I thought I'd start a thread, as there has been a lot of questions on Laundry organisation and smelly washing machines and smelly clothes etc.
So post here your Laundry Solutions, whether its how you sort or organise your laundry. What you use to keep your washing clean and smelling fresh. And don't forget stain solutions
I have a laundry sorter with 3 sections, 1 for darks 1 for whites and 1 for delicates. (you can sort yours how you see fit ie, colours, darks, whites etc this is just what works for us)
If you don't have a laundry sorter, the spotless chic uses 3 plastic laundry bins (the baskets with lids) and sorts them this way. At bathtime I go to all the hampers with a laundry basket and get everyone's clothes and sort into the sorter. If a sorter is full I put it in the washing machine ready for either the next day, or so I can put the timer on so it starts before I wake. I try to do a load each day, and then an extra load for towels/sheets/shower curtains etc.
Now this is a fabulous thing I have done for over a week... some of you earthies probably have been doing this for a while but I'm a bit slow to catch on. I've been adding vinegar to my wash (about 2 tbs in the fabric softner section) and then add another 2 tbs to the washing liquid slot. I only use 1/3 of the suggestion amount of washing liquid. And add 1/4 cup of bicarb to the drum (because I have a front loader I use this amount, if you have a top loader about 1/2 cup). I store the bicarb in a ice cream container. Its not only making clothes cleaner, smelling fresher, the washing machine doesn't smell and the clothes are softer and they don't crinkle. It also is a lot cheaper than using straight detergent. Bicarb being $3.40 for a kg and vinegar a couple of dollars for 2 litres.
I sort the coulors too , i have about 5 laundry baskets , one for whites , darks , smalls , towells/sheets etc. and one for hanging out the clothes ..
i wait untill i have big load and then i wash .
For stain removal i use LOC by amway or just one from the supermarket .
I use MCN and just prewash and rinse every time .
I like vinegar and bi carb too but dont use vinegar much when i was nappies .
I also hang all my clothes on the line (as my line is screwd to a wall ) from the ones least likely to sunfade at the front to my delicate clothes toward the back , if its really hot i wait till the sun is on the other side of the house to hang the clothes out as they stay softer.
and i soak anything with the tiniest stain with LOC or napisan (just the cheap brand) as i am a stain nazi . i have to get rid of them or the item goes
Does anyone know what to do about little black flecks appearing on clothes after they are washed? Like some kind of grime build up somewhere in the machine. The water that comes out stinks too! (sorry if this has been posted elsewhere, in a total rush at work)
I would run your machine empty on the hottest and longest setting with maybe 2 cups of vinegar, then run another wash with hot water, and it should be fine. I'd also look at changing the powder, or even changing to liquid as it sounds like its creating a build up in your machine. The vinegar/bicarb trick with each wash should probably fix this as well I'd imagine. Do you use softner? As sometimes this creates soap build up which can cause problems for powder as well.
Thanks Cai. We use liquid, so I don't know what the deal is. I'm def going to try the vinegar in each load thing and see if it helps (laziest, easiest solution first!!! ), and I will try the vinegar wash on its own if its not getting better.
Vinegar is magical stuff. I swear you can use it everywhere!
I use vinegar instead of softener. I heard a few years ago that softener clogs up your machhine & that vineger cleans it out.
It also makes the whites whiter & the clothes are definetely softer. Towels too. You can't smell the vinegar at all.
amberj - maybe you could rinse your machine out with vinegar & see if that helps. Normal wash cycle, empty with vinegar?
I'm confused, what does the vinegar do? And the bicarb cleans the machine as well as getting rid of stains?
I get those little greasy flecks, which when dry just seem to brush off the clothing. Have tried cleaning my machine with bicarb and hot water (couldn't stand wasting all that water, especially hot!), but no change at all. I use liquid, not powder, and no softener. Help?
Our laundry is a bathroom as well (little children get washed in the laundry tub, and dried on the washing machine!). Towels collect in the basket in the laundry, dark clothes in the basket in our room, whites and Steph and Ryan's clothes in the hamper in Steph's rooms (or under the change table in the living room!), the boy's washing in his own room.
Stain removal; grease and baby pooey clothing gets sprayed with Sard, and always a bit of napisan (or similar cheapy stuff) in the wash. I hate stains!
I hang out washing asap when finished, so it can't go musty, and so is less wrinkly. If its still damp after being on the line all day (winter only) I chuck it in the dryer for five minutes or so to make sure is totally dry, and don't scrunch up clothes as I take them off the line (quick fold as I put them in the basket to smooth and refold inside for hanging/putting on shelves).
