using a washing machine

[jono!!!]

I know this sounds pretty lame, but i have been married for 12 years, and we had a bit of a old fashioned relationship where I worked and she did all the housework, we have now seperated (she moved out today), and I need to start doing things like washing clothes etc. i know the basics, but what is confusing me is what i wash with what, and at what temperature, eg. dirty works clothes, towels, underwear, new pair of dark jeans, do i wash these things seperate, i know i should wash lights with lights and dark with darks, but I admit to being confused? any help would be much appreciated

Many Thanks.

[gary baldy]

Despite what my wife says i do know how to use the washing machine!
Is yours a quite a modern one?
Washing powder is really good nowadays so you dont really need to wash anything above 40 degrees - unlesss heavily soiled things and heavy fabrics.
Like you say try and keep darks and whites apart and do not (repeat do not) wash anything with a new pair of jeans!
I always do a jeans wash and wash them altogether - turn them inside out and wash at 30 degrees - this stops them fading.
Otherwise you can bung everything in together.
If your machine has a quick wash setting use this - saves time and energy. You can probably ignore all the other settings on the knob.
Good luck.

[jono!!!]

thanks for the answer gary baldy, just to clarify, i need to wash my new jeans on their own first time, and then with other jeans after that ? is that light and dark jeans ?

[qapmoc]

Yeah I agree with GB, my wife seperates everything, changes temperatures, etc...etc... . When she's away I just chuck everything in on the same setting each time and she has never noticed any problem with the washing and she is real particular about it.

[stevie21]

Wash new, dark, jeans only with things that you won't see the dye run into (e.g. not light jeans - black clothes are fine). The dye will definitely run out of new jeans at least a little.

After a while you'll just put your washing machine on "4" for everything that you wash and stop caring.

[MrPahoehoe]

I think the problem comes from new clothes, when the dye hasn't completely set into the fabric and the washing brings it out. This always seems to happen with jeans, so I also would wash them alone the first time, as I would with bright coloured new clothes. At a guess the dye may also come out of the fabric if you wash it too hot, as well as damaging the clothes, so stick to the temperatures on the care labels. I normally put white

I normally just put white (undyed) clothes in on there own and pretty much all the rest in together and wash everything at 40 (unless it specifies 30 and I really like that item:-)), including jeans.....although i do like the faded look ;-)

[gary baldy]

Yup - to clarify with brand new jeans wash them on their own first time but after that it doesnt matter - although as i said best to wash them altogether and turn the temp down 10 degrees.
Have you noticed all these answers have come from men (i think)?
They (women) like to think they are indispecible but we just get things done without moaning about it (and over complicating things aswell). I dont know how we ever got man to the moon without them!

[Bob A Job]

Then reason men struggle to use washing machines is because the symbols on the front are written in 'woman'.

Its an unusual form of language with swirls, arrows and illogical number/letter sequences. cant understand why they still use it myself?

[full-throttl]

for me using the washing machine when the other half left was the easiest of tasks. 2 years on and i still don't iron,,,

for me i simply went out and bought new socks and boxers all dark so once a week i can throw then all in, also it helps if your bed linen is all the same colour, then that is another all-together wash, although i do my linen on a 60c cycle to kill any bed bugs....

other than that make sure you empty the machine after evry wash, nothing worse than getting your white shirt out of the machine only to find you left a red sock in from the time before..

another thing- try using a powder ball, it goes in the machine not in the drawer, and only put half the recommended powder in each wash, your clothes will still be clean but you'll get a lot more washes for your money

to re-cap: whites or darks on a 40c bed linen on a 60c,

[gary baldy]

.....you wash your bed linen?
When i was single the only time i washed was mine when there was a 101% chance of me getting some (which was very rare!)

[MrPahoehoe]

Sorry to hijack the topic but I definitely have to agree there Bob, have you noticed the shop Boots is exactly the same. Its like they were deciding the lay out for all of their shops and they thought "right what is our target demographic?: Women, I know lets suspend all logic when 'hiding' our stuff around the shop".

Its like the shops are organised according to some secret code for women. When I have to go into a Boots nowadays I just think "right, what do I want" and go to the most illogical place for that item; saves loads of time.

Er, sorry about that: Rant over ;-)

[Dreaming]

ummmm....read the washing labels Jono

[malibu2606]

I'm a laydeeeeeeeee, but my fiance and I share the washing. All our tea towels, light towels and light bed linen goes on a 90deg wash - this gets rid of any bed bugs/bacteria etc....and although it'll fade any pattern on your tea towels (like that rteally matters) it's much better for you. We also keep to 'tumble dry' and 'non tumble dry' washes so we don't end up shrinking anything. Always tumble dry your towels or they'll end up being very crispy! Don't tumble dry jumpers or anthing which may distort or shrink (check whether it's got a tumble dry symbol on the label). We don't tend to tumble dry any tops/jeans/footie shirts/nice PJ's.

[fideldyfee]

Hi jono! i am a female and it was exactly the same for my dad when my mum left. All the above advice is good and can i just add that you should iron things inside out, at least until you get the hang of it!

Good luck and hope you are ok.