This is based on this reddit post which has absolutely fantastic information on how to do laundry. If you want more information on enzymes and specifically lypase, the author also has a Lipase List in a google spreadsheet.

Edit: the first link to the reddit post was an incorrect link. Fixed that!

Double edit: Not all steps here are necessary for every load. You don’t always need to pretreat. Citric acid may or may not help your laundry chemistry, that’s fully dependent on how hard your water is and what products you’re using. I also personally don’t separate by color but, I don’t own many colors.

  • Leigh Weigh@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    9 days ago

    I don’t sort my laundry by color because I don’t care that much. But the rest of the advice is solid. My water doesn’t need citric acid but it’s great for a lot of people. A good detergent and keeping your washer clean are absolutely vital though.

    • wyldrstallyns@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      5·
      9 days ago

      A good detergent and a clean washer (and dryer) are clutch, for sure.

      The “hottest” water, though, is a guaranteed way to degrade your clothes in quick order. If you feel the need to cook your fabrics for some reason, choose to soak (stew?) them independently, prior to washing them with the other items —better yet, wash them by hand.

      The simple fact that most cleaning agents can be more effective at higher temps is not some epiphanous “lifehack”, it’s just halfbaked “logic” that flat-out ignores the scientific fact that most clothing can’t take the heat that such an increase in their efficacy’d require. ☝🏼

      I mean, FFS, fellow poors. Stop destroying your clothes for perceived judgmental standards of others, and maybe you won’t be so frequently replacing clothes that would’ve lasted far longer than a few seasons. 🙏🏼

      • Chaf@slrpnk.netEnglish
        3·
        9 days ago

        Absolutely agree. I’d also add, that using the highest spin does also not really help keeping your clothes alive. If you can afford the time to let your clothes dry for a bit longer, use a lower spin (and also beware that you don’t dampen up your place too much, but other than that I don’t see any downsides)

        • wyldrstallyns@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          2·
          9 days ago

          TBF, the whole apparatus was invented to “save” housewives’ time & effort, but (much like the dish “washer” and vacuum “cleaner”) was infested by corpo greed and their malformed “improvements” like the spin cycle.

          IMHO, line hanging your wash on a line or laying it out on a drying rack (both pack down to almost nothing for storage between sessions) is not only more economical, but also am exceedingly low-effort chore that can be broken up into smaller tasks over a day or more, too.

          Bonus: it’s pretty easy to blithely walk past your fresh laundry in a patiently hopeful pile (if that’s a personal obstacle; no judgment), but it’s arguably more complicated to walk through it on the line w/o noticing. 🧏🏼‍♂️

          (this is assuming that most of us poors aren’t lucky enough to own our homes, and have to use what space we can afford* to rent.)

          *heavy lifting, there