5 Laundry Mistakes You're Probably Making
Is your washing machine failing to give you crisp white sheets? We have listed some simple laundry mistakes you could be making.
Is your utility room a disaster zone? Washing and drying clothes comes with a range of risks. Here are five quick and not-so-dirty tricks for the things you might be getting wrong when you wash and dry your family’s clothes.
Common laundry mistakes
1. Using Too Much Laundry Liquid
Always take the directions on the pack with a pinch of salt -- or, in this case, a pinch of powder. Manufacturers of laundry liquid and powder have a vested interest in getting you to use more than you really need.
In fact, most products are pretty concentrated, and unless your clothes are very soiled, you don’t need to use much at all.
If your washing machine is full of soapy bubbles, it becomes more challenging to remove clumps of dirt anyway, meaning that overusing detergent is counter-productive.
Try using half of the recommended number of scoops, or half of a capful, and you may find that the clothes come out just as clean -- or cleaner.
2. Allowing Stains to Soak In
If your child arrives home from school caked in mud or covered in grass stains, don’t hesitate: get them changed immediately and get their uniform into the washer. If you can’t put a wash on straight away, put them (the clothes, not the child) into a basin or sink of cold water until you can.
Any kind of drying will help stains to set, which is why you should always check clothes for stains while wet and avoid drying them if they’re still visible. Never put a stained item into the dryer or onto the line, because once it’s baked on, it’ll probably never come out.
3. Overfilling Your Washing Machine
This one sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget: the more you cram into a machine, the less the clothes can move around, and the more difficult it’ll be to get them clean.
If you’re forcing lots of clothes into the machine to save money, you might actually save a lot more by putting fewer items on a cooler wash. Coldwater is actually much better for your clothes anyway because it’s less harmful to the fibres and tends to prevent clothes from going out of shape.
4. Mixing Colours and Whites
We’ve all accidentally put a strong colour in with whites and pulled out a load of dyed pants and shirts! If this happens, don’t panic. Treat the clothes as you would any other stain: into cold water, then plan your attack!
White clothes can usually be bleached back to their original brightness if washed with an oxy-bleach cleaner. Keep a tub in the cupboard all the time so you can act quickly if the worst does happen. If washing in the machine doesn’t work, you can try soaking the clothes or making a paste of the bleach powder with a little water. Remember: never soak anything with bleach in a metal bath or container.
5. Shrinking Things in the Dryer
The number one reason for changing shape or size is stress on the fibres in your clothes. So if you want to avoid turning everyone’s t-shirts into crop tops, wash cold and dry as cool as you can.
Hot, ‘cupboard dry’ settings on your dryer may be handy, but if you rely on them every time, you’ll find that clothes inevitably change size over time. It’s better to try them for about 40 minutes on a warm setting, then finish them on an airer or on the line.
Washing machine repairs
If your laundry still isn't cleaning properly after these simple fixes it could be a fault with the machine itself. For high-quality washing machine repairs contact Go Assist today.
