PDA

View Full Version : Let's just discuss Laundry


cindergretta
01-15-2009, 11:52 AM
How do you do your's? What do you use? Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? Do you ever use hot water? How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? How many risne cycles? Front loader or top loader? Line dry or dryer? how picky are you about stains? Do you use a pre-treater? Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it?

Share. Dish. Give the 411.

:mrgreen

rstump
01-15-2009, 12:00 PM
What do you use? Charlie's Soap or Biokleen

Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? Sometimes

Do you ever use hot water? Yes..whenever I can. I use the Sanitize cycle on towels & diapers.

How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough?I don't hang anything other than blankets

How many risne cycles? One rinse on most items. 2 on diapers

Front loader or top loader? Front Loader

Line dry or dryer? Dryer

how picky are you about stains? Do you use a pre-treater? I use oxyclean spray stain remover.

Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it? A little of all....just depends. With stains...become play clothes. I toss it if bad after trying about 3 times...including an Oxyclean soak.

KatieMae
01-15-2009, 12:03 PM
Not natural over here :shrug3

Top-loading machine
Separate into three loads: whites, mediums, darks. I generally do not buy clothes that require special attention - "lie flat to dry" is my limit ;) Towels & linens are treated as "whites" around here, even if they're colored.
I use Tide in every load (but way less than they "suggest" on the lid measurements) & Shout gel on stains. I have some OxyClean that I think I've used once? I want to use it more but never think of it.
Whites are washed in hot water, mediums on warm & darks on cold. Exception: If I can find Cold Water Tide, everything is washed in cold water. Only one rinse.
Whites are dried on high heat, mediums & darks are on medium heat. Yes, I use Bounce or the Target-brand equivalent in every dryer load.
I don't want to hang my clothes to dry, so I don't desire a wash line outside. I hated crunchy clothes when I was younger :yes2

ETA: Oh, stains that will never come out become at-home-only clothes & will be thrown out or made into rags when they're thoroughly worn out.

cindergretta
01-15-2009, 12:26 PM
:think I am a stain nut. I obsess over getting stains out and if I can't, I feel really :shiver . Then the article isn't allowed outside the home. I have ruined some things by continually washing them and treating them. :shifty

I only use cold water to wash b/c my water only gets hot enough that it is uncomfortable to put your hand under, kwim? So it seems a bit pointless to wash with it and expect it to get the clothing any cleaner than the cold water.

I have a front-loader.

If I had that sanitize cycle (drool) I would totally use it on dipes, sheets, and towels.... <dreamy>

I use Tide w/ bleach alternative, Oxy-clean, and baking soda. I also occasionally use vinegar.

I don't hang dry b/c I hate that feeling.

I sort into white, light, dark, sheet/towel, and dipes. I also wash denim and heavy pants fabrics in their own load- the "jean" load. I also like to try to do S's stuff in her own load. (Not too hard considering the amount of laundry she generates. :giggle :heart )

How much laundry do you do? How many in your family? Do you do laundry on a given days or days or as needed- read:all day, every day. :grin

KatieMae
01-15-2009, 12:31 PM
2 adults + 3 children = 6-7 loads of clothes per week
plus I usually wash all our sheets, towels & bath/kitchen rugs once per week, so that makes another 5 loads

I have a laundry center in our hallway (http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/katiemae1229/Laundry1.jpg) so when a bag is full, I wash it. The household stuff is washed when I clean that room.

RiverRock
01-15-2009, 12:36 PM
We have 6 people in my family. On average I do 2 loads a day in the summer, and 3 loads a day in the winter. I have a bed-wetter so that is probably an extra 4 loads of laundry a week over what I could be doing. I don't like to feel like a slave to laundry, so I usually give myself 2-3 days off a week from laundry, so some days I am easily doing 5 loads. Today is a 4 load day.

