9 Common Laundry Mistakes You Might be Making

Whether it’s your first time attempting laundry or you’ve been washing clothing for years, there are various blunders you’ll want to avoid. To prevent damage to a fabric or fit, read on to find out about the most common laundry mistakes you might be making.

1. Aggressively Rubbing Stains

Your first instinct might be to furiously rub at a stain on your clothing, but try not to give into temptation. It’s often much more effective to adopt a slightly gentler approach to stains on your clothing. Grab a white cloth, which will prevent colors from transferring to a fabric, and dab at the stain, rather than rubbing it. Also, contain the stain by working from the outside.

2. Not Washing Swimwear Effectively

The last thing many people might want to do is wash a swimsuit on a hot summer’s day. Yet, it takes only a few minutes out of your day to laundry swimwear effectively. For instance, you should rinse your swimsuit straight away after wearing it, before washing it once you return home. This will prevent a bathing suit from smelling.

3. Using Too Much Detergent

Many homeowners often add too much detergent into their laundry, as they believe it could make them cleaner or fresher. Unfortunately, excess suds can hold more dirt, which can lead to a bacteria build-up in a hard to reach area in your clothing, such as underneath a shirt collar. If you’re unsure if you’re using the right level of detergent, halve the amount you would ordinarily use in your laundry. You can then increase the detergent amount if the clothing doesn’t turn out to be as clean as you’d like them to be.

4. Washing Buttoned Shirts

After a long, hard day at work, you might be tempted to pull off your shirt and throw it straight into a washer. Unfortunately, this can add unnecessary stress onto a shirt’s buttons and buttonholes, which can lead to lost buttons or an unexpected poppage. So, take a few moments to unbutton your shirts before placing them in a washer or hamper.

5. Incorrectly Filling the Washing Machine

Do you wash your clothing in a top-loader with liquid detergent? If so, you might be making the common mistake of filling it first with water, before adding soap and the clothing. It’s a traditional laundry method that is thought to prevent residue on both the fabric and washing machine. Yet, most modern detergents are phosphate-free, so they’re no longer harmful to your clothing. The best method is to add the clothes first followed by water and then the detergent.

6. Failing to Zip the Zipper to the Top

You might be surprised to learn that your zippers might be damaging your clothing. The metal teeth can sometimes snag at woven or delicate clothing if they’ve been washed in the same load. So, protect your clothing by zipping a zipper all the way to the top.

7. Using Bleach

It’s often too easy to reach for the bleach when you need to remove protein stains, such as blood or sweat. Don’t reach for harsh chemicals if you don’t have to. Instead, add stained t-shirts or socks into a pot of water with lemon slices. Bring the water to the boil for a few minutes before draining the water and hanging up the clothing to dry on the line.

8. An Unlevel Washing Machine

An unlevel washer can reduce the lifespan of the machine and the vibrations could damage your flooring. To avoid wearing out a washer’s components, such as the tub bearings and shock absorbers, place a level on a machine and adjust the washer’s feet. If that doesn’t work, add a piece of ¾ inch-thick plywood that is larger the machine’s base, as this can absorb noisy vibrations.

9. Allowing a Dryer to Rest Between Loads

Do you often allow a dryer to rest between loads? If so, you could be unnecessarily wasting energy. It’s often more energy efficient to run back-to-back loads, as your clothing will benefit from the heat retained from the previous drying cycling. So, it’s an effective way to reduce energy consumption while lowering your household bills.

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