Laundry is an unavoidable part of our everyday life. Cleaning and drying your clothes are one thing, but to keep them looking brand-new is another. Without knowing, you may be reducing the lifespan of your clothing due to these 7 most common laundry mistakes.
1. Using too much detergent
The main purpose of laundry powder is to remove stains, odour, sweat, and dirt from your clothes. While it may seem like adding a little extra powder will get your clothes cleaner, the reality is quite the opposite.
Every detergent is designed to perform optimally under specific conditions and putting the right quantity is just one of the key factors to success. Adding extra laundry detergent creates extra soapy suds in the washer, that may not rinse out completely in one wash.
It is also a waste of money to throw in more than necessary laundry powder into your washing machine. To avoid this, pay close attention to the recommended weight of laundry and recommended dose of the laundry detergent.
2. Ignoring the care labels
Care labels are a set of instructions on how to wash, dry, and/or iron your clothes. For everyday wear i.e., T-shirts, jeans, or underwear you may be already aware of the recommended washing regime.
If you are laundering a garment that’s not a part of your regular washing routine such as knits, wool, cashmere, always take a look at the care label before throwing those items into the washer.
It is because each garment has a different composition. Some fabrics go well with warm wash cycles while others are better suited for cold cycle washes. Checking the care label can help you in finding the best washing and drying conditions for your clothing.
3. Overstuffing the Washing Machine
It is a common practice to overstuff the washing machine when in a rush. A huge laundry load can put extra friction on your washing machine. When clothes don’t have enough space to move in the washer, they don’t get properly cleaned. Different fabrics get tangled with each other, creating a laundry mess. Lastly, the increased friction between clothes causes faster wear-and-tear resulting in increased pilling or “bobbling”.
Following the manufacturer’s load capacity for your washing machine can help prevent these issues. Rather than throwing in everything at once, running multiple smaller cycles can be a more efficient way. It is also good practice to wash your dirtier clothes separately than the ones hardly breaking any sweat.
4. Using same detergent for every garment
Not every laundry detergent is made the same way. Every fabric has a different care cycle, and no laundry powder can go with every kind of textile fibre. As a rule of thumb, you should always have four kinds of detergents at your disposal:
For white colored garments
For colored garments
For wool and silk
For restoring worn-out clothing and debobbling
CAUTION: Many individuals make the mistake of using bleaches, optical whiteners, or chlorine based chemicals for brightening their whites which can permenantly damage the fabric of your clothing. While choosing a detergent, make sure to look at the ingredients and avoid using these additives.
It may sound like a lot to remember and a little tricky right now but once you get the hang of it, you’ll hardly notice as you switch between products like a laundry care pro!
5. Not treating stains immediately
It is not possible to avoid getting stains on your clothes. Considering it as a part of the regular laundry regime, knowing how to treat stains effectively is very important.
Make a habit of treating stains as soon as possible. The longer it stays on your clothing, the deeper it will penetrate into the textile fibre, making it harder to remove once it's dried in.
If you have a stubborn stain from tea, ketchup etc., use a spot cleaning stain remover on the affected area of the garment before tossing it in the laundry machine.
Finally, make sure to take some guidelines from the care label. It can tell you all the vital details such as fabric type, composition, highest washing temperature etc. By having this information, you can try a more suitable stain removal method.
BONUS TIP: Never dry your clothes before the stain is fully treated. If you are unsure about the stain removal method/solution, try it on a smaller (or unnoticeable) area before using it on the overall fabric.
6. Not Cleaning your Laundry machine regularly
Over time, a laundry machine can accumulate dirt and detergent residue. This can clog the washer and transfer unpleasant smells to your clothes. For instance, when you wash your clothing in a dirty washing machine, chances are that the dirt and debris residue will transfer onto your clothing (which may lead to skin irritation or itching in some cases).
Make a habit of regularly cleaning your washing machine according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Most of the time, it may include running a cleaning cycle with hot water. There are also inexpensive washing machine cleaners available on the market that can help you, whilst also helping to extend the life of your washing machine by keeping it clean.
7. Using untested home recipes
Many people make the mistake of trusting untested home recipes to take care of lint and pilling which end up doing more harm than good. Using a science-backed and enzyme-based formula such as BIORESTORE Cotton Re-Tergent can help you to achieve effective results to remove unwanted pilling, bobbles, or lint which are a common problem for clothing. As long as your clothing is made of 70% cotton, you don’t need to worry about patch testing or any other side-effect.
With the above-mentioned recommendations and strategies, you can avoid damaging your clothes during laundry and preserve your wardrobe for longer. Hope that helps!