I'm a combo of biodegradable and not...I use Ecos to wash in my front loader. I soak in Oxyclean if necessary. I spray stains with Fantastic (works better than any stain remover I've tried, and hasn't wrecked any clothes in about 10 years) and let it set in for hours or overnight before washing,

Most laundry is washed with warm water. I try to line dry diapers outside, but often the weather doesn't cooperate. All other laundry goes in the dryer. I rarely use half a sheet of fragrance-free fabric softener, usually nothing. With diapers I add a vinegar rinse, sometimes with a bit of lavender or tea tree EO. We have a lot of laundry so every week I am doing the following loads: dark towels, light towels, whites, coloured, dark clothing, jeans (usually with dark towels or with table cloths or dark sheets), work clothes and diapers. Probably every 3 months I do a bleach load, but usually I just use a bleach pen for spots and rinse well before adding the items to a white load.

Stained clothes don't last long, they usually become rags or garbaged. There are exceptions, of course. Rstump and I might have the same machine, because I use the sanitary cycle for diapers, too. (LG extra-capacity front loader?)

Drew
01-15-2009, 12:39 PM
How do you do your's?Sort into whites, darks, my jeans (which are washed inside out on gentle), DH's training clothes, bath towels, kitchen towels/cloth napkins, delicate, other stuff.

What do you use? Method HE. Usually unscented but sometimes the stuff in the blue bottle. I use bleach on rare occasions. :shifty

Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? I have an Oxy stain remover that I use on P's clothes. It's pretty great.

Do you ever use hot water? Yep, for bath towels, whites, and kitchen towels/cloth napkins.

How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? I don't really have an issue with this happening.

How many risne cycles? I always set for the extra rinse. I probably don't need to in most cases but the idea of lingering soap bothers me.

Front loader or top loader? Front loader.

Line dry or dryer? Dryer. Ours has a moisture sensor so it's pretty good about not running longer than necessary.

how picky are you about stains? Very when it comes to clothes. For towel and cloth napkins it's not as much of a deal to me.

Do you use a pre-treater? Only the Oxy stain spray when needed.

Keep going until the stain is gone? I'll try a few washes but if it isn't going away I'll usually give up.

Give up and toss the garment? Yep, I'll usually toss a piece of clothing that is stained. I keep a pair of jeans and a few shirts around for messy projects but that's it.

Use it with the stain on it? See above.

How much laundry do you do? 6 - 8 loads a week.

How many in your family? Two adults and a 2yo on the weekends (soon to be full time :heart )

Do you do laundry on a given days or days or as needed- Usually on the weekend but sometimes I'll do a load during the week if need-be.

ETA- I like your laundry bags Katie.

Lady TS
01-15-2009, 12:40 PM
How do you do your's? What do you use? Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? Do you ever use hot water? How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? How many risne cycles? Front loader or top loader? Line dry or dryer? how picky are you about stains? Do you use a pre-treater? Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it?

Share. Dish. Give the 411.

:mrgreen

5 person family--2 adults and 3 kids. On average, I do like 7-10 loads a week. Not every day, but probably 3 loads on a couple days a week.


Top loader.

Shout Advanced on stains(not set in/dried in the dryer)
Oxyclean sometimes--pretty much at random, but not usually used.
Dawn dishsoap--a squirt helps to remove buildup(which may be causing the stiffness/roughness in your laundry)

ALL Free & Clear, Purex Free & Clear or some other laundry soap free of scents and stuff
Vinegar in the rinse dispenser
No evil fabric softener

Sheets and towels get HOT water. In the cooler months, our outdoor wood furnace heats our hot water to scalding so I don't always put the temp on the washer on Hot then. In the summer, when our on-demand water heater is our method of heating water, I put it on hot all the time.

One rinse cycle.

I dry all my laundry in the dryer since being diagnosed with my allergies. I used to line dry outside in warmer months and hang some of them on a rack set over the furnace vent but no more

If I see a stain on the kids' clothes I try to spray it with the stuff before it even goes into the laundry. There are times that they eat something/wipe something on their shirt(that is usually greasy) that I don't see until I am taking them out of the dryer and folding, to which I go :doh (especially if it is a new shirt) and promptly spray it with the Shout Advance. It took the greasy stains out of ds2's shirt that he had received for Christmas, and that was after it had gone through the dryer!

