Ring around the washing machine...

[whatadump!]

How do you do, ladies? My name is Katie, and I've been lurking around this forum for two weeks, getting some marvelous tips and advice. I've been using cold cream and witch hazel during that time, and I love it! My skin is glowing, and I no longer have an oil slick down the center of my face, beautifully complimented by dry patches on my cheeks. Love it!

I have, however, discovered something I don't love about my new routine: laundering my washcloths! I bought a pack of "burp cloths" from Target and cut them into squares. They have been much less abrasive to my skin than regular washcloths (I feel your pain re: sensitive skin, Jitterbugdoll).

Anyway, I popped my face cloths into the washing machine yesterday in hot water with plenty of detergent. They still had mascara smudges on them. So, I put them in again with hot water, bleach, Oxyclean and detergent and let them presoak. More of the mascara came out, but not all, and now I have a ring of cold cream around my washing machine.

What do you ladies use to wash your washcloths? What is your technique for removing makeup stains as well as residual cold cream from them?

Thanks in advance for your time and advice!

K

P.S. This is random, but my grandmother was a true lady of the 1940's. My fondest memories are of her softly singing songs like "Over There" while she worked in her kitchen. From the top of her head to the bottom of her well-polished shoes, she exemplified good taste. She died in 2000, and I miss her terribly. Just lurking around this site has helped me feel close to her again. I think she'd be so pleased that her beloved 1940's are being kept alive and well.

 

[princessofcandl]

Well here is my take....

I use the cold cream and wash cloths as part of my routine. I bought specific cheap washclothes for the job. They are all white.

When they get washed I put them in with hubby's undershirts and undies (this is my hot water and bleach load). This load is generally smaller so as I load the machine I get out the Spray-n-wash and start spraying items before they get tossed in.

When they come out, they are clean. I mean they are reallllly clean. But they may not be un-stained. But thats ok, thats why I bought cheap cloths for the specific purpose. I do the same for my hair coloring towels, except they are dark. not white.

 

[whatadump!]

Thanks, Princess! So, Spray 'n Wash, then. I'll have to try that. Do you let the Spray 'n Wash sit on the cloths and then wash them, or wash them right away?

This may sound weird, buy I'd like to get my cloths as clean as possible, with no stains, if I can. I like to see my makeup come off on the cloth, and I keep wiping my face until the cloth comes away clean. I'm afraid old stains will ruin that effect for me.

I guess I could just go out and buy a bunch of really cheap washcloths and just throw them away after. That seems wasteful though.

I could also tissue my cold cream off instead, but I keep reading that a warm washcloth is best. Anyone tissue off their cold cream and recommend that over a washcloth?

(I could also get a life and quit obsessing over cold cream related issues. But what fun would that be?)

K

 

[Elaina]

I use oil of Olay facial cloths for that reason. Removes the makeup before I get to deep cleaning.

 

[BonnieJean]

I use baby wipes (sensitive formula for my sensitive skin) to initially wipe off the cold cream and most of the make-up and mascara and then I follow that with my warm washcloth. (I give them a little rinse with the warm water right after I use them and then I wash them with my regular towels with a little bleach and they get amazingly clean.) I finish my routine with rose water witchhazel. I have adult acne and my face hasn't been this good in years!

 

[Paisley]

I just use a dark washcloth and wash it in hot water.

 

[whatadump!]

Thanks, everyone!

BonnieJean: I agree. I never in a million years would have thought that cold cream would do so much for my skin. I always used products for oily/combination skin that stripped my face of all of its natural moisturization. I then would get so furious when it overproduced oil to compensate. Poor, abused skin of mine! The only thing I'm worried about is having to come off of the pill later on this year. I have horrible cystic acne when off hormones, but we'll see. This is all probably TMI, though.

I might stop off on the way home from work and pick up some baby wipes to try. Thanks, again!

Also, can anyone recommend a good drugstore moisturizer with SPF to try? I've tried Olay Complete, but it irritates my skin. I hate having to apply a separate sunscreen. Good for me for wearing sunscreen, though, right? :eusa_clap

 

[Grnidwitch]

Whata...

