I don't know how to get my clothes clean

beebuzz168

I know I should ask my Mum about this, but the honest answer is that I'm too embarrassed that I'm nearly 32 and still can't wash clothes properly.

It's becoming more noticeable now as we have a 17 month old who likes to spread her food!

My basic routine at the moment is that everything gets chucked in the washing basket during the week and I do a couple of loads (lights and darks) across the weekend. We are in a really hard water area (Surrey) so I add Soda Crystals to the drawer together with Almat (Aldi) Stain Lift Bio (Which best buy apparently), then a Sainsburys own brand softener.

But everything comes out with the stains still showing. If I can get things out on the line to dry I do and this definitely helps the staining, but otherwise it's on an airer inside (we don't have a dryer).

I buy cheap and mostly second hand stuff for her but I'm starting to have to throw stuff away because it is so stained, which I don't like from either a money saving or an environmental point of view.

So... where am I going wrong? Could my washing machine need a good clean out? Should I be soaking / spraying clothes that are particularly stained as they hit the washing basket?

Any help will be appreciated, as I feel like I'm failing at the moment

I_wanna_live_for_free

are you using the right amount of washing powder? we live in an extremely hard water area and we struggled to get our clothes clean until I discovered that and altered the amount we use which seemed to sort it.

gibson123

as you load your machine, rub a bit of your powder onto the stain, this helps a lot. also agree with use more washing powder.

Dustykitten

What temperature are you washing at?

Does baby wear a bib to protect clothing at meal times?

I used to keep a bucket full of water with a bit of washing powder in with a lid on in the downstairs loo and put stained tops in there each day, it helps to prevent the stain from setting?

Baby food jar stuff really stains (probably the tomatoes in most of it).

Hope that helps a bit.

meritaten

you say you do a dark load and a light load - a couple of loads across the weekend. I have to ask are you overloading your washing machine? My DIL tends to stuff the machine completely full and the washing comes out hardly cleaner than it went in! My son has had to put a line three quarters up the drum and stop her from going over it!
DIL now has to do twice as many loads - but they get much cleaner!
in my experience Almat is one of the best powders and I dont usually need a 'booster' - but, I dont overload the machine. The clothes need space to agitate and rinse properly.

Cat501

meritaten wrote: »

you say you do a dark load and a light load - a couple of loads across the weekend. I have to ask are you overloading your washing machine? My DIL tends to stuff the machine completely full and the washing comes out hardly cleaner than it went in! My son has had to put a line three quarters up the drum and stop her from going over it!
DIL now has to do twice as many loads - but they get much cleaner!
in my experience Almat is one of the best powders and I dont usually need a 'booster' - but, I dont overload the machine. The clothes need space to agitate and rinse properly.

good point, we're all terribly guilty of overloading in my house - I'll have to mark a line too! The rewashing you have to do for messing up is just as bad as doing more but smaller loads.

No advice OP except, don't blame yourself love!! You're not failing!! Stains can just be !!!!!!s to get out, that's all! xx

BitterAndTwisted

Try smaller loads and ensure that you're using the right wash-programme for the fabric content. Those "quick-wash" programmes aren't really suitable for anything actually dirty as things only really get a quick swish before the rinsing starts. Also, try and avoid using a cool water-programme for things badly stained: and they really could need to be pre-treated if they're the tenacious kind

meritaten

I dont want to patronise but my DIL has worn out more washing machines in just a few years than I have had in 30 odd years of married life.
overloading the machine not only doesnt get your washing clean - it shortens the life of your machine! They are designed to take wash loads of a certain wieght. This ensures the wash is cleaned and rinsed properly and that the spin gets the maximum amount of water out at that speed - when you overload you upset the balance - the machine has to work harder and especially on the spin the machine gets a 'borrocking'! result? the machine breaks down! be kind to your machine and dont overload it and it will repay you by getting your clothes cleaner and NOT breaking down just after the guarantee runs out!

mmjj

Don't know if you've tried this but I always give food stains a tiny squirt of washing up liquid, rub it in and leave for 5 to 10 minutes before washing in machine in the normal way. I find it works on most food stains as it dissolves the grease in the food.

kj*daisy

I'd spray the marks with some stain remover before you put them into the washing basket, as it may be that marks are setting into the fabric. Try putting it on a longer wash as well, modern machines can be a little too water efficient I have found!

Alton_Towers

Ace laundry bleach or desolve-it is what I used to use on baby food stains, I agree anything tomato based used to be a mare to get out.