Re-using water for multiple loads?

[vintagekitchen]

Does anyone else have this issue? I grew up around wringer washers and twin tubs, so it seems normal to me to do 2 or 3 loads in the same water with my twin tub. My boyfriend thinks its the grossest thing on earth, and wants each and every load to have fresh water. He refuses to believe clothes are truly clean if something else was washed in the water first. Any of you guys having to deal with this?

 

[jaxsunst]

I've never really been around wringers and twins. Having said that, I have to agree with your boyfriend. But's that's just me.

 

[wringer]

I

use a Maytag E2L as my daily driver. I wash no more than 3 loads in the same wash water unless it is rugs or dirty rags. When I empty the washer it still looks clean and smells clean. I have no problem with reusing wash water. It has been done for years and I was raised on it. I guess it is just to each his own.

Jim

 

[akronman]

wash water

I have twin tubs, wringer machines, and suds saver machines, I re-use wash water all the time. Start out hot and plan what you'll wash, 2-3 loads seems about enough per wash water, and add a bit more soap each time.
Just use common sense about pet-related items, rugs, rags, diaper/infant related clothing, do them last. There are times I choose fresh water, other wash loads where I gladly re-use good hot suds.
Pretty much personal taste, plenty of folks raised on automatics just don't like the idea, I do like the idea.

And around my house, if my boyfriend doesn't like how/what I cook or wash or whatever, he sure as hell gets to do it next time all by himself!

 

[foraloysius]

Question: Does the boyfriend object to more than one item being washed in one load?

 

[polkanut]

I grew up with 2 grandmothers that had wringer machines, and my Mom has only ever had suds-savers.  When we bought our Maytag Dependable Care set in 1998 we had to special order a suds-saver model.  We use it all the time, and think nothing of it.  We reuse the water 3x at most.  It really does save on water, detergent, and natural gas.

 

Tell the boyfriend to deal with it, or better yet, let him pay the water bill when you only use each tub of water once.

 

[arbilab]

The grossest thing on earth (laundry-wise anyway) is auto toploaders filtering suspended laundry debris through fabric while draining.

The other two grossest things on earth are sauerkraut, and carnies. Circus folk. Small hands. Smell like cabbage. (Austin Powers)

Grandma was a pretty assiduous housekeeper and she did all the sheets--about 3 loads--on one fill. Then shirts (one load) and underwear (next load) on a refill. I forgot where towels fit into the equation, maybe another fill. It was 1952 after all.

 

[lancethecook]

Reusing the water

I notice all you guys are in the USA or Canada, water must be a lot cheaper over there.
Over here we just keep using it until it's grey.
I can and do get through a weeks washing without changing the water, having said that with few exceptions , nothing is really dirty.
Except me!

 

[westingman123]

The whole purpose of soap (or detergent, depending upon what you use) is to suspend the dirt/oil/etc. As long as the crud is trapped, I have no problem reusing wash water. Grandma taught us to follow an order of washing, I remember that we used the same water for all except the whites, which were practically boiled the water was so hot. All in her Speed Queen wringer.

My other Grandma had a Maytag square-tub wringer, and re-used her water, as well. We had to bring THAT water up from the well. Nothing quite encourages you to economize on water use as hauling those buckets from under the pump!

I do remember both of them had the WHITEST whites--I suppose from the bleaching effects of the sun in tandem with the chlorine bleach they both used.

Tell boyfriend to get over it.

 

[ozzie908]

Have to agree with Lance

Having used a twin tub for the first time today in a long time, Its because I was repairing it ( pics to follow) I did 5 loads of washing 3 whites 2 darks it took me 2.5 hours to wash,rinse,condition,starch,and get a load in the dryer as its raining normally my Aqualtis takes 2.35 hours to do a single white cotton wash ! So sod whether its dirty water because everything looks just as clean as 4 loads in a front loader and I saved water soap time and having laundry hanging around all weekend...! Okay the only downfall I now have a huge mountain of ironing...

A happy washer man who had success getting his 50 year old twinny going again.

With thanks to some lovely people on here You know who you are XXXX

Austin

 

[frigilux]

I grew up with a suds-saving 1960 Kenmore, and my mom used it all the time---usually for two loads, occasionally three if the loads were very lightly soiled. Our clothes were always spotlessly clean. I have no problems reusing wash water.

Now that I have new front-loader which uses only 17 gallons of water for an entire cycle, I don't mind having fresh water for each load.