If it's a new garment, I am more vigilant about stain removal. If it's a hand-me-down or they are almost out of that size, I don't worry about it as much. ;) They still wear it until they outgrow it(though I *try* to get them to wear the non-stained clothes when we are going somewhere. ;)



RiverRock--Wow, Fantastic works for removing stains??? Who knew? Maybe that will be my next stain-remover purchase, because my current one is rather spendy!

cindergretta
01-15-2009, 12:47 PM
I think I might be guilty of ***way*** over-rinsing. :blush :bag

I rinse, 2nd rinse, then rinse & spin, 2nd rinse, extended spin... :shifty

I get icked out if I think there is a hint of *anything* left in the wash.

(2 adults, 6 kids)

Laundry done as needed- 2-3 loads a day, although I am like a PP- I may do 4-5 on a given day and skip a day or two.... :giggle

Fantastik? :think Maybe I'll give that shot. :grin

Drew
01-15-2009, 12:53 PM
I'm glad to hear there are people out there rinsing more than me. :phew

ShangriLewis
01-15-2009, 12:59 PM
Is your hot water heater turned down? When I had a FL I didn't like cold wash only. I use hot for whites and towels or everything doesn't get clean. We have a top loader now. It's small and you have to spin extra times or it doesn't get the water out. But, my parents let us pay cheap rent, so I'll suffer :P~

My mom won't let us use powder, so I stopped using my Biokleen powder. It doesn't clump, but she doesn't believe me. She probably wouldn't know if I did it :shifty I'm using Arm and Hammer right now, but I hate that chemical smell. I have a sensitive nose and skin that is much worse when I'm pregnant. I guess I'll try the Biokleen liquid. I hope it works as well. I got the Ecos last time at Costco but my dh doesn't like the smell. That's the problem with boys they don't like smelling like flowers even when they are hippies.

I'm using spray and wash right now. It's lasted forever. I bought the Costco one a few years ago. I'm really good at catching stains I guess. That and my boys don't wear shirts often :giggle

We do at least a load a day. I hang right in the laundry room and socks, underwear, swim trunks (we have a hot tub), etc go in a basket and put away during the day or when it's full. I try to put it away right away or the cat sleeps in there. Nothing like cat hair on underwear :/

illinoismommy
01-15-2009, 01:11 PM
2 adults + 3 children = 6-7 loads of clothes per week
plus I usually wash all our sheets, towels & bath/kitchen rugs once per week, so that makes another 5 loads

I have a laundry center in our hallway (http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/katiemae1229/Laundry1.jpg) so when a bag is full, I wash it. The household stuff is washed when I clean that room.


Yeah that. I have a laundry center too where laundry is pre-sorted.

I do one load a day, usually.

We use charlie's soap most of the time with the random usage of Tide. I haven't had any problems with charlie's soap.

For stains I use Shout.

rstump
01-15-2009, 07:19 PM
We have 3 adults & 5 kids....1 kid is a teen so more like 4 adults and 1 newborn so generated a TON of clothes.

We do 3-5 loads a day on average.

ArmsOfLove
01-15-2009, 07:23 PM
2 adults and 5 children; top loader washer and front loader dryer; I use fabric stain remover when I know there's a stain :doh I use natural (Trader Joe's) soap, and vinegar if there's pee involved, and use cold water for everything (though in the summer there is no such thing as cold water in Phoenix :doh)

cindergretta
01-15-2009, 07:28 PM
(though in the summer there is no such thing as cold water in Phoenix :doh)


I literally snorted when I read this. :laughtears

MomtoJGJ
01-15-2009, 07:50 PM
wow... let me say I admire everyone's laundry habits? for lack of a better word. Until this Christmas everything got washed together with the exception of diapers because I feel the need to double rinse them and they get washed on warm.

I do 1 load of laundry a day (wash, dry, put away... not necessarily the same load) with the occasional time of two loads (diaper day, sheet day, and if the comforters need washing)

Everything gets washed on cold. I use the cheap stuff from Sam's for detergent and no fabric softener.

Oh, and DH got me a laundry sorter for Christmas that has three bins, so DD1 now has the chore of sorting dirty stuff daily into towels (all towels, washcloths, and napkins) kids clothes, and our clothes. I chose those categories for ease of putting away loads.

oh, and stains really don't matter to me sadly enough... especially on the kids clothes. They are dirty within minutes of putting them on anyway, so you can't tell fresh dirt from stains on them :blush The only thing I do extra for is blood... then I put peroxide on it.

