Most people throw their clothes in the washing machine and call it a day, but they actually may be harming their clothes and causing them to wear down due to some simple laundry mistakes.
Below are five major mistakes made during laundry and these in turn ruins the clothes in question:
1) Using the same detergent for all your clothes
While most people simply use whatever detergent they have on hand, you can keep your clothes lasting much longer and continue to look brand new by considering which detergent you are using for a wash.
Washing powder is best for white clothes and a liquid detergent (such as a gel or capsule) for your dark and colourful clothing.
2) Too much detergent
It might seem like using more detergent would help get your clothes cleaner, but the opposite is true. Today’s laundry detergents only require a small capful to get your dirty clothes clean. Too much soap can actually harm your garments, leaving a sticky residue that attracts more dirt, dust, and bacteria. Wash with a capful instead.
3) Not sorting laundry by color and material
Wash your light-colored clothes and whites separately from your darks and reds to prevent colors from bleeding into each other. While separating lights and darks is probably already part of your laundry routine, you should also sort your clothes by material. Heavier items like jeans and sweaters should be washed separately from blouses and dress shirts. Not sorting your laundry by material can cause abrasion and damage to more delicate fabrics.
4) Forgetting to empty pockets and zip up zippers
A laundry tip many people might not know of is pockets need to be emptied. Tissues, lipsticks, coins, or car keys left in a pocket can ruin your laundry and machine. Remember to zip up garments before tossing them into the washer. Zippers have jagged teeth that can snag other fabrics in the wash.
5) Not pretreating stains
Your best bet at removing stains is to pretreat the area before throwing the clothing in the washer. The longer the stain penetrates the garment’s fibers, the harder it will be to remove. Dab stains gently by avoiding over-scrubbing and pretreat with cold water, detergent, or a stain remover, then wash as usual.
Also, avoid tossing the stained clothing in the dryer; if the washer doesn’t get the stain out, the heat from your dryer can set the stain and make it even harder to remove.
