Washing help - what am I doing wrong?

Thanks Ladies - I have read that thread, that's one of the reasons I switched to Bold initially - and I have no problems with my nappies - only minor staining which the sun normally sorts, and they come up clean and fresh. It's DH's black t-shirts for work that are sweat/deoderant stained under the arms, with little holes in, and all his white ones seem to have some kind of sauce dropped down the front

Quite a few of my nice work tops are getting white patches under the arms too. I use roll on and always try to let it dry before I get dressed as I thought maybe that was making it worse. Some of my long sleeve tops have now got that zig zag pattern all down the sides - I guess it must be from taking them off over my head and rubbing the deoderant all down the sides? they have been washed and washed though, including using vanish and it's not even fading - I'm gutted as some of them are quite new and I haven't got that much that fits me at the moment.

I saw something on the internet about white vinegar in the rinse but I don't know how to put stuff into the rinse - I'm not normally around when the machine gets to that point in the cycle as it's run overnight or while I'm at work. The softener dispenser doesn't really work either.

I don't notice other people having this problem so I don't know if it's the machine (it's quite old, we inherited it with the house) or the way I wash. Don't want to splash out on a new machine if it won't make any difference, but if it does sort it it would be worth it.

I normally wash at 40c but have tried washing at 60 - maybe I'll try getting some different powder - I was thinking about dying all his black t-shirts with dylon to try and restore the colour - some of them are very grey at the moment...

Have you tried washing the dark stuff on a cooler cycle? I have to wash df's dark stuff at 30 otherwise the black fades a lot more quickly. And someone told me not to use conditioner on anything that has stretch in it, lycra. It stretches the fibres and the clothes don't last as long

Have you tried washing the dark stuff on a cooler cycle? I have to wash df's dark stuff at 30 otherwise the black fades a lot more quickly. And someone told me not to use conditioner on anything that has stretch in it, lycra. It stretches the fibres and the clothes don't last as long

I generally wash everything at 40c, and it's all hung out on airers in the house. Most of his t-shirts are from Gap so they aren't dead cheap but they still seem to fade and all to different shades of black - and you get that age old problem that goths are well versed in - green black doesn't go with grey black, which doesn't go with brown black...

I don't think my machine has a cooler cycle than 40c - maybe I do need a new one.

I think one of the problems is the hardness of my water - can you add anything to the wash cycle that softens it as you go?

As you live in a hard water area, you may find that one of these helps too?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ECOZONE-M807-E ... 857&sr=1-8
We use one and it really does seem to make a difference, making clothes & nappies softer.

Dooby x

I've never heard of those but they look quite good - has anyone else used one? I did buy some eco-balls and I use them from time to time to wash the nappies, but although they work for a while the nappies started to smell after prolonged use, so I just tend to use them now and again for a 60c wash now.

I did clean the machine recently with a specific cleanera and descaler, and a 95c wash, but I haven't noticed a particular improvement.

I've got a few ideas now for what to try to help stop new stains, but is there any way of getting deoderant marks out of the stuff that's already stained?

I wonder if this type of deodorant may help?
http://www.thecrystal.com/

i stopped using deo and went for pitrok instead. No smells from me and no white marks on clothing. We have soft water but i use a tablespoon or 2 of Ariel or daz and wash at 40. I do a lights, brights and darks in separate wash load.

I've never heard of those but they look quite good - has anyone else used one? I did buy some eco-balls and I use them from time to time to wash the nappies, but although they work for a while the nappies started to smell after prolonged use, so I just tend to use them now and again for a 60c wash now.

I've tried the eco-balls for washing nappies too and found, similar to you, that although they did get the nappies clean, they didn't really get rid of nasty nappy niffs, despite always giving the nappies a cold pre rinse. I got round this by adding tea tree oil or lemongrass oil to the rinse cycle but as it's not recommended that you add anything to the wash when using the balls, I found it a bit of a faff to stop the wash before the rinse cycle, take the blue balls out, add the drops of oil to the softner drawer, then start the rinse cycle.
So now I tend to alternate between detergent and the balls, which helps to keep any build up of detergent in the nappies at bay (same with towels).

The same company also does a similar magnet type thingy to go in your toilet cystern to help stop build up of lime scale too. This also seems to work as (after removing the limescale build up first) it doesn't seem to be coming back in a hurry

Dooby x

I use Ariel Excel Gel (yes I know the washing machine man doesn't like it) and it works a treat.

Have never experienced white deodorant marks not coming out of clothes, that's a new one on me - it shouldn't really stain them IYKWIM? I'd try washing a half load with a good dose of powder on a decent temp - they should "melt" off. I use sure invisible roll on, but have also used pitrok and agree that it's good. Dh's work shirets get the marks and he uses spray deo.

I never use fabric conditioner, can't stand the stuff, but then I don't live in a hard water area so easy for me to say.

I would try to wash a decent amount a time and use some washingliquid on the stains before washing them.
I wash my clothes in ariel excel on 20 degrees, underwear and towels etc on 60 and do a cleantubewash every month.