ReedleBeetle
01-15-2009, 08:33 PM
We are a house hold of three...soon to be four. We have a top load washer, front load dryer. We sort into whites, towels and washclothes, lights, darks, jeans, and eventually diapers. We do sheets and blankets as I feel is needed or when I feel they are too dirty to stand. :shifty We have about 5 loads a week unless I do sheets and/or blankets...sheets adds 2 loads, blankets add 3 more. We typically do laundry 1-2 days a week and just run it one load after another. DH helps and he switches the loads, I fold and put away. Isaac helps sort and load. It is a family thing we do together. Once in a while, I do a couple of loads during the week...then I don't usually do more than 2 loads a day when I do that, because I can fold after Isaac is asleep and I don't wash once he is asleep, because it wakes him up.

ETA: I don't use Oxi-clean and I use Shout on stains. 2 tries and I am done. We usually keep and wear at least around the house.

ETA: We use All free and clear, Downy liquid and Bounce sheets

2+2mom
01-15-2009, 08:36 PM
I wash 2 times a week, 4-5 loads each Monday and Friday. 2 adults, 4 kids One load each of towels/linens, darks, lights, and whites. I fold everything onto my island into piles depending where they belong and then when all the wash is done for the day, we put it away. Socks go into a bin in the mudroom where our shoes are, pajamas go into a cabinet in the family room where we always change diapers and into night clothes anyway. I moved them there from their rooms so I didn't have to run upstairs everynight to get pjs. Everything else goes in appropriate room. Here is my laundry sorter.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2526992105_bbce7e4a6c.jpg?v=0

And the shoe/sock bin is under the hanging rod. Dd has the top bin, ds the middle and I have the bottom with the babies. Dh wears his shoes until bedtime, so he keeps his upstairs. Plus, he can run and get his own socks, so I could care less what he does with them. LOL
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2791997597_cdd202a0ed.jpg?v=0

What do you use? Tide, just the old fashion, plain Tide

Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? Sometimes

Do you ever use hot water? Just for my towels and linens

How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? I pretty much dry everything, so nothing gets stiff

How many risne cycles? One

Front loader or top loader? Front Loader

Line dry or dryer? Dryer

how picky are you about stains? Do you use a pre-treater? I use Shout on my little boys shirts, they are always full of yuck. Oxyclean on the babies stuff that gets food on it

Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it? I haven't really had a problem getting out stains.

KatieMae
01-15-2009, 08:37 PM
ETA- I like your laundry bags Katie.


Thanks :) It was my nesting project when I was uber-pregnant with Jude :lol

Lantern Light Mama
01-15-2009, 08:38 PM
Right now I am not very picky. If it's done I am happy. :lol

milkmommy
01-15-2009, 08:43 PM
I think I should do laundry... then I ignore that thought for 2 days
finially we run out of towels and underware and decide it can't wait
I divide three piles towels whites/lights darks
divide the darks again cause my procrastation has added another load
take one pile down stairs and out to the washer
open lid toss in about 1/4 cap full of detergent add clothes
(wash on cold largest load regular cycle extra rinse)
leave it
umm 8 hours latter go Oh yea laundry
go to exchange to dryer
discover a load still in the dryer from 5 days ago
get it out pray its not too wrinkled
load washer clothes into dryer
be good and grab a second load from upstairs and start that
discover most clothes from the dryer wrinked beyond use toss 2/3 back into the dirty pile cause ironing that ain't happening...
wallow in self pitty and watch 2 hours of pointless TV fluff
play with kid run and errend cook a meal clean the toliet homework. MIL crisis DD melt down bathtime bedtime...
8 hours latter remember ohh yea I've got laundry going...


Deanna

milkmommy
01-15-2009, 08:47 PM
What do you use? we currently have tide
Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? no
Do you ever use hot water? only when i did diapers occasionally on towels
How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? haven't had that issue
How many risne cycles? 2 machine set for extra rinse
Front loader or top loader? Top
Line dry or dryer? dryer though when we move to a home line
how picky are you about stains? pretty picky but I know they happen
Do you use a pre-treater? shout
Keep going until the stain is gone? depends
Give up and toss the garment? no or extremely rare
Use it with the stain on it? often

Deanna

ronioli
01-15-2009, 08:55 PM
What do you use?
All Free and Clear

Do you use an oxy-type cleaner?
Rarely

Do you ever use hot water?
With whites and with sheets/towels

How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough?
I don't line dry so I don't have that issue

How many risne cycles?
2

Front loader or top loader?
Top

Line dry or dryer?
Dryer

How picky are you about stains? Do you use a pre-treater? Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it?
If the item is dd's play clothes, I don't worry too much about the stain if it's still there after I pre-treat it. I just let her wear it unless it's really awful. If the item is my or dh's and is an expensive, quality item, I work pretty hard to get out the stain. I don't worry too much about t-shirts, socks, workout clothes, etc.

