The Most Depressing Thread Ever: Laundry!

27 Nov 2014

The Most Depressing Thread Ever: Laundry!

We all like wearing nice clothes, but maintaining them can be quite a chore.

What are your laundry tips to keep your clothes impeccable and tidy?

Detergents, fabrics, ironing, miscellaneous tips, everything is welcomed!

Please share... and enjoy (or at least try to)!

27 Nov 2014

I add oxyclean (I use generic) besides liquid Tide...(2scoops)

And wash my shirts inside out, and dry my tshirts on hangers.

They don't fade or shrink.

But they are also high quality and I want to keep them that way.

I dry most of my clothing on low. It works fine.

Nothing shrinks.

I hate doing laundry by the way..

Lmao.

27 Nov 2014

Usually I take them down to the creek, and beat them on a rock, but its all icy now so I'm just going naked till the spring thaw.

28 Nov 2014

Quote by daddysweetheart
And wash my shirts inside out, and dry my tshirts on hangers.

Yep, I do that too. I wash all of my shirts/pants inside out, and also dry all my clothes on hangers (I have a small dedicated room just for laundry). The only thing that I put in the dryer are my bedsheets (and items I want to shrink). I guess that these are the two best tips for preserving your clothes.

I also add around 150mL of vinegar in the dispenser when I'm washing a load of colored clothes; apparently this is great for conserving/enhancing the color of your clothes. Technically you're supposed to add the vinegar during the 'rinse cycle', though I'm usually too lazy for that and just pour it at the beginning of the whole washing cycle.

Note: Don't ever use bleach and vinegar together! This can create hazardous vapors!

What do you people use for stains (especially on white/pale clothes)?

Once I had a stain of blood on a white shirt, and searched on the internet for a washing tip. I finally cleaned it with Hydrogen Peroxide; it was almost magical for cleaning blood, it must 'dilute' the proteins in blood or something. I just had to pour some Hydrogen Peroxide on the stain before throwing my shirt in the washing machine.

I have also tried a mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide, baking soda and water in a 1:1:1 ratio (1/3 part of each ingredient). That works fairly well for cleaning random stains (eg. yellow stains around the collar, etc.). It makes some kind of paste, and I bought a toothbrush just to apply it and clean stains.

28 Nov 2014

Quote by SereneProdigy

Yep, I do that too. I wash all of my shirts/pants inside out, and also dry all my clothes on hangers (I have a small dedicated room just for laundry). The only thing that I put in the dryer are my bedsheets (and items I want to shrink). I guess that these are the two best tips for preserving your clothes.

I also add around 150mL of vinegar in the dispenser when I'm washing a load of colored clothes; apparently this is great for conserving/enhancing the color of your clothes. Technically you're supposed to add the vinegar during the 'rinse cycle', though I'm usually too lazy for that and just pour it at the beginning of the whole washing cycle.

Note: Don't ever use bleach and vinegar together! This can create hazardous vapors!

What do you people use for stains (especially on white/pale clothes)?

Once I had a stain of blood on a white shirt, and searched on the internet for a washing tip. I finally cleaned it with Hydrogen Peroxide; it was almost magical for cleaning blood, it must 'dilute' the proteins in blood or something. I just had to pour some Hydrogen Peroxide on the stain before throwing my shirt in the washing machine.

I have also tried a mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide, baking soda and water in a 1:1:1 ratio (1/3 part of each ingredient). That works fairly well for cleaning random stains (eg. yellow stains around the collar, etc.). It makes some kind of paste, and I bought a toothbrush just to apply it and clean stains.

I use 2 scoops of generic oxyclean and liquid Tide or bleach for each load.
No matter what.

8 Jan 2015

For more fragile clothing, ie. knit wear, I use a laundry mesh bag. It helps to prevent them from tangling and subsequently, stretching in the machine and dryer.
I know I know, the label usually says 'Hand Wash'. But ain't nobody got time for that! geek

8 Jan 2015

I hate laundry...

I simply throw all the dirty clothes out and buy new.

8 Jan 2015

I don't actually do laundry unless wife is away. She doesn't trust me with the job. We have a pretty good division of labour, though, so its not like I'm sitting on my ass while she does it.

