What's Your Laundry Process?

[ultrawash]

Greeting fellow AW members hope everyone is doing well. I am doing a demonstration speech for school and my topic is laundry, specifically, how to properly sort by colors and fabrics, correctly measuring additives, and as well as different operating suggestions for different machines. I would like to hear your process. Thanks!

 

[panthera]

Two Takes on Washing Clothes

This is my partner's approach.
1) Sort socks into left hand and right hand.
2) Sort the above two piles into piles based on color (with left and right separated.)
3) Sort the above piles by cotton content.
4) Wash each pile separately in hot water with high-quality detergent.
5) Rinse once in cold water.
6) Spin dry at 3200rpm
7) Set aside until all piles are washed and dry cotton socks together, blends separately using appropriate temperatures.
8) Fold together and put in the socks drawer.
Repeat for other clothing, sorting within color groups by shade. Use seven or eight color catcher sheets for the rare occasion when a RAL 5001 green and RAL 5007 blue plaid are washed together, wash in luke-warm water and gentle agitation.

My approach:
1) Start the washer filling. Use 62C water. We have a water softener, so only add TSP if really heavily soiled.
2) Add high-quality detergent for extra-dirty loads. Add oxi-clean for cleaning really bad stains.
3) Sort clothes by color group and fabric (cotton, silk, wool, linen. Wool and silk obviously get washed in different temperatures). I don't do synthetics if I can avoid it.
4) Set washer for most vigorous agitation. Repeat program for at least 27 minutes wash.
5) Warm first rinse.
6) Cold second and third rinses.
7) Spin out at 3200rpm.
8) Throw into dryer, set automatic function to high heat/more than optimal dry.
9) Take clothes out of dryer and throw into drawers or hangers. No wire hangers!

Both of us get clean clothes and both are convinced their own method is the right way. We both use vintage TL washers, right now we're playing with a '69 Speed Queen, but we have a '61 V12 (and she's PANK!) nearly ready as the next toy).
Of course, I am either working at home translating or on a construction site, he's in an office where business casual is the minimum. He presses all his clothes, including boxers. I know, theoretically, how an iron works.

Oh, and the dogs' and cat's stuff? Into a Filter-Flo. No question. Lots of rinsing, regardless of who's washing.

 

[qsd-dan]

Spin out at 3200rpm.

Any wrinkling issues from shirts out of the dryer? That's a crazy fast spin speed.

 

[askolover]

For us, colors get washed in 120F water with a couple of Tide pods.  Walmart GV blue fabric softener.  If I've been doing bedside patient care we may do my uniforms on 140F.  Dry in an automatic gas dryer and hang immediately...no ironing.

Whites ALWAYS get washed in 140F water with the proper amount of Clorox added and powder Tide or Cheer.  Suavitel yellow, orange, or teal bottle fabric softener.

All are spun at 1200rpm in a Miele w1986 or at 1000rpm in an Asko WM80

 

[toploadloyalist]

When I wash synthetics/permanent press, I prefer high agitation and low spin speeds.

 

[chachp]

My laundry routine

 

I am fussier than some not as fussy as others I guess.  I tend to buy nicer items and keep them longer than many so I take really good care of them.  As I read Reply #1 by panthera I felt like I was somewhere in between the two examples.  I only iron my casual shirts if they need it.  They usually don’t need more than a touch up if even that.

 

I have a Miele washer with the Twin Dos system.  I either use the Twin Dos Ultra Phase detergent and let the washer dose the appropriate amount, or I use products by The Laundress where they have separate formulas for each type of fabric.  I go back and forth on which ones I use.  I think the Ultra Phase detergents work really, really well but I like the scents of the Laundress products.  I don't use chlorine bleach or fabric softener on anything.  Hubby doesn’t like scents in clothes as much as I do so I try to be sensitive to that with the products.

 

We have soft water so I dose about ½ the amount recommended for an HE washer.  For the Laundress products I dose about 20 ML for a full load, less when the loads are smaller.  I have the Twin Dos set for 24 ML of detergent per cycle.  However, I find when I have a small load the washer doesn’t reduce the amount of detergent as well as it should and sometimes  I end up with a machine full of foam that has to add extra rinses to clear it out.  On small loads I use the Laundress products so I can reduce the amount of detergent.

 

Basically, I sort items by color and fabric type.(No idea why this went bold faced and I can't seem to change it)

 

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->White T-Shirts (Whites Formula 140 Wash, Extra White cycle with Soak, 1600RPM Spin, Delicate dry) – No dingy whites in this house!!

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Jeans (Denim Formula 85 Wash, Darks/Denim cycle , 600RPM Spin, Hang dry) 

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Dark colored cotton items, socks, underwear (Darks Formula 105 Wash, Darks/Denim cycle, 1600RPM Spin, Normal dry)

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Casual shirts (think Hawaiian shirts) - (Darks or Whites Formula 85 Wash, Delicates cycle, 600RPM Spin, Hang dry)

 

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span><!--[endif]-->Items with spandex (pants from Public Rec that have become my new obsession and my go to pants because they are so Damn comfortable) - (Sportswear formula,  Cold Wash, Sportswear cycle, 600RPM Spin, Hang dry)

 

[panthera]

Nope, no impossible wrinkles

I think we have discussed the spin dryer/centrifuge water extraction here many times with everyone having their own opinions.