Lantern Light Mama
01-15-2009, 09:59 PM
I'm corny but the phrase "airing dirty laundry in public" just came to mind. :giggle

mommylove
01-15-2009, 10:16 PM
What do you use? BioKleen. Vinegar & TTO on the diapers.
Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? Rarely
Do you ever use hot water? Always on the diapers, occasionally on the whites
How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? not an issue
How many risne cycles? Just one. I don't have a fancy machine
Front loader or top loader? Top loader. 1970s Kenmore, baby. :lol
Line dry or dryer? Line dry in the summer, dryer the rest of the year. DH's work clothes are always hung to dry on the shower rod, as are bras & diaper covers.
how picky are you about stains? Not at all.
Do you use a pre-treater? Rarely
Keep going until the stain is gone? Um, no.
Give up and toss the garment? Rarely
Use it with the stain on it? Often

We've got 2 adults & 1 toddler. I do about 7 loads a week, usually in a 2-day period. I divide them into delicates/DH's work clothes/workout clothes, coloreds, jeans/towels, whites/sheets & diapers/covers.

zak
01-15-2009, 10:37 PM
How do you do your's?
-I do it when the bedroom hamper is full (2 adults, 2 kids clothes go in there)

What do you use?
-Shaklee Powder Laundry detergent, 1 box lasts me about 6 months

Do you use an oxy-type cleaner?
-Shaklee Nature Bright

Do you ever use hot water?
-Yes, sometimes. If R had a pee accident (very rare these days), I do that load with HOT to get the pee smell out (I also use vinegar in the softener/bleach section of my washer). I use HOT on towels too, usually.

How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough?
-Shaklee fabric softener :)

How many risne cycles?
-Just one, I don't do extra rinses unless it's diapers.

Front loader or top loader?
-Front Loader

Line dry or dryer?
-Drier always.

How picky are you about stains? Do you use a pre-treater? Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it?
-Pretty picky. I use Shaklee Basic H plus I rub some Nature Bright on the tough/dark stains. If the stain doesn't come out I might keep the item for "play" clothes, but it wouldn't be worn in public.

:)

Niphredil
01-15-2009, 11:03 PM
Actually, let's not talk about laundry. :shifty

How do you do your's?
When I run out of underwear.

What do you use?
Homemade Diva Detergent

Do you ever use hot water?
Only for diapers. It takes way too long for anything else.

How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough?
I'm generally just glad things are clean. :shifty

How many risne cycles?
However many it does, is it bad that I have no idea?

Front loader or top loader?
Top loader

Line dry or dryer?
Drier, aside from diapers and sheets in the summer.

How picky are you about stains? Do you use a pre-treater? Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it?
I have never, ever tried to get a stain out in my life.

ReedleBeetle
01-15-2009, 11:52 PM
Actually, let's not talk about laundry. :shifty

How do you do your's?
When I run out of underwear.

What do you use?
Homemade Diva Detergent



:haha :haha :laughtears This struck me as SO funny! I immediately thought "we aren't talking about washing your womanly stash!" :haha :haha

MomtoJGJ
01-16-2009, 01:19 AM
Oh, and except for diapers my loads are ALWAYS extra large... diapers is generally on small or else they don't get all the soap out.

knitlove
01-16-2009, 07:07 AM
Family of 2 adults- thinking about this summer when we will be a family of 3 :jump

How do you do your's? I have 4 baskets above my washer/dryer 1-Hot white's(underwear, socks, undershirts - this will once in a blue moon get bleached), 2-Hot dark's(colored underwear, socks), 3-Perment press (dress shirts and pants) this will get washed in A-white and B-colored load, 4-every thing else that will get divide and washed in to A-heavy load (jeans and sweats), B-sweaters, and depending on the season C-lights and D-dark's. Sheets and towls get washed every other week on Saturday

The goal and it was really working for a bit (before IL came over I don't think DH likes to have the laundry out where people can see it and the laundry are is in the upstairs hallway with no doors because they wouldn't fit maybe I need to get about to making the curtain I have been talking about for 4 years :/ ) is to sort as we take stuff off and then I do a load every day.

