Laundry

[maketracks]

How do you do your laundry?

I just went to the Laundromat. I put 5 scoops of Xtra detergent in when the water first starts loading. And I always use hot water. Then the machine runs its course, then it dries for 45 to 50 minutes in a dryer. Colors, whites.. they usually do not run. It costs $6.25, $6.50 if I use one washer and let it dry for 45 or 50 minutes, respectively.

How do you do it?

 

[daves66nova]

5 SCOOPS?!?!!? Are you sure that's what it calls for?

 

[Tdbo]

I'm doing mine right now.
I sort it out appropriately and put each load in our 19 year old Maytag top loader. I use cold water,to prevent color fading.
At the present time, we are using All detergent and Snuggle fabric softener, as both were on sale and we had coupons.
I started up the washer and now an sitting watching the Ohio State/Iowa State BB game and posting this simultaneously.
I will throw the clothes in our 19 year old Maytag gas dryer after the washer cycles complete to dry.
Hope this is of some help.

 

[bmwtechguy]

I hope those are small scoops or you may be using too much detergent.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted By: maketracks
I put 5 scoops of Xtra detergent in when the water first starts loading.

That's making my skin itch just thinking about it.

 

[spk2000]

Sounds kind of high priced to wash a load but may be due to location and water/sewer rates. If mine was that high I would buy a used washer and if I could afford it a used dryer. If not just the washer and hang the clothes to dry inside home or out. I have bought used washer of decent quality for about $100. Would not take too many loads to pay for itself. At 1 load a week would be less than 20 weeks or 4 months minus utilities that would extend it a bit more. Of course this all depends if you have room and can hook up a washer at home as well.

 

[SLCraig]

I use what is required by the garment as far as water temp and drying. I hate when I get something nice and it shrinks so I am very careful to use cold water when required and same for hot water. I have a new HE washer so I only have to use literally a few tablespoons of HE detergent for a regular load.
I use dryer sheets in the dryer, except for when they recommended to not be used (my work shirts all say no dryer sheets)

So, in the end, I do the laundry as per the requirement of the items being washed.

Haha

 

[Mr Nice]

No need for that much detergent.

I perfer liquid detergent.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I don't sort clothes (with the exception of delicates), I simply toss them in, set the cycle to heavy duty or regular with warm wash & cold rinse, and if I think they need it, I add the "extra water" function.

I don't think I've ever had any ruined garments or color running in years of doing it this way.

I'm careful to use only HE detergent, and the recommended amount which is usually a full capful or some portion of a capful for smaller loads. I generally use "Suavitel" fabric softener which is a steal at Big Lots, and works as well as Downy and higher priced stuff IMO. Some cheap fabric softeners are useless and will have the consistency of water; avoid those.

Ouch, $6.50 for a load of laundry? I don't miss the laundromat days. I spent George W. Bush's generous tax refund on a set of new LG High Efficiency side loading units at a scratch & dent place for $700 for the pair. Sure they look like they got dropped down a couple flights of stairs (at least one does), but they hide in a corner where they're not usually seen and work FANTASTIC!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Put it all in (except for reds,and never overload),pour in the appropriate amount of liquid Gain,set it to the normal wash cycle,warm temp,and start it up.

I line dry and seldom use the dryer. Dryers use a TON of electricity.

 

[sciphi]

In my front-loading washer and dryer. I do live close to laundromats, so I could do it there. The convenience of doing a load on my schedule and not needing to devote time specifically to laundry is nice.

 

[Donald]

I think people will do it differently at home or laundrymat.

At home we can do more smaller loads, at laundrymat that will cost more.

I think you are safe washing things mixed if something colored has been through the washer 2X.

As for drying, at home, I have time, so all clothes go on low and sheets and towels go on medium. Nothing on high. Use the dry sensor for clothes.

If you use a front loader anywhere, its best to use HE detergent.

 

[PandaBear]

I use half of 1 scoop because usually my stuff is not stained but just dusty, and that works well.

Tide cold water liquid (it's the best, would clean out a stinky car seat cover cold where other liquid wouldn't warm), with the longest wash cycle, and low temp drying with the longest cycle. I wish I could line dry but don't have the place to do it (and the pollen would make it worse). I only line dry wash towel in the garage, and the closest to line dry is air fluff in the dryer which also use a lot of energy.

 

[mechtech2]

If your water supply is 'hard', you will need more detergent - substantially more.
In the
Chicago area,most now have soft lake water- wonderful!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: maketracks
I put 5 scoops of Xtra detergent in

Are you washing parachutes or something?

Our front-loader has 4 cu ft capacity. I use 1.5 oz of liquid HE detergent per load. Colors are washed in cold water. Whites: either in warm or cold+silvercare.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
...and the closest to line dry is air fluff in the dryer which also use a lot of energy.


Actually the air cycle uses a small fraction of the energy that the heated cycle would.

Essentially you're only powering the motor to spin the drum, which is probably 150 watts or less, compared to 2,400+ watts for the heating elements.

 

[maketracks]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: maketracks
I put 5 scoops of Xtra detergent in

Are you washing parachutes or something?

Our front-loader has 4 cu ft capacity. I use 1.5 oz of liquid HE detergent per load. Colors are washed in cold water. Whites: either in warm or cold+silvercare.


It's bad water. And if I use the one that isn't by the wall, my clothes come out smelling like pis

This time, they come out like Warm Vanilla or whatever this .. Warm Vanilla Comfort. Not pis

 

[fdcg27]

We separate clothes by the loads which should go together and use an appropriate detergent.
We use our eighteen year old Speed Queen and usually hang the clothes to dry.
I like to presoak all loads for about an hour and then run them through a normal cycle.
Cheap detergents, like Xtra, work fine for loads that aren't really dirty.
For whites and dirtier clothes, I prefer Gain or Tide powder, although the current generation of Wisk liquid also works well.
The true test of any detergent is a soak and wash of the clothes you've worn for a few oil changes, or for other car work that got them really greasy and dirty.
Most of the more expensive brands do a decent job on these clothes.
My record for a set of oil change clothes between washings is a dozen changes.
They were pretty filthy.
Incidentally, the best laundry product I've ever used was something called Rain Soft Laundry Soap.
I ran across a couple of gallons of this at a thrift store, at a buck each.
I figured that for the price, it would be worth a try.
Used at a rate of half a cup per load, this stuff did an amazing job of removing grease and oil stains.
I have never seen any other product that could remove grease and oil stains like this one did, and I have never since seen it for sale anywhere.

 

[THORROMIG]

First I sort colors & whites. For work & regular jeans I use cold water on wash/rinse with 3/4 scoop of Tide Powder detergent. For all other colors I use 3/4 of cap on bottle of Woolite all purpose liquid. With my white work socks they go in hot wash & cold rinse with 1/2 scoop of Tide & minimal Clorox bleach. Maytag top loader & Maytag electric dryer 4yr old pair. Im old school soo I have a drying rack that I use during the winter & when it gets nice out the clothes go on the line. Towels always go in the dryer with bounty sheets. Make sure you have a large load to save money & rescources!!

 

[Nick R]

I use a cupfull of Tide HE w/febreeze and Snuggle HE softener in our front loader. I don't seperate laundry, I just throw it all in (usually only one load so not worth seperating) use the steam cycle with fast spin.