You could have really hard water. Try adding some baking soda to the wash and see if that helps. I use hot water and a good detergent and my washcloths are coming out cleaner. I also bought inexpensive ones just for my cold cream.

 

[BonnieJean]

You could have really hard water. Try adding some baking soda to the wash and see if that helps. I use hot water and a good detergent and my washcloths are coming out cleaner.

I always add 1/2 C. or so of borax to my wash as we have our own well and the water is very hard and I wash in warm water. I don't know for sure if the borax is the trick, but everything seems to come out very clean. I think white vinegar added to the wash would be another option.

 

[whatadump!]

So, I wonder if soaking them in some Dawn before washing would work, too.

I like the idea of Borax or vinegar in the water, too. I've heard vinegar works really well in cleaning a multitude of things.

How do I tell if I have hard water? Might have to Google it.

 

[BonnieJean]

How do I tell if I have hard water?

Do you have your own water system? I live in a small town where everyone has their own well. If you live where the city provides your water, most likely it will be a lot softer than well water. I believe that you can find a test kit at most hardware/home stores to check the hardness of your water.

 

[Sunny]

The lazy way to tell is how easily soap rinses off your dishes and shampoo out of your hair. If the dish you keep rinsing and rinsing still feels slimey and soapy, it's probably soft water. If shampoo washes straight out of your hair when the water hits it, it's probably hard water. It's easiest to tell if you visit a friend in another city and wash the dishes or something. My city is fairly large and it's not well water, but the water is fairly hard. At my aunt's house in another city 20 minutes away, they've got the nastiest, softest water I've ever felt. At my college town, the water was in between. It just varies.

 

[princessofcandl]

Thanks, everyone!

The only thing I'm worried about is having to come off of the pill later on this year. I have horrible cystic acne when off hormones, but we'll see. This is all probably TMI, though.

Also, can anyone recommend a good drugstore moisturizer with SPF to try? I've tried Olay Complete, but it irritates my skin. I hate having to apply a separate sunscreen. Good for me for wearing sunscreen, though, right? :eusa_clap

no problems. Yeah, the baby wipes work great, so does the tissue off thing. I find that the cosmetic that sticks more than others, and is mostly responsible for ugly towels, is the eye makeup. Mascara, liner, etc. So I usually use eye make-up remover before I cold cream my face. That way I'm only using 2-3 cotton squares.

Good luck on the cystic acne thing. You might want to do a pre-emptive (sp?) strike and use a tea tree toner after insead of the usual witch hazel. The Body Shop has a fab one.

I use the Oil of Olay mosturizer for daily stuff but I also have a convertable. So I carry with me a tube of Clinique City Block spf 40 for when the top comes off.... of the car of course. I have a good history with Clinique products except thier yellow mosturizer. They have some new mosturizer/sun screen combos I plan on trying out this summer.

Oh, that reminds me.... off to the make-up counter!

 

[whatadump!]

Thank you all for your help! I've gotten some excellent suggestions, but, then, I knew I would!

 

[Miss Brill]

Try adding some baking soda to the wash and see if that helps.

I agree & was going to say the same thing.

 

[GoldLeaf]

Hard water is usually caused by the source of water flowing through limestone deposits. Limestone is just deposited and compacted calcium carbonate - dead little diatoms and what not from millions of years ago. As the water flows over and through the limestone, some of the calcium is dissolved and becomes part of the water supply. Magnesium and calcium are the two most common ions to have in hard water.

I also generalized a bit there, it isn't always limestone that is the culprit, really all rocks can erode and provide water with minerals. Limestone is easily eroded and is a rock that most people recognize the name of, hehe.

Soft water has low calcium and magnesium ions. Soft Water usually comes from peat or igneous rock sources, such as granite. Sandstone sources may also contribute to soft water since they are usually low in calcium and magnesium.

So, know that you know that useless piece of information lol here is a link to http://www.hardwater.org/ that may answer some questions. Sorry about the geology lesson there, I am a rock geek

 

[whatadump!]

Goldleaf: Actually, I've always wondered what made water hard or soft! Thanks for the bit of trivia!