As part of our Laundry For Good campaign, we asked you what you always wanted to know about laundry and clothing care, and had never had a chance to ask. Well you went ahead and asked us some really great questions, ranging from how to how to wash stripes, to getting rid of mildew smells, and we've shared the answers to some of them below.
Q&A
YOU: "How does the cycle temperature actually affect the clothes?"
CLOTHES DOCTOR: Using hotter water can help to lift tough stains, but it can also cause shrinking, greater fibre shedding, and colour run, so best to keep your washing temperatures as low as possible: we recommend 30C. The good news is that our detergents are powered to work really well with cool temperatures so you can still get a very effective clean at 30C. Also about 90% of the energy a washing machine uses goes toward heating up the water. So, the higher the temperature, the more the energy.
YOU: "What are stripes meant to be washed with?"
CLOTHES DOCTOR: If you're washing at 30 degrees or below and have no newly purchased items in the mix, then you shouldn't need to worry too much about separating colours. With stripes, we would definitely adhere to the cooler the better motto to keep the colours looking bright for longer, and use a detergent that's designed for cooler temperatures too! If you have dark and white stripes on a garment, for example, then the cooler the water you wash it with, the less likely it is to turn grey over time. The other rule of thumb is the less washed, the better, so try a quick steam to refresh between washes, and if it ain't dirty, don't wash!
YOU: "If I use 3 times more softener would my clothes smell better and for longer?"
CLOTHES DOCTOR: No, but adding more softener would cause the smell to be stronger. Try using our Basil & Mandarin Leaf Eco Fabric Conditioner as it's perfect for regular use on non-absorbent fabrics, especially cotton, wool and everyday items. Plus it smells divine!
YOU: "How to keep my blouse white?" "How to get whites really white?" "Why colours don’t stay bright?"
CLOTHES DOCTOR: Try to avoid washing these items too frequently, and of course, avoid washing them at high temperatures with coloured fabrics. You can also pre-soak your garment using our stain remover, to remove specific areas of discolouration. Our founder Lulu also has an extra tip for white garments: "After washing I squeeze lemon juice onto my whites and put them in a sunny window to whiten them naturally - it really works. Even better if you can dry them outside in the sunshine (maybe one for warmer weather!)"
YOU: "How can you get rid of a persistent mildew smell? When you think you've got rid of it but then it sneaks back into your nostrils when the garment's on?"
CLOTHES DOCTOR: First of all, make sure to remove your clothes from the washing machine straight away after the cycle ends, dry on an airer or outdoors (if possible). Using our Basil & Mandarin Eco Fabric Conditioner will also help, and you could even store your garments with our Natural Fragrance Bags, as they create a revitalising fragrance for your wardrobe.
YOU: How to know the correct dosing for different loads?
CLOTHES DOCTOR: There are 3 main factors in deciding the dose for your washing machine: size of load, level of soiling, and hard water or soft water area. If you're in the UK, you can find out if you're in a hard water or soft water area here.
If you have a big load, heavy soiling and are in a hard water area, then you may want to use two or even three times as much detergent.
All our Eco Washes have dose advice on the label to help you with this.
YOU: "Surely it's OK to wash most "hand-wash only" items carefully in a washing machine?"
CLOTHES DOCTOR: The main reason for hand washing rather than delicate machine washing is because you can stay in control. There will always be more friction in the machine, even on a delicate cycle, and by hand you can control the water temperature and the length of time the garment stays in, and how much you agitate the water. If you're trying to remove a stain, you can leave the garment to soak until the stain has gone, or just give it a quick soak if it's not soiled. You can also leave more gorgeous scent in the fabric with a hand wash, as the machine will automatically rinse any detergent almost right away, whereas we think it's nice to leave some behind. As you can tell, we're fans of the hand wash!
YOU: "I am wondering when I will get a laundry fairy in my house, my kids seem to believe in her."
CLOTHES DOCTOR: You sound as though you need our New Big Family Subscription Box! It's very like the laundry fairy, except we don't leave glitter on the floor!
YOU: "I’ve bought cream or ivory lingerie and my detergent bleached them white, I’d love a detergent that cleans but doesn’t bleach."
CLOTHES DOCTOR: That should not be happening! You need our No.4 Eco Wash for Silk and Delicates. Your lingerie will be absolutely safe in a cool hand wash with our detergent. Here we are above washing a 100% Silk blouse by hand. It came out refreshed and nourished, and smelling of Italian Bergamot and Sandalwood.
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