Last Updated on February 22, 2019
From all of our home chores, most of us would consider laundry to be the easiest because obviously, what’s easier than putting a bunch of dirty clothes into the washing machine, add detergent, turn it on, and let the magic happens by itself.
Doing laundry should be considered as a hard task only if we were washing them with our bare hands. Oh boy, the past generations were suffering. So we may consider ourselves in luck, but still, we should be following a few rules to ensure our laundry to be washed in the right way.
Yes, we know what you are thinking about. You have been doing your laundry for years now and your clothes never looked better, but are you sure you have been doing it right this whole time?
Your outfits might be cleaner, softer, and smell incredible. But unfortunately, doing the same mistakes repeatedly with your machine will reduce the durability of your favorite shirt and PJ’s.
High water temperature
We usually wash our clothes in intensely high water temperature, but that leads them to lose their color and shape. So it is best to keep it at a lower temperature in order for your clothes to wear out slower.
Plus, cool and warm water can cope with clothes’ dirt the same way hot water handles it, especially if you have a good detergent and washing machine. However, the only clothes that should be wasted at 190°F are linen and towels for disinfection. The rest of your clothes will turn out just fine in lower temperatures.
Putting heavily stained clothes in the machine
The heavily soiled items will not be getting rid of their stains effectively if they weren’t presoaked. Plus, it is best if they are treated with a stain remover or carefully washed by hands before throwing them into the washing machine for the best results.
However, if you don’t want to use a stain remover, you can use another alternative:
– One of the best cleansing agents for sweat stains is lemon juice.
– A mixture of liquid detergent and vinegar can remove the grass’ traces.
– A mixture of baking soda and water will clean the wine stains in a 3:1 ratio.
Too much softener or detergent
A large amount of detergent will definitely clog the detergent container, which will cause an unpleasant smell inside your machine and within your clothes. While a large amount of softener will make the clothes hard to rinse and the contrary of soft.
It is a must to read the dosages added on the packaging to prevent making these mistakes for a healthier washing machine and better clothes. However, never pour them in without your measuring cup. If you are thinking that your clothes are way too filthy for this dosage, then you can run two cycles or use the pre-wash mode.
Using softener for all types of fabric
The point of using a softener is making the fabric a lot softer and velvety, and also to facilities the ironing process. However, the softener will be decreasing the fabric absorbency with time, which is why it is a big no-no to use it on sportswear, towels, and any item that is made with elastane, microfiber or spandex.
I mean, yes, we are all addicted to softeners in a way that makes us a little obsessive because we really can’t resist that amazing smell and great softness of the fabric. But the “health” of our clothes matter a lot more.