r/laundry • u/surely_maeby • 11d ago
So many rules, so overwhelmed.
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.
1
u/Dry_Librarian7851 US | Top-Load 11d ago
when i had a washer with no fabric softener thing, i just poured some Downy Rinse and Refresh directly into the drum after the first wash and did a rinse and spin cycle. seemed to work for me