What do you use? home made powder: Borax, washing soda and ivory soap

Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? no but I have been thinking about it for a while and will probably get some soon because DH's undershirts are dingie and I don't want to bleach them all the time.

Do you ever use hot water? Yes loads 1, 2 and sheets/ towels are on washed in hot

How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? not some thing I worry about

How many risne cycles? one unless I actually use bleach and then 2

Front loader or top loader? top loader

Line dry or dryer? dryer but I really really want to get a close line up for this summer

How picky are you about stains? ehh some what Do you use a pre-treater?I use stain sirick and really like it, I also keep rubbing alcohol and vinegar in the laundry area to work on stains Keep going until the stain is gone? yes I pull things out of the wash and let them air dry and then will keep working on it for a week or so depending on how much I love the item Give up and toss the garment?yes if it is DH's Use it with the stain on it? yes if it is mine but I am working on trying to be better about getting rid of my clothes that need to not be in use any more.

charla
01-16-2009, 11:41 AM
How do you do your's? I do laundry once a week (2 adults, 2 children) usually on Wednesday although sometimes I need an extra day to get everything done. Here are my piles- light clothes, dark clothes, sometimes a separate jeans pile if there are too many dark clothes, towels, sheets. I have never separated out whites and I probably never will. I don't like doing laundry that much. :shifty I fold/hang up the laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. I make a pile for each family member. And since HHBC, I've immediately put those piles away after folding them.
What do you use? Cheer free and clear
Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? No
Do you ever use hot water? Hardly ever unless I'm washing DH's mowing clothes or something that's really icky. I generally use warm wash/cold rinse for everything
How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough? I haven't had this problem
How many risne cycles? 1 unless I can tell it is still soapy
Front loader or top loader? Top
Line dry or dryer? Dryer - I might lay some sweaters flat to dry if I'm in the mood
how picky are you about stains? Picky
Do you use a pre-treater? Yes, shout
Keep going until the stain is gone? Usually
Give up and toss the garment?I have on occasion given up and thrown the garmet away
Use it with the stain on it? Not usually because it pains me to have stains

Elora
01-16-2009, 11:56 AM
How do you do your's? We throw our clothes down the basement stairs when we're done with them :shifty Then whenever we go down there we take them into the laundry room.I do mine and ds', dh does his own. We take turns throwing in towels whenever we see they're low. I separate whites, but that's it. DH doesn't separate his whites. I *try* to do a load a day to stay caught up, but that rarely happens.

What do you use? Tide. It's the only thing dh will use.
Do you use an oxy-type cleaner? Nope
Do you ever use hot water? Only on towels and sheets.
How do you get things soft again after they have gotten stiff and rough?I think maybe this depends on the water? I haven't had anything get stiff, and I don't use fabric softner or dryer sheets so I'm not sure.
How many risne cycles? Just one! I have a hard enough time keeping up and there's only three of us. I can't imagine running more than one (it's part of why I stopped CDing)
Front loader or top loader?Top.
Line dry or dryer? We hang dry work clothes, everything else goes in the dryer.
how picky are you about stains? Depends on what the stain is on.
Do you use a pre-treater? Not really. But if I get something on my clothes that is going to stain, I rinse in cold water right away and throw it in the next load. But I don't have 7 other people's clothing to check for stains :giggle And ds clothes, he's so little I dont worry about stains on them.
Keep going until the stain is gone? Give up and toss the garment? Use it with the stain on it? Dpends on what it is. Work clothes I put more effort into because I don't have money to buy more and can't wear them with stains. If it's just stuff I'm going to wear around the house or running errands, or dh's garage clothes, I couldnt care less about stains and I just use them with the stains on them.

Share. Dish. Give the 411.

:mrgreen
[/quote]