Do You Wash Everything on the Same Setting?

Kynthia

I tend to wash bedding and towels at 60. Everything else at 40. I try to use the longer wash of I'm not in a rush as I get a better result.

If I have delicate things in there I'll lower the spin speed. A lot of stained items for some reason and I'll do a cold pre-wash or a 15 min was, drain and then the normal 40 wash. When washing bags, shower curtain or the bits off my pram/carrycot I'll do a 20 wash with a towel in for agitation. I tried cloth nappies for a while and used the 15 min with zero spin to get them very wet before washing and then using the rinse cycle at the end a few times to ensure all the washing powder residue was gone. Then I'd do an empty 95 wash monthly to keep the machine bug free.

So my 40 and 60 degree washes are used all the time but other options are used very occassionally.

paddy's_mum

There is a machine that has time and temperature buttons. It's called a twintub! I've got one although they are becoming increasingly harder to find. Mine is a godsend when I have a backlog of laundry and it's a good drying day or when I have large curtains or duvets to clean. (too tightfisted to run a tumble dryer unecessarily - me?)

LG make one but it is available everywhere except Europe and when I enquired of the company, I was told that they don't fit into modern Western fitted kitchens so there is (they say) no market here for them.

I also have a Hotpoint automatic machine and wash almost everything on 30 or cold with no loss of results.

I'm afraid I don't go along with this 'germs' and 'bugs' idea (unless it is laundering while a family member is unwell) as the very nature of soap/detergent is antiseptic (hence the usual good hygiene results from washing one's hands with simple soap and water). If soap, sunshine or the tumble dryer doesn't deal with normal, household, day to day bugs then there is little hope for us to survive as a species :-)

missbiggles1

manda1205 wrote: »

Yep. Well I do anyway. You won't kill bugs on a 40, so has to be higher. Considering the things you do with ^ items, I like to know I've got them as clean as I can.

I rarely do that - we worry too much about killing bugs these days.
(Mind you, I'd love to know what you're doing with your towels and tea towels!:rotfl:)

ic

Clothing - 40o standard cotton wash
Bedding, towels - 60o standard cotton wash
Cat mats - 40o standard synthetics wash
Bathroom mats - 20o standard cotton wash

I decided the minuscule saving in using less water (so less to heat) just wasn't worth it. Washing everything fast at 30o means it all smells musty and horrible. The washing machine regularly threatens very long times - 7 hrs for a wash and dry of the bedding - but will normally actually complete it in 4 hours. It adjusts as it goes to the weight, and has sensor drying.

pimento

Whites and lights go on a 40
Darks and jeans go on a 40

Sheets, towels and tea towels go on a 60.

manda1205

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I rarely do that - we worry too much about killing bugs these days.
(Mind you, I'd love to know what you're doing with your towels and tea towels!:rotfl:)

I'm not really one for worrying about bugs etc, but I've always thought towels and bed linen just need more than 40 and thought everyone else did too.
My towels are pretty clean I suppose, as I'm clean when I get out of shower, however, hand towels are never that clean, with a husband who messes about with cars and a daughter who will happily play in mud and fields (we live out in the sticks), they may think they've washed their hands but if you look at the towel they clearly haven't and no way would a 40 get car grease out. Tea towels I use a clean one nearly every day, I use it while preparing meals and will constantly be wiping my hands on it, so no doubt it will get food stains etc on it.

ripplyuk

I'd prefer to wash towels etc at 60c but find its just too awkward.

I'm wondering how many laundry baskets everyone has. I have 3, for whites (60c), lights and darks (40c). If I started washing towels/tea towels at 60c, I'd end up needing 5 laundry baskets.

Marmaduke123

anotheruser wrote: »

Shame there isn't a washing machine with two knobs - temperature and time.

We've just got a new one, which has something similar to this. There's a time save button to press, which reduces the overall washing time at a set temperature. For high temperature washing you can press it twice.

We use it all the time