I don't know how to get my clothes clean

quintwins

Can you not do a wash soon? if your only washing at the weekends stuff you used on monday will be more set so more likely to stain, other than that i would suggest soaking, also if things are really badly stained put them on the line even if it's raining, this is a tip i learnt from using reusable nappies, you stray with lemon juice and water and put them on the line for a day or 2, it really does work, however if this is clothes rather than nappies they may become discoloured if you leave them too long.

beebuzz168

Sorry for the delay in replying,, I haven't been online for a couple of days.

Thank you so much everyone for the great advice. I had honestly never thought about putting less in the machine, and am probably very guilty of overloading it to get everything out of the way as quickly as possible

Will try out some of the tips with this weekends washing and let you know how I get on.

In answer to some of the questions - DD does wear a bib but TBH most of her really mucky stuff comes from her eating at nursery - I think they must let them have a bit more of a free reign with the food! Not that I mind that at all, she loves it there and the one thing I can guarantee is that she will eat all of everything they give her, she certainly is her mother's daughter in that respect!

And all washes are done at 40. I was using a quick cycle (again, to get it all over and done with!), but have recently stopped doing that to no real improvement in the clothes.

I think the trick may also lie in doing some washes during the week so it doesn't all sit around - now if only my DH would rebuild our drains so that I didn't have to empty a bucket three times during each wash cycle, my life would be perfect! But I think that's another thread for another day :cool:

Thanks again, will let you know how I get on.

ragz_2

Would biological powder be better for the food stains? Enzymes in it break down biological matter... though best only for white/lights as it does fade colours.
Also definitely make sure you measure out the right amount of powder for hard water, I often don't use nearly enough and it shows! (We have very hard water here in East Sussex, all the chalk!)

motherkitty

You could also try rubbing a bar of Fairy household soap on the stain before it goes into the wash. A lot cheaper than some of these sprays you can get and lasts for ages. I use Morrisons own one and keep it in one of those little net bags you get with washing tablets. It's something to keep the bar in and also provides a little friction when scrubbing at the stain!

colinthecockrel

My sil used to work for one of the major laundry product companies and she said that the first thing to do with any stain is put it in cold water with a little detergent. I've been doing this, and using biotex, and generally it's very successful. HTH

pollypenny

Good question, OP!

I am driven mad by stains. Of course, I rub fresh stains with Fairy Liquid. However, often the more oil type splashes are not seen - that is until I iron the 'clean' clothes and find dark, oily spots.

I live in a soft water area, use powder on advice of lovely lady at persil help-line and do not over-load.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

cookie_monster

Think I might be over-loading my washing machine as well. Put a load of mixed washing on a 40 degree wash and my black trousers have come out with white streaks/patches on them, I guess this is washing powder? Have tried to wipe the streaks off with baby wipes but marks do not come off. Do I need to put the trousers back inside washing machine for a fast rinse cycle?

beebuzz168

Two loads of washing done today, probably only about half what I would normally put in the machine - I sprayed a poo stained vest before putting it in the wash and everything has come out clean! Out on to the line where the wind was doing a very good job of blowing off any remaining marks...

Really pleased with my first attempt, and will definitely be implementing some of the other tips over the coming weeks.

Thank you once again - you are a mind of useful information.

Dustykitten

Thanks for the tip on using washing up liquid as a stain remover - I've been trying this out and am very impressed with the results so far and it is much cheaper than the 'special' stain removers.

BitterAndTwisted

cookie_monster wrote: »

Think I might be over-loading my washing machine as well. Put a load of mixed washing on a 40 degree wash and my black trousers have come out with white streaks/patches on them, I guess this is washing powder? Have tried to wipe the streaks off with baby wipes but marks do not come off. Do I need to put the trousers back inside washing machine for a fast rinse cycle?

Yes, it does sound like you've overloaded the machine. Was that 40 degree wash a quick-wash programme? Personally, I think they're useless for anything other than freshening up barely-worn and therefore not actually dirty clothes.

I'd put those trousers through a full rinse and spin programme if you don't have anything to re-wash them with