Y'all are so helpful. I will try baking soda for sure. And I like the idea of washing whites and colors together in cold...I like washing DS's clothes separately b/c I'm too lazy to walk into both of our rooms to put the clothes away. Totally lazy, I know. I wasn't sure if cold was enough to get whites clean though (i.e. underwear and undershirts), but from the sounds of it, it is!

And I like the poster's suggestion to just wash faded shirts with plain water. Brilliant!

Darks - warm
Whites - hot
Towels - cold

I use fabric softner and dryer sheets too.

I wash everything in cold. Takes less time to do, as well.

I too wash everything in cold. On occasion, if DH has had a hard sweaty workweek, I'll wash whites in hot...don't know if it makes a difference, but he seems to think so, so there ya go. No dryer sheets, no ironing, just wash and dry. I might try the idea of buying dryer sheets and cutting them in half or thirds since I don't use them because DH has sensitive skin and the whole ones make his waistbands itch and rashy. If there's anything we need ironed we usually just get them pressed, since it's not a regular occurrence. They do a better job of creases in pants than I do..lol

I use cold for everything except whites. I wash them in hot with bleach. I am pretty picky about my whites (socks, shirts that kind of thing), I may try the cold for whites though, we'll see. As for drying, I dry everything with a 1/4 softener sheet for five minutes, then hang them. I hang everything except sock, underwear, towels, sheets, and jeans.

__________________
Jenifer
Proud wife to one amazing man
Proud mom to four awesome kids

Fall is my favorite season!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

I wash everything in cold except underclothes and towels/washcloths.