What 2019 Brought: Complete Change In Laundry Habits

[frigilux]

After many years of careful sorting, 2019 brought with it a seismic in laundry procedure.

Found myself washing up to 10 mostly medium-sized loads per week in a household of one. That seems excessive, even for a washer enthusiast, LOL.

Lately, I’ve been washing sheets, whites, and colors together. It’s a BobLoad, to be sure, but the load turns over, albeit slowly. I use the Heavy Duty cycle set for a warm wash and maximum agitation time. I use liquid Persil ProClean 2-in1 or liquid Tide Ultra Stain Release—which, by the way, does perform better in non-HE conditions since a reformulation shot it to the top of CR’s ratings.

Full disclosure: My 2017 Series 9 toploader receives hot water directly from the water heater, which is only a few inches from the washer. Thus, incoming ‘warm’ water is about 115 degrees; cools to 110 a few minutes into agitation.

The results have been surprisingly good! Many stains on kitchen whites are completely removed. Stains that combine tomato and some grease (when making Italian Sunday Gravy, for instance) get an aerosol shot of Amway classic stain remover.

Bath linens are a BobLoad unto themselves; blacks, of course, are washed alone in Pewoll Intensive Black.

Anyway, there it is. I’m saving a lot of water, time, and wear ‘n’ tear on the SQ. I dry the uber-load in two batches (whites + colors / sheets). Don’t know yet if this change in procedure is temporary or if it signals a long-term shift.

Hi Ben!

 

[launderess]

Unless manufactures attached care label directs one to wash an item "separately" hinting there may be an issue with dye bleed, most colours can be mixed in with whites.

Restrictions come into play more concerning type of wash day products used than anything else. Obviously for some colors you aren't going to use large amounts of oxygen bleach, and or very high temperatures that would activate stronger action.

Then there is the choice about using products with or without OBAs.

Most TOL laundry detergents from P&G, Henkel and Unilever contain dye transfer agents. If one wants extra protection there are always those colour catcher sheets one bungs into the wash.

 

[appnut]

eEugene, I was thinking about you earlier in the week and wondering how you are doing.  Well, now I know, I was feeling the seismic earthquake all the way down to Central Texas.  

 

Many of my care tags state to wash with similar or like colors.  Having a mom who never really sorted and I had several things ruined before I started doing my own wash), I evolved into the opoosite--after observing some of her friends how they did laundry.  

 

I don't wash darks with lights or whites.  And will do fabric sorting too.  All towels and sheets are done in hot water, as well as personal whites and kitchen items--whether things are dark or light colored.  

 

The only thing I've "compromised" on is I began using last year the much maligned cycle--"normal" (normal/casual) on my Duet for my business wear and light soiled stuff.  No appendage has fallen off, no flesh has been eaten, and everything is clean.  I also select hot water per John L's suggestion with that energy star-designed cycle.   The wash temp ends up being warm but cools down before wash pump out.  And it saves water during the months my sewer rate is determined.  

 

I use whites (for all hot temp loads) and Normal/Casual for just about everything else most of the time.  Hand wash for compression stockings.   Bulky Items for mats in the bathroom.  

[this post was last edited: 1/27/2019-00:13]

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Ironic

I have been doing something similar as well. I have been trying to wash as much as possible on the Normal cycle while using Tide USR. So far no issues at all. I am still using ammonia though. This helps quite a bit. Only bed sheets, comforters, rags, and towels get the whites cycle with Hot water (Tap hot). Using heavy soil helps negate the issue of temperature, but gentleness is about the same as the whites cycle. Thanks for the updates.

 

[gansky1]

Glad you're giving the Speed Queen a good workout, it'll probably last longer doing fewer loads, but I don't blame you for economizing your time, resources, etc. There are times I like to play laundry-day and wash numerous smaller (standard 8-10 lb loads in vintage machines) and other times, I get it done with a minimum of attention and time.

Good to see you posting - hope you're staying warm this week.

 

[frigilux]

Thanks, Launderess, Bob, Lakebrewsterkid and Gansky for your responses. Good to see you all, as well. Who knew my big rebel moves at AW would be using the Speed Queen’s Normal/Eco cycle and adopting a less precise sorting method, LOL.

Am impressed with the results using Tide’s reformulated liquid ‘Ultra Stain Release’. Removes a surprising number of stains from kitchen whites in 110-degree warm soft water. It also breaks down and disappears quickly during the pause before the first spin and during the spin-drain.

