Oh my, I missed this thread - I love cleaning!!

I have washing powder (detergent?) and softener - that is all I use in my automatic washing machine - but I handwash all my son's white school shirts, and I pre-treat stains on other things with good old "sunlight soap" (probably only South African) ... works every time.

My men are messy - so I do 5 to 7 loads a week!!!! Then again, I have an issue with smells so my own only once worn clothes go into the pot too!

It doesn't seem to make a difference whether I use softener on my towels but I do try to limit it.