My Beautiful Laundrette
151-153 Brunwick Street, Fitzroy
Open 6:30am TO 9:30pm, 7 Days a week
03 9415 6944

Handy Washing Tips

Maximise your experience with us

Detergents (What’s in a Soap)

Laundering can be a complex process and in the past decades detergents have come a long way. They come in both power and liquid form and are comparable in performance at a basic level, the difference in quality comes down to the manufacturer.  Liquid detergents washed equally well in both soft and hard water. Powdered detergents were better than liquids in soft water. My Beautiful Laundrette using highly filtered water that is suited to either type.  What is more important when doing your laundry is home much detergent you actually use which can be a tricky business.  Ensure you carefully follow the packet instructions as to the ratio of power/liquid for the size of load.  When you see the washing going there should be a little bit of soap visible through the window.  If it is completely white washed you have added far too much, if lathery with no white too little.  It’s easy to add more but if you have put too much, add some fabric softener in to dissolve some of the soap and bring it back to a good level.  (3 PICTURES – Too little ,just right, too much)

Prewash or not prewash (that is the question)

Prewash is very simply a short wash cycle that fills, agitates and drains before the main wash begins. This is reserved for particularly soiled items not normal day to day washing.

Fabric Softener (Fresh & Clean)

Technically speaking, fabric softeners coat the surface of a fabric with chemical compounds that are electrically charged, causing threads to “stand up” from the surface and thereby causing the fabric to feel softer.

They also normally add a fragrance to washing items and come in a wide variety of scents. Try not to overuse and only add into the fabric softener dispenser or in the final rinse.  Adding fabric softer during the wash cycle before the rinse will cancel the effect of detergent stopping your items from washing properly.  Beware as many people with sensitive skin can be irritated by the use of some fabric softeners.

Lights vs darks (Can’t we all just get along?)

Generally it is a good idea to split your light items from your dark into separate washes. This will stop any leaching of colour from your dark or brightly coloured items into your whites and lights.  It also allows you to add powered or liquid bleaches and treatments to your whites for brighter results that would only damage or leach your coloured items.  If using bleach, make sure every items being washed is completely white.

Delicates and Woolens (Honey I shrunk the clothes…. )

This includes never before washed items, nylon, latex, woollen items, lingerie, silks etc. Generally these should be washed in a machine with a GENTLE cycle option and washed in COLD water (WARM if not brand new).  You should also only use specified detergents for wool or a smaller amount than you would for a normal wash.  If you use the dryer make sure it is on the coolest setting (recommend not drying woollens, polyester or nylon items in the dryer at all).

Doonas/Duvet – (Who are you sharing your bed with?)

This means house dust mites, pet allergens, skin scales, eggs, fungal spores, pollen and stains (including bodily fluids) build up. Studies revealed that up to 70% of duvet/doonas owners admit not washing their duvet/doonas for a staggering 5-10 years!

Dust mites

The main component of dust is shed skin flakes, which is the mite’s preferred food source. Areas around the home that are heavily used, such as beds and upholstered furniture, will have much higher mite populations than the rest of the house. The most common type of dust mite found in Australian homes is Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.

These common house dust mites can trigger respiratory or dermatological conditions including asthma, hayfever and eczema with symptoms including; wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, runny or itchy nose, itchy eyes & skin as well as rashes.

What you can do

Washable duvets/doonas should be cleaned using detergent and Hot Water at least every 3-6 months.  This lowers bacteria by 55% and house dust mites, house dust mite allergen and cat allergen to almost zero.   Washable pillows should be washed once every 2-3 months because they’re in close proximity to the nose and eyes.  We recommend using our 16kg machines for a double or queen size doona and our 22kg machine for a king.  Singles can fit into our 12kg or two into our 22kg.

Oily tea towels and towels

Always wash in Hot Water with good quality detergent and if possible and agent that breaks down oils such as an emulsifier. When drying, always dry on cooler setting and never for too long. Over Drying Tea Towels in a HOT dryer is the biggest cause of fires when laundering so BE CAREFUL! If you are reqularly washing oily Tea Towels or similar items like massage towels please come and talk with us as you might benefit from our Commercial Tea Towels Service.