Laundry is a chore that you likely perform regularly. While laundry can begin to feel like an endless chore, modern washing machines make the process far easier than ever before. However, even the highest-end washing machine can’t make up for common laundry mistakes. Before you throw your next load of clothes in the wash, find out these laundry tips that the experts wish you knew.
Wash Your Synthetics Separately
Your synthetic clothes need to be treated differently than the rest of your items. While washing a synthetic garment with other clothes won’t immediately ruin the item, it can cause damage that will wear the garment out over time. Stiff jeans, items with zippers or buttons, and even tops with sequins can rub against your synthetic items causing them to pill or damage their elasticity. As a general rule, wash your clothes with “like materials.”
Wash With Lukewarm Water to Prevent Stains
Stains are one of the top laundry problems people have to deal with, and not everyone knows how to address a stain properly. Unfortunately, if a garment with a stain is incorrectly washed, that stain will set and be nearly impossible to remove. Avoid high-temperature washing and drying cycles when treating a stain, and whenever possible, address stains quickly by pretreating them.
Avoid Using Fabric Softener on Activewear
Since activewear is designed to absorb oil and wick away sweat, fabric softener or even the wrong kind of detergent can be absorbed into the clothes and clog the pores of the material. This means that your items won’t absorb sweat like they are designed to and may even have a lingering, musky smell. This is because fabric softener can block the sweat and dirt from washing out properly, leaving your newly laundered items smelling like a high school gym locker.
Prep Your Clothes Before Washing
Simply tossing your clothes in the washing machine may be easy, but your clothes may suffer from it. Instead, prep your clothes before washing by ensuring that zippers are zipped, velcro is secured and snaps or hooks are closed. This will prevent snags and tears during the wash cycle. To keep clothes at their best, be sure to unroll cuffs and socks, and turn pockets inside out after checking for forgotten items.
