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It’s a chore that usually has to be done at least once a week, sometimes more often if you have a large family. In order to have clean clothes to wear, the laundry that piles up has to be washed and dried. While it might seem as easy as tossing your clothes in each machine and letting the machines take care of the job, there are some common mistakes that are sometimes made that could be avoided with careful planning. If you have large loads to wash, then consider going to a laundromat to use commercial machines.
Stains
When you see a stain on your clothes, the first thing that you probably want to do is scrub it to see if it will come out. While this can remove smaller stains if done gently, it can sometimes make stains that are larger worse and can even damage the fabric. There are various products that can be used on stains that can help to remove them. You want to leave the product on the stain for the recommended length of time before gently scrubbing and putting the clothes in the washer.
Dry Cleaning
Some articles of clothing have a dry-clean-only label on them for a reason. This is because the fabric is too delicate to be washed and dried in machines that you have at home. However, if you don’t want to pay a dry cleaning fee, you can sometimes wash clothing like this by hand. After it’s washed, it should be hung to dry instead of being put in a machine.
Large Loads
Although washing clothes at home can be convenient, you want to try to avoid washing large loads or a lot of clothes in one day as the machines could burn out over time. An option is to use commercial laundry equipment at a laundromat. These machines can sometimes wash more items at one time because of their size and can usually hold up to a lot of clothes at once. Commercial machines can sometimes wash and dry faster than the machines that you have at home as well.
Detergent
When you wash clothes, you probably want them to be as clean as possible. However, a mistake that you could be making is using too much detergent at one time. Adding more detergent than is needed can make it difficult for your washing machine to remove the soap in one cycle. If there are too many suds in the washer, they can sometimes retain the dirt that the washer is trying to remove from your clothes, which defeats the purpose of washing them in the first place. Consider using about half of the amount that’s shown on the bottle, increasing it by a quarter of the amount if you feel that your clothes aren’t as clean as you’d like.
Dryer Lint
If you take a look at your dryer, you’ll likely see a trap in the front. This is where the lint collects while your clothes are drying. It’s important to remove the trap and clean it every few loads as this could become a fire hazard. If you wash towels or clothes with a lot of excess fabric, then consider removing the trap and lint more often. You can decrease the amount of lint that gets trapped in your dryer by using a lint roller before washing your clothes.
Sorting
A common mistake when it comes to laundry is sorting your clothes before they’re washed. If you keep dark colors with those that are lighter or your whites, then you could have some of the lighter items come out with a few dark spots. Even after washing your darks several times, it’s still possible that some of the dye could fade when the clothes are washed. You should also consider sorting items by their material as some pieces could need to be washed and dried on a delicate cycle while others should be washed on a bulky setting, such as towels and sheets.
Zipping Your Clothes
One thing that you might not think about doing before washing your clothes is zipping your pants and other items that have a zipper. Left unzipped, the teeth could catch on to other items, resulting in tears or loose strings. Clips on bras and other items should be hooked as well as they could do similar damage.
About the Author:
Lisa Eclesworth is a notable and influential lifestyle writer. She is a mom of two and a successful homemaker. She loves to cook and create beautiful projects with her family. She writes informative and fun articles that her readers love and enjoy. You can directly connect with her on email – [email protected] or visit her website www.lisaeclesworth.com.
