Doing laundry is one of those things that appears simple and straightforward, however there are a few steps that you have to carry out in order to not create more work for yourself or ruin your clothing. We have compiled a helpful list of laundry mishaps that you can avoid easily once you know them.
Failing to Read Fabric Tags
Each piece of clothing that you have has a clothing tag that contains information about the clothing item. It usually includes what kind of fabric it is comprised of, and the best practices for washing and drying the item. If you are someone that cuts these tags out of their clothing, you might want to at least read and note what the tag says before you wash it the first time. Keeping a log in this case may prove helpful. You can find out additional information on the best washing practice for specific types of clothing and the best water temperature to use for washing clothes by navigating around to the information we provide.
Not Sorting Items by Color
This is a big one and one that will oftentimes create ruined clothing items. Some clothing has to be washed with other like colored items, or it will ruin other clothing that you wash along with it. There are a few pieces that you might even have to wash alone because their dye runs easily onto other pieces. You can easily turn a white shirt pink by washing it with a red item that has dye that bleeds out when being washed. Also, we have seen darker colors have grey splotches after washing with white shirts that have had bleached applied before throwing in the washer. You should never mix colors, and before you throw items into the wash, you should separate them out by color, and preferred wash cycles, if you can.
Not Sorting by Fabric Type / Preferred Wash Cycle Setting
Some clothing must be washed on a gentle cycle or it will produce holes in the item. You should make a habit of sorting your clothing after you take it off, prior to gathering your laundry. If you make a point to sort your items by color each day, and then pile items that are like colored together according to their preferred wash cycle setting, i.e. gentle, normal, heavy (towels, and heavily soiled items) then you will save some time.
Never Wash Towels with Clothes
Washing towels with clothing items can transfer bacteria and germs that are exclusive to towels onto your clothing. For sanitary reasons, you should never wash a towel with an article of clothing. Towels tend to also be made of fabrics that get hold onto dust and fabric debris and this can transfer onto certain types of clothing (cotton t-shirts) and make them look