I’ve really fallen for the SQ toploader: The entertaining spin-drain; the Surgilatoresque sounds during agitation; the 1/16th-of-a-turn tub indexing. At any rate, I’m enjoying the vintage-machine experience.

[this post was last edited: 2/2/2019-22:45]

 

[frigilux]

Update: So, I'm currently down to washing two 4-in-1 loads per week (one on Wednesday; one on Sunday), plus a load of blacks. It's working remarkably well and I'm very impressed that--with the addition of two gallons of water from a bucket--the 2017 Speed Queen can turn this load over about two-and-a-half times during the maximum-time wash period. The water level is raised enough to touch the balance ring.

Another lifelong habit has changed: I no longer use a fresh bath towel every day. One is used three times; the other, four. No skin irritation so far, nor do the towels smell musty. Sheets are still changed twice a week. I like a fresh bed.

Maximum stain removal procedure: The washer fills with very warm (about 115 degrees) water and agitates for about 10 minutes. This is followed by a 30-minute soak. The cycle is reset for another 10-12 minutes of agitation.

 

Daily Driver Detergent:  Liquid Tide Ultra Stain Release (dosed at line 4 in the cap, for a very large load).

The gigantic 4-in-1 load (bedding; bath linens; colors; kitchen & personal whites) generally consists of the following items. And yes, I have to pack the load down to get it all in.

 

2 queen-sized sheets
6 pillowcases
2 bath sheets
4-5 hand towels
3 wash cloths
3 dress shirts
3 short sleeve around-the-house shirts
3-4 around-the-house shorts
5-6 pairs "hospital socks" with grippy bottoms
4-5 white cotton briefs
3 white cotton undershirts
3-4 flour sack dish towels
3-4 bar mop towels
3-4 kitchen wash rags
1 chef's apron

Now here's the kicker: Two weeks ago, I knew Culligan would not be able to perform the weekly tank change due to back-to-back snowstorms (the guy comes from a town about 20 miles away every Thursday).

Knowing I'd have to conserve water to keep it soft for an extra 3-4 days, I used the Normal Eco cycle (with spray rinses) on the huge loads (after filling with very warm water, of course). I was astonished to find the load didn't smell of detergent (quite a feat given I'm using a Tide product), didn't feel tacky/sticky, nor did the kitchen wash rags produce any more bubbles than usual when saturated with soft water and wrung out during use. Whites are bright; nearly every stain is completely removed from kitchen whites (greasy ones get a shot of Amway Classic spray). I've since reverted to giving the load a deep rinse.

Am very impressed with the performance of Tide Ultra Stain Release--it's efficacy no doubt boosted by the 30-minute soak--and its ability to break down and disappear under the toughest conditions. I still have to wrap my head around the fact that today's top-performing detergents actually clean better in warm rather than 145-degree hot. And again, the SQ's agitator is able to turn over these behemoth loads without the aid of a dual-action corkscrew.

Don't know how much longer this experiment will continue, but damn I like getting washday done in one load.  The load is divided into three for drying: Kitchen/personal whites + colors; bedding; bath linens. 

 

[launderess]

Only things one really separates are bed or table linens. Wait I told a lie! If am doing a "whites/mixed" load and there are every day napkins (white cotton), they go in with rest.

Since one does not use chlorine bleach don't have that worry; so can mix colors and whites without being bothered.

Why make more work for oneself? Especially as washers like the AEG Lavamat take ages to do a load.

 

[frigilux]

Spot on as always, Launderess. If it works, do it! I now mix whites and colors. I use a bath towel for 3-4 days; a hand towel for at least two. I no longer use liquid chlorine bleach. It's interesting to watch lifelong habits and patterns begin to change/morph.

These behemoth 4-in-1 loads would have worked perfectly in the front-loading Maytag set back at the house. I checked out the 2017 SQ stainless front-loading pair at the local dealership, but am still having too much fun with my 'vintage experience' top-loader.

 

[lordkenmore]

wear ‘n’ tear on the SQ.

Wear on the SQ may not matter. Based on what I remember of your past history, you'll very likely get bored with the SQ long before it wears out in any case! LOL

 

[lordkenmore]

pack the load down to get it all in.