That said, we mostly just pre-wash really dirty stuff in the laundry tub, toss it all in the machine, and run it on normal cycle, then over to the dryer.

29 Jan 2015

Okay, this thread just reminded me of something that I also do to avoid cross-contamination of different clothes/towels: separating them as much as possible.

I usually separate my loads of laundry as such:

- Colored clothes (regular detergent + vinegar)

- Black clothes (dark detergent)

- White clothes (regular detergent + peroxide-based bleach); a lot of my shirts/underwear contain spandex, so I avoid chlorine-based bleach

- Bedsheets (regular detergent); the load is often already full, but I can also add a few small garments if need be

- Bath towels, hand towels, kitchen towels (regular detergent)

- Semi-dirty towels used for cleaning kitchen countertops, furniture (regular detergent)

- Extra-dirty towels used for cleaning floors, toilet (regular detergent + chlorine-based bleach)

It's really not a good idea to wash 'clean' and 'dirty' items together, especially towels that are meant for the kitchen with towels used for cleaning extra-dirty things (eg. floors, toilets). And using a chlorine-based bleach also works great to kill the bacterias on dirty items. I don't really feel the need to use a chlorine-based bleach with my kitchen/furniture towels however, as I often use them with one of those disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs.

And cleaning your washing machine with an 'empty load' of only water and chlorine-based bleach is also a good idea, every once in a while.

30 Jan 2015

I take my clothes to the cleaners. I like my dress shirts heavy starched.

30 Jan 2015

Back before I had a baby, I'd go to the gym quite often. That means lots of stretchy, spandexy things that needed washing. While it's fine to wash them as you normally would, drying anything spandex in the dryer is a recipe for disaster. Sooner rather than later, the spandex/Lycra will simply give out due to excess heat. So, I'd dry the stretchy things on a drying rack. I still do this with bras. Not so much with the pants. Ain't got time for that shit with a screamin' banshee baby needing her mama.

30 Jan 2015

Quote by SereneProdigy

It's really not a good idea to wash 'clean' and 'dirty' items together, especially towels that are meant for the kitchen with towels used for cleaning extra-dirty things (eg. floors, toilets). And using a chlorine-based bleach also works great to kill the bacterias on dirty items. I don't really feel the need to use a chlorine-based bleach with my kitchen/furniture towels however, as I often use them with one of those disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs.

And cleaning your washing machine with an 'empty load' of only water and chlorine-based bleach is also a good idea, every once in a while.

This is why my scrubs go straight to the washer and do not touch the floor, or a basket. Nothing else goes in the wash with them!

30 Jan 2015

Quote by Buz
I take my clothes to the cleaners. I like my dress shirts heavy starched.

I don't perform this myself, but I know you can starch your clothes at home. Funny thing Buz, I searched for an article about it and the first that came up was from a cowboy website. I think you'll love it, haha: Unleash Your Inner Cowboy - How to "Rodeo Starch" Your Jeans

You can even use a simple homemade recipe to make the starch: 1 cup water, 1-2 tablespoons corn starch, put in a spray bottle and shake vigorously.

Quote by RavenStar
Back before I had a baby, I'd go to the gym quite often. That means lots of stretchy, spandexy things that needed washing. While it's fine to wash them as you normally would, drying anything spandex in the dryer is a recipe for disaster. Sooner rather than later, the spandex/Lycra will simply give out due to excess heat. So, I'd dry the stretchy things on a drying rack. I still do this with bras. Not so much with the pants. Ain't got time for that shit with a screamin' banshee baby needing her mama.

Yep, a lot of my tight fitting boxer-briefs contain spandex and I always hang them; same thing for most of my gym wear and many of my white t-shirts. Wrinkles are a lot more apparent on white shirts, and so I like to buy some that contain spandex because they fit my body better, which tends to eliminate wrinkles:

I have a small room dedicated to laundry, so it's practical to hang my clothes (ie. there are no clothes hanging all around my apartment). I hang pretty much all of my clothes, even those who don't contain spandex, as it can extend their lifespan and it's actually a very eco-friendly move. I use a large drying rack for my shirts/pants (left) and a smaller one for my boxers/socks/towels (right). It's rare that I miss space to hang my clothes with only these two hangers, but then again I live alone by myself:

Quote by Dirty_D
This is why my scrubs go straight to the washer and do not touch the floor, or a basket. Nothing else goes in the wash with them!