As I did it back home in Germany for decades and we've done it here since Thomas introduced us to the brilliant solutions (finally) available here in the US, again, we've seen no problems.

I suspect the minimal mineral residue (soft water, very high extraction speed) has a lot to do with the lack of wrinkles. Whether dried on the clothes line (for that sweet, sweet forest fire scent) or in the tumbler, no set-in wrinkles.

Then again, neither of us wear synthetics if we can, at all, avoid it. Linen, of course, wrinkles if you look at it cross-eyed.

 

[philcobendixduo]

4 Simple Loads

I keep things very simple when it comes to laundry.
Everything with the exception of bedding other than sheets (such as blankets, mattress pads, bedspreads) falls into one of four load types;
1 - Whites (in my case just underwear and socks), white cloth napkins and dishcloths. Bleach is used. Normal.cycle. Warm water wash.
2 - Heavy fabrics like denim, sweatshirts and t-shirts (black denim washed only with other dark shirts) Normal cycle. Warm water wash.
3 - No-iron (non-wrinkle) fabrics light in weight including sheets. Use "permanent press" cycle. Warm water wash.
4 - Towels (colors that run must be washed separately from others). Normal cycle. Warm water wash.
Kirland liquid detergent is used for all (scented).

 

[DADoES]

 
Whites load -- kitchen linens, bath linens (except a few bath and hand towels of dark color or non-colorfast), white cotton/blend socks.  Hottest water available (140°F).  Usually chlorine bleach (via timed dispenser or add manually at appropriate time depending on the machine of choice).  Usually a soak period of 1 to 2 hrs, for sure if Biz or oxi is used instead of LCB.  Occasionally a prewash if yardwork socks are involved.  No softener.  Dry at high temp, regular cycle.

Shirts -- warm wash (115°F to 122°F).  Low or medium spin.  Usually Biz additive, or recently have been adding borax.  Sometimes a short (30 mins) soak period.  A bit of liquid softener.  Dry at medium temp, Perm Press cycle.

Casual shorts & underwear & dark towels -- warm wash 115°F to 122°F.  Turn shorts inside out.  Sometimes a short soak period 30 mins to 1 hr.  Occasionally a prewash if yardwork items are involved.  Fast spin.  Biz or borax if indicated.  Usually a bit of softener, liquid or dryer sheet.  Dry at high temp.

Sheets -- warm to hot wash 122°F to 140°F.  Usually medium spin.  Usually soak period.  Biz or borax.  Always a bit of softener.  Dry at high.

Jeans -- warm wash 110°F to 115°F.  Turn inside out.  Usually a bit of softener.  Dry at high.

Small loads are rare, I don't wash loads of wear-clothes until nearly out of said type of item.  Whites load is often led by supply/accumulation of socks.

STPP on all loads.

Detergent varies between a choice of powder and liquid.

 

[panthera]

Chlorine Bleach, TSP, Borax, Soda, Dishwasher Tabs, DAWN

Are my go to problem solvers. TSP* solves any grease problem brilliantly.

Dawn is good for grease and caked on non-organics.

Chlorine bleach oxidizes a lot of otherwise impossible to shift organic stains.

Borax and washing soda and dishwasher tabs take care of everything else which oxiclean by itself can't.

*If you want to see a bunch of old ladies get their knickers in a knot, just point out what Na5P3O10 turns into the moment it hits the water.....

 

[akronman]

well

I get the entire weeks laundry together. Blue jeans and dark socks and bath towels go in the 1974 huge Kenmore, hot water. When it drains the suds, I suds return that to a 1974 MAytag A108S for my shirts, on delicate. Delicate is simply 1.5 minutes normal agitation followed by 5 minutes of soak, then another 1.5 minutes agitation at normal speed. Timing could be off, it's in my head insteaad of any stopwatch. That's the end of that water, usually.
When the hot water tank is fully reheated, I do whites and kitchen towels in the 1973 Speed Queen solid tub, hot wash with warm overflow rinse. That water then gets suds-saved into a 1959 Kenmore for sheets and pillowcases.

When I have a few throw rugs, sometimes that Kenmore-Maytag hot suds go back into any suds-saver for a third time, just for throw rugs.

Drying is just load by load, a 1974 Kenmore gas and a 1992 Kenmore gas. My very fave 1978 1-18 dryer is on the fritz or it would be my go-to drier. Sometimes shirts go into a 1960 Kenmore Electric, it's delicate just seems to get all the wrinkles out and avoids a need to iron. As much as I like laundry, I hate ironing.

 

[vacerator]

my method is;

Add Lysol or Chlorox laundry sanitizer on top of load inside washer, not in the detergent dispenser. It's not big enough for both, and mine doesn't have an oxy cup.

 

[foraloysius]

I separate into whites, darks, bed linens, white poloshirts (I have a huge stack of those) and delicates. Whites go on Eco 90 degrees Celcius (actually around 75), bed linens go on 60, darks and poloshirts on 40 and delicates on 40 or 30.

I don't pretreat and I seldom use additives, just the right detergent. Whites and poloshirts always with a powder that contains oxygen bleach (Aldi's Una). The rest with the other detergents I have. Fabric softener only with a few synthetic delicates to make sure they don't become too static.