I personally wouldn't want to do this--although in my case, I'm using a single speed Shredmore, and have a limited budget for clothing/towel/linen replacement. I tend to under load, and I prefer running full tubs of water, since I think the wear and tear on laundry is minimized.

 

[frigilux]

Greetings Lord K— I thought about what John L. pointed out a number of times: A machine suffers wear and tear every time it is run. It’s easier on the machine to wash one full load rather than three small ones, since it doesn’t have to run several complete cycles. The SQ doesn’t seem to be laboring over the super-large loads during agitation, but boy howdy the tub leans to the right/front almost to the point of touching the cabinet.

 

[lordkenmore]

I, myself, have used lots of different approaches. At times, I've been very aggressive with sorting. At other times, I'm not so aggressive. A lot depends on circumstances of the time. For example, when I needed to use a coin operated laundry, I generally erred more on the side of fewer/fuller loads so I could save money. At other times, for some reason, it seemed like a better idea running small, carefully sorted loads.

Right now I like doing laundry, but I'm tired of some of the issues with my current laundry room. So I find myself preferring big loads/less often. It helps that I don't have some of the stuff that I once had that I felt needed to be washed in its own load. At one time, for example, I had some light colored clothing that I wanted to keep looking nice. But all that is either worn out, or so well worn that I just no longer care so much.

 

[lordkenmore]

I've also wondered if washers (particularly front load) might do the best job washing on full loads. Sort of like how a 10 cup coffee maker might be able to make 2 cups of coffee, but will do a better job of making coffee when it makes a full 10 cups pot.

 

[lordkenmore]

Frigilux

Dumb question.

["Not that Lord Kenmore has ever asked any other kind," everyone in Super sighs.]

But how well do the towels seem to rinse when washed with other stuff? I think we've all noticed that towels seem to hold suds more than most other laundry.

 

[frigilux]

The bath linens don't seem to be holding much detergent. No problems with skin irritation--even in our uber-dry winter. The liquid Tide Ultra Stain Release is perfect for HE rinsing. Suds break down and rinse away quickly in the SQ top- loader.

I was a bit stunned to find little difference in rinsing performance with the two 4-in-1 loads washed on the Normal/Eco cycle. Spray rinses do all right on small- to medium-sized loads but they are no match for these behemoths. I wore or used all of those items again within the next few days; wanted to see if any skin irritations cropped up. No problems.

Having said that...I returned to using a deep rinse for the 4-in-1 loads as soon as Culligan replaced my softener tank. But it was an interesting little experiment, LOL.

 

[lordkenmore]

I'm shocked at the rinsing performance you report, Frigilux! Tide, at least in my bitter experience, can sometimes be...ah...a bit challenging when rinse time comes around.

I suppose, though, they are forced to move with the times... More and more people are using front loaders that have parsimonious water usage.

 

[frigilux]

Frankly, I'm surprised as well. There's no way the Normal/Eco cycle's spray rinses could have fully penetrated the giant spinning loads. However, there was no problem with skin irritation nor did the items feel sticky with or reek of detergent at the end of the cycle. Maybe I should have continued the experiment for a couple of months to see if fabric graying or skin irritation developed...but the ick factor was just too strong; I went right back to using deep rinses once the Culligan issue was resolved.

 

[Marky_Mark]

I have used a SQ TL that was locked to the Normal Eco cycle. Spray rinse only.
I have also used a SQ TL that allowed the use of the Heavy Duty cycle with the deep rinse and also allowed the selection of a second deep rinse.

I have to say that I absolutely couldn't tell the difference whatsoever in how well the laundry had been rinsed.

Of course, even though I couldn't tell, the spray rinse must have left more residue. So like you, I would never normally opt for the spray rinse only. You make a good point regarding how the difference might show up over time. I guess using a spray rinse only could even potentially have a positive long-term effect on the laundry and the machine as they would be exposed to less wear during the cycle (with no deep rinse or second rinse) and the presence of detergent residue may actually help to protect the laundry from wear during drying and wearing (perhaps). On the other hand, the increased residue could be detrimental to both the laundry and your skin/health. Who knows?! I'll be erring on the side of a thorough rinse whenever possible!

Another thing I found interesting is that CR rated your machine's gentleness as "very good" (top score) when tested on the Normal Eco cycle. I wonder if it would have lost a point if they had tested with a deep rinse.