Towels are stored on shelves above the washing machine. My dryer is outside (under cover) near the clothes line, which is great, because my laundry stays lint and condensation free.
Netix - vinegar is one of the best cleaners around.
Try the vinegar. You may not need the hot empty wash. Just add it to the softener dispenser & see if it help after a few washes.
I quite enjoy the whole laundering process until it gets to the "fold and put away stage" LOL
We've never had an issue with bad smells in our machine... maybe because it gets used so much??? we do at least 2 loads per day. I have a top loading LG machine that is nearly 10 years old but hasn't skipped a beat. Recently i have bought new filters (two cloth little lint collecting bags that are in the main part of the machine) and this has improved the removing of bits of lint, tissue etc.
I use OMO or Drive which I buy in bulk... up to 20kg at a time.... works out to be under $2.50 per kilo... pictured HERE. That lasts us about 5 months I think.
We pretty much always line dry... only use the tumble dryer sparingly.... maybe because I love using my pegs, pictured HERE
We have so much washing these days that I not only sort into lights and darks.... but often colours like: dark blues, dark reds. I am very particular about my DH's business shirts as now he is spending a fortune on them (the last one was nearly $200).... so they get washed by themselves (5 at a time) or with a white sheet for example.
I also wash whites with a similar level of dirt... really dirty things like socks, kids t-shirts, nappies, aprons etc get put in together (hot soaking wash) ... while less dirty things like towels, my shirts etc also get grouped. Darks get washed in cold water.
I like being in my laundry... but I would LOVE one about twice the size so i could have a better system in there.... if we bought this house I would knock out the wall between the laundry and the kids' bathroom and make one huge mega laundry... *swoon*. I'm sure it would feel just as good as it did when we went from using a fold down clothes line to our new humongous free standing Hills Hoist last year.
Also, even though our machine doesn't smell i'll give the vinegar a go... have heard a lot of good things about that.
ETA: oh and I have hardly ever used a softener liquid.... maybe that's why we have so few issues? I just don't like the idea of the extra chemicals... and the idea of a softener seems so... gluggy... like it would gunk up the machine or something Anyhow, our clothes etc are soft enough without it.
Last edited by Bathsheba; May 1st, 2009 at 02:45 PM.
Top Loaders don't smell because the smell usually comes from the water trap in the door in a Front Loader, which is why its important to always leave the door open after washes, and clean the water trap regularly.
Vinegar isn't just for smelly washing machines or laundry. Its good because it breaks down the soaps which can leave clothes wrinkly and starchy. So clothes end up being softer and brighter too.
I love my laundry/lingerie bags, I use them for many things that I think need that extra protection in the wash. I find baby handknits are washed better put in them on a delicate cycle than what I could do by hand washing.
Q: Where is the best place to buy Bicarb in bulk? Can only seem to find the small packets here. Would like to stock up and have a tub of the stuff in the laundry.
I can get 1kg boxes from my coles and 2 of them fit nicely in my ice cream container. But you can buy it in bulk from pool chemical supply stores. From what I've seen its not cheaper it still works out the same as supermarket prices its just in bulk. I'm hoping when CostCo comes out they'll sell it in bulk
Wow, can't beelive there is a thread for washing / machines! lol
I have a clothes hamper at the back door and put everything into that. Once that is full I take it to the laundry outside and sort through whats already in the 2nd hamper (kept in the laundry) and the inside one. ie this arvo I am washing all the red/pink/orange clothing.
I wash my loads in darks, whites/very light coloured clothing, blues/greens and red/pink/orange, towels incl tea towels etc, sheets, Dh work clothes (he is a builder) and stuff that has been soaking for a day or two in my fav soaker - Napisan!
I normally use fabric conditioner but have used vinegar and it is fantastic. I think I used too much as 2L went so fast! I probby used 1/3 cup per wash. EeeK!!!
my washer is a Maytag and has a mechanical pump and I notice if I leave the lid shut it smells so i leave it open when not in use. My last washer had an electric pump and never smely as the pump would suck the last droplet of water out. Maybe that is why some smell??????? Just a thought!
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in the living room!), the boy's washing in his own room.
we do at least 2 loads per day. I have a top loading LG machine that is nearly 10 years old but hasn't skipped a beat. Recently i have bought new filters (two cloth little lint collecting bags that are in the main part of the machine) and this has improved the removing of bits of lint, tissue etc.
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