioner, we should be germ and odour free.

I use liquid detergents - mainly Ecover or Surcare because I don't like artificial fragrances, but will be cutting down the amount I use. I'll also have to hunt for my machine instruction booklet and find out how to cut the heater off - I only have a cold fill machine so it always has to warm up a little, even on a 30 or 40 degree wash.

I've got quite a lot of soda crystals around too. Is it a waste/overkill/ dangerous to mix all these things together if I have a really dirty was? (I'm thinking in terms of fumes that might be created?)

Queenie

tm - use those soda crystals in a bucket to pre-soak heavily grimed laundry, it's brilliant! (I used them on some gungy oven gloves - yukky icky they were! Brought them up like NEW <---- and I'm not paid to say that! )

Ticklemouse

Cheers Queenie - I was wondering recently just how to get all that gunge off my oven gloves. Will give that a try today.

Cullumpster

Hi All,

When you say that you use vinegar as a softener what do you mean, is it actual fish and chip vinegar or do you mean the white stuff?

And where do you put it, just in the same part as you would the fabric softener, oh and also how much do you use?

thanks

MATH

Queenie wrote:

tm - use those soda crystals in a bucket to pre-soak heavily grimed laundry, it's brilliant! (I used them on some gungy oven gloves - yukky icky they were! Brought them up like NEW <---- and I'm not paid to say that! )

Did you use hot, warm, cold water? And how long did you have to soak them for? thanks

Ticklemouse

Cullumpster wrote:

Hi All,

When you say that you use vinegar as a softener what do you mean, is it actual fish and chip vinegar or do you mean the white stuff?

And where do you put it, just in the same part as you would the fabric softener, oh and also how much do you use?

thanks

Yes - white vinegar, straight into the fabric softener bit. You can use it neat and it seems from reading the threads that you only need a tablespoon of it. Or you can make your own conditioner, which I have just done. It's really easy - 1 part vinegar, 1 part bicarb. of soda, 2 parts water and a couple of drops of essential oils of your choice to fragrance. Just multiply the amounts up if you like it. It keeps in an old conditioner bottle (I got one from my mum).

No vinegar smell, and as a previous 'no fabric conditioner' user, I find it seems to make the clothes "squeaky" clean.

Queenie

MATH wrote:

Did you use hot, warm, cold water? And how long did you have to soak them for? thanks

I used hot; soaked overnight.
In the morning they only looked marginally better, which at first felt disappointing; they then went into the machine for a 40degree coloured wash and that's when the "wow" occured
Now, I know it wasn't just the machine wash, because that had been tried on it's own before. It was most definately that overnight soak in a hot, strong solution of soda crystals which won the trophy

Austin_Allegro

I used vinegar in the washing machine last night and it seemed to work well - clothes came out noticeably softer and towels less scratchy.

I also put my remaining fabric softening liquid in a spray bottle, diluted it two parts water, and sprayed on the clothes whilst drying on the rack ....mmm I was like Jilly Goulding smelling the spring freshness in the air! :rolleyes:

chrisico

If you have any shampoo that you don't like it is very good for washing woollens ( which is just hair isn't it !!) and they come out all soft and bouncy,much cheaper than special wool wash . Also no bleach or brighteners which spoil the look of woolies after a while.
Good for black clothes too as they 'fade' and go greyish quite soon when washed with ordinary washing powder.