I have to admit that I like washing my clothes, but since I have moved to Switzerland, the hard water here makes my white clothes go grey, colours go dull, yellow patches in the underarm area.
I have done my research in terms of how to wash clothes in hard water, also bought some products from Coop and Migros, like Vanish, and those whitening satchel stuff, and non of those seem to work!!
For example,
- Soak the clothes with Vanish overnight before wash
- Wash whites in high temperature (can’t do, my clothes will shrink)
- Use gel instead of powder (apparently it soaks better with gel in hard water)
- Use vinegar or dishwasher detergent (not too sure about this method…)

So can you please share your washing experience, and shed some lights how to revive my clothes and bring back the colour?

add water softener: http://www.calgon.ch/de/

edit: (city of) Zurich water isn't hard.

You have to up the dosage...3 times as much powder for a hard water area than a soft water area...

Although I am dissapointed by the powders here, not up to scratch, stains remaining and dull colours as you say...

I use both Persil Color Gel & Calgon Express Action Gel & have had no problems for the last couple of years.

The water in the city of Zurich is made up mostly of water taken from the lake of Zurich which makes it relatively soft. If you live in an area outside of the city it's more likely ground water which is much harder.

source: http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/dib/de/i...aetswerte.html

google translated: http://translate.google.com/translat...n&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Some washing powders like Ariel have "softeners" included, and so work quite well.

This depends on the locations. In Stadtkreise 4 and 5 and 6 (plus some others) where a high percentage of the water is cleaned Lake of Zurich water, it is not as hard as in other places, in Kreis 2, where about 45% of the water comes from wells along the Sihl River the water is fairly hard. Glattbrugg is the area where Lot's wife became stiff , while there are local differences. The area on the eastern side of the Schaffhauserstrasse is not as horrible as the area around Europa-Strasse. The water-provision "borders" are not the same as the political ones. Right here on the EF we have many folks from the Greater London area, where the water is generally on the "soft" side !

You however, according to your profile, are from Germany, and in many (maybe most) parts of Germany, water also is closer to "liquefied Kalk", or as I say it in regard to Glattbrugg Lägern Light

I learnt to know Ariel in London back in 1972, and I still use Ariel here now. And you should, if ok with the stuff, use the 95° "soft" and "pre-wash" program. Mrs B, a nice old lady here in this house who knows everything told me so, and it works

Avoid to use powder for washing your clothes. No matter which water it is. The powder is more difficult to dissolve and stick on the clothes, which will change their color, itchy skin and for women's underwear can give an extra push for vaginal infections.

Gel is the best, not too much.

As UTH mentioned, up the dosage. I use a combination of the powder and the liquid on my whites and have no problems with them remaining bright and white.

With regards to the stains under the arms, it may be due to the fact that your deodorant may not be completely dry when you put your clothes on. If that's not the case and you use dry spray or a deodorant stick as opposed to roll-on, then I would recommend that each time after you wear your shirts, immediately apply a paste of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar on the underarm area. Leave it to soak for a few hours then wash it. It's a bit of a pain doing that so if you wanted to you could also wear vests under your shirts.

Try the Migros or Coop Baby powder on your whites. The Coop one has a bleach agent that activates in warm water. I soak whites with stains in Vanish powder in warm water and use a spray on any stains again before washing.

I also separate our washes into whites, coloured and darks.

Try to find the Baby GEL it will have the same results without the downside.

What's it called? I'll go looking for something with a baby on it :-)

I am trying to remember the name.... I was used to use it when my daughter was a baby. The bottle is yellow cream and yes it has a baby on it.

I'll check today what is the name!

Really, as long as it is gel the brand isn't too much a biggies. The gel is already easier to mix in the mater while the powder has to be disolve and it doesn't work all the time and stick on the fabrics.

I am a big fan of product like Spray & wash. I get rid of all stain like; pen, oil, pooh, markers, tomato sauce, etc..

You spray, let it a bit and wash.

Vinegar and baking soda can be also something to had in the water to wash whites.

Speaking of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), can it be found anywhere in bulk? I would like to use it a bit more for cleaning but can only find it in those fiddly sachets in the supermarkets. I asked in our local pharmacy if they have a decent tub of it but she just looked a bit blank and said I should buy it in the local supermarket ("they sell it in small packets in the baking section...").



(EDIT: Hit send before doing a search - sorry! *Nips out for restorative coffee.")

Gel is far more practical, but some shops only sell powder for reasons unknown to me. Last time when I needed such stuff, only powder was available, but right this evening I bought some gel as later on replacement

All powders have softeners, but not enough for hard water. And where I come from in Germany, the water couldn't be softer (calcium-free brownstone around there, plus some water from Lake Constance).

Probably because Powder cleans much better than Gel, at least for White clothes (Gel does not contain bleach).

http://www.test.de/themen/haus-garte...51643-1052702/

The Ariel I buy is enough for the hard water here.

And of course, the Bodan-Rücken geologically belongs to the calcium-free Säntis-Massiv and not to the Calcium-laden Randen-Massiv (part of the Jura), and so yes, your remark makes sense.