 

[sudsreturn]

If everything is rinsed properly, whats the problem?!

In my Hoovermatic I do four or five loads in the first tub full from 85c whites, through to light coloureds, adding a bit of cold water after each sudsreturn. Always change water though to go onto deep coloureds and darks and jeans, and sometimes that can be six loads! My washing is always sparkling. And Lance is right, his towels and tea towels are immaculate!!!!

 

[washerlover]

I agree, the rinse cycle is pivotal in cleaning.

 

[abcomatic]

I regularly use my Easy Spindrier, Maytag wringers or ABC wringers and have no problems with laundry that is anything but spotless. I reuse the water several times. Sheets, underwear, colored shirts, wash slacks and socks are washed in the same water in that order. If I do towels, they are done in separate water so that the lint from the towels won't be deposited on anything else.
Rinsing is the key! Two rinses and on the line or dryer and the wash is done in nothing flat.
Get a wringer and see what happens. Happy washing saving water and detergent. Gary

 

[arbilab]

On my Panasonic TT, I did spinner rinses then set aside for a washtub rinse later. Beauty of twintubs, you can SEE what the laundry needs and provide it.

Think I already told Gary how much I envy his Easy.

 

[vtmike55]

I agree with Gary

I have a Easy as well. I always use the same water for two somethimes three loads of dark clothes, I add a bit more soap with each load. I rinse longer with the Easy and they come out very clean. I do use fresh new water for my whites as I use very hot water and Clorox and the whites come out perfect.

Easy Does It
Mike

 

[tomturbomatic]

Before I started using my frontloaders for most of the wash, I would regularly drain water from one top loader into another, add more detergent and keep washing, but 2 or 3 loads finished up what I had to wash. I'm old enough that grandmothers and other relatives used wringers and had to reuse water. Mom had a sudsaver Kenmore as her first automatic. They showed me how to properly reuse water. The only bad part was one grandmother had to heat the water for washing on the kerosene stove in the basement and I was never allowed to watch the agitation much because the lid had to be on to keep the water hot to do everything from dish towels and linens down through thunderwear and towels, casual clothes and my grandfather's overalls from gardening in black Iowa soil. I still like to drain the rinse water out on the yard when we have not had rain.

 

[nrones]

My mother

Well, my mother had a complain to our front load european washers that spray load during the wash..

When she saw a Gorenje doing that, it was like "oh my god, it is horrible, returning dirty water back into the drum" - that was her's comment... she gave the same one when months after a Gorenje comment saw CandyEVO advert, no matter that I spent like half hour explaining her everything, but I guess she is stubborn xD

Just for fun, when I read this thread, I asked her what does she thinks, and she said it's like washing clothes in mud xD - that's from my mom.
But personally, I think there's no problem with it, as on todays modern machines with large capacity (10-12kg) people do the same thing actually, they wash amount in once, that they had to do 2 times in their old machine, obviously in the same water, and detergent

Dex

 

[ronhic]

Firstly, I should state that I don't have a problem using the wash water at least twice, possibly 3 times on a twin tub....or sudsaver machine...

 

HOWEVER.....

 

If you compare the volume of water in a twin tub or wringer or sudsaver machine and use it properly for washing and rinsing...that is, you wash and spin/wring and then rinse and spin/wring changing the rinse water as it starts to cloud, then it isn't as efficient as a half-reasonable front load machine when it comes to water....time certainly. Detergent maybe....but not water.

 

A modern front load machine here typically uses about 16-17 US gallons to wash 14 lb of dry weight laundry (65litres for 6.5kg...often less water and more washing now). That's 12 single bed sheets by the way....A modern top loader using a traditional, deep rinse cycle (that most of us would use) will consume at least double that. Not to mention that many people underload their machine regardless of type. All front loaders sold here will sense it and adjust accordingly...not all top loaders do.

 

So, whilst I like the thought that I would be more frugal using a twin-tub, wringer or suds-saver, the reality is that I already am...

 

- I get to tailor my wash depending on soil and/or fabric

- I get to be frugal with resources if I only need to do a single load

- My machine will sense exactly how much water to use if I underload it

- If I choose a decent detergent (OMO), I can use half without changing washing performance - and that's been independantly  proven.

- I can do something else while the machine is doing its' thing - the whole advantage of automatic washing

 

...but I'd still like a twin-tub....