Smart move. thumbup

This actually works both ways: you don't transfer all the bacterias from your patients on your own clothes, and your scrubs remain sterile not to contaminate your patients.

30 Jan 2015

i toss em all into the same load...can't be bothered lol

She's a saint with the lips of a sinner.
- r.m. drake

30 Jan 2015

Clothes finished drying in a tumble dryer can usually just be smoothed out by hand soon as tumbler stops avoiding the need for ironing, and towels and bath robes keep nice and fluffy

30 Jan 2015

Quote by SereneProdigy
The Most Depressing Thread Ever: Laundry!

We all like wearing nice clothes, but maintaining them can be quite a chore.

What are your laundry tips to keep your clothes impeccable and tidy?

Detergents, fabrics, ironing, miscellaneous tips, everything is welcomed!

Please share... and enjoy (or at least try to)!

Hah!

Um - eventually wash them. With detergent but vinegar if you run out and are too lazy to buy more works just fine, too.

Try not to let them sit in the washer for too long - if you don't, rerun it.

Um . . . at some point they need to get dried and then the bigger chore comes when you have to take them to your room and let them roominate for a while - get acclimated to the room's air temperature for a few days - before you can fold them up and put them away. Try not to let them stay in folded stacks for more than a day, though, because then you have to relocate the stacks and find places where they wont get gross again.

16 Mar 2015

I have to say i look forward to doing whites. Hot water, bleach, hot rinse - there's something about knowing you're getting it all so clean. A gf of mine is the same way. And i kinda don't like hand-washing the few delicates i have, tho if i am it means something fun happened and that's something to smile about.

16 Mar 2015

Quote by daddysweetheart

I use 2 scoops of generic oxyclean and liquid Tide or bleach for each load.
No matter what.

I use Tide pods. Is it ok also to add Oxyclean for colors?

16 Mar 2015

Quote by BethanyFrasier
Usually I take them down to the creek, and beat them on a rock, but its all icy now so I'm just going naked till the spring thaw.

Excellent very hygienic approach to life expect you should be a little more rock tolerant. What is your problem with harmless little rocks then. lol

To boldly Lush where no one has Lushed before

10 Apr 2015

Hmm, I can't say I give it much attention beyond whites/colours and hand washing the few super delicate items of clothing I own - I don't own a tumble dryer so everything is hung up or outside.

13 Apr 2015

LOL!!!!!!

13 Apr 2015

* Don't wash them too often
* Don't use too much detergent
* Don't wash them with too hot water
* Wash them with the right colours
* IRON EVERYTHING (I even iron my towels)

13 Apr 2015

Quote by kriskisses

I use Tide pods. Is it ok also to add Oxyclean for colors?

Yes honey. And whites with bleach.

It works amazing. Sorry I forgot to respond until now. Hugs xx

I use the generic with bleach. The other should work as well.

20 Apr 2015

I air dry most of my clothes

Been seriously hard with the rain for the last month

Inside takes two days

What's hell..

My son bringing me home a month's worth of laundry from college

What's heaven...that I can still do it as I miss him

20 Apr 2015

Who knew there were so many strategies for doing laundry? And here I thought all you do is throw them in and push the "Start" button.

Class of 82 - The Little Sister Halloween Party ~ My newest story preparing for the annual fraternity Halloween party.
Journey With You ~ A love poem about a full life shared.
The Game's Ultimate Prize ~ The evening begins with cocktails ... a recommended read.

20 Apr 2015

I have my daughter do it all. Remarkably easy solution (for me).

My wife used to air dry everything on the clothesline. She was so disdainful of dryers we didn't even own one. Our clothes smelled awesome. I miss that.

20 Apr 2015

It is ruining my day sad

20 Apr 2015

To the OP ... I think the solution is simple .. get a wife or female partner .. show her the washing machine, laundry basket and iron/ironing board .. problem sorted.

Joking!

20 Apr 2015

I actually don't mind doing laundry, sometimes I find it relaxing, and I do it a couple of times a week so it doesn't pile up.

21 Apr 2015

People that wash, dry, and put away their clothes think they're sooo great.