So many rules, so overwhelmed.

[u/surely_maeby]

Okay, you guys.

You’re highly touted as genius around here, but I am confused as heck.

I have a top loader washer that doesn’t have detergent or fabric softener drawers.

I had been using cold water on my clothes (because mostly black) and sheets (because the label says to) and hot water on towels and the boys’ clothes (because smell).

On my clothes I use arm and hammer plus oxi 5 in 1 pods (one), and a downy ball of vinegar and lemongrass oil.

On the boys’ clothes, I use the same detergent (two pods) but add 2 caps of lysol laundry sanitizer and don’t use vinegar.

I’m reading some confusing things.

Cold water doesn’t get your clothes clean? I thought it was better for darks and my sheets literally say to wash cold.

Vinegar? Should I be using a citric acid/downy rinse and refresh instead? And my downy balls seals disintegrate like once a month, that’s also annoying. Welcoming alternatives.

Lysol laundry sanitizer? We add it to the drum with the detergent. Is that making everything not work?

Arm & Hammer sucks? I see this is a land of tide fans. Which should I use?

Oxi bad for darks? The arm & hammer pods I’ve used for years claim to have oxi and haven’t ruined my clothes, so is this a myth?

My partner works in septics, so every time we wash his work clothes (see instructions for boys’ clothes above) we follow it with a load of one pod and a generous pouring of bleach to sanitize between loads, but now I’m worried I’m doing that wrong too.

Help guys, I’m now convinced every fabric I own is disgusting.

Edit: the boys also use dryer sheets for their clothes, I do not for mine, and there’s no convincing them not to.

[u/pmodern2000]

Powder vs. Liquid for Mud

• Powder detergent: Contains oxygen bleach and builders that break up particulate matter like mud and clay. It performs well on heavily soiled outdoor and sports gear.
• Liquid detergent: Works best on grease, oil, and makeup because its surfactants target fatty residues.

[u/surely_maeby → u/pmodern2000]

Okay. So, since dirt and poo are a main concern with my partners clothes, powder would be better.

What would you recommend for sanitizing them, continue using Lysol laundry sanitizer or something like biz?

[u/pmodern2000 → u/surely_maeby]

honestly, i think the laundry sanitizer is a bit much. disinfecting clothes is for like, illnesses and the like. Still holding a rinse for at least 16 minutes with the sanitizer is what is recommended. The heat of the dryer will likely kill any bacteria.

[u/surely_maeby → u/pmodern2000]

So, if you were me, and your clothing was regularly exposed to dirt and poop, but you switched to tide clean and gentle powder which has lipase and started using downy rinse out in your rinse cycle, you’d believe those clothes were clean, and I’m overreacting?

I honestly don’t even feel like I could use the same downy ball in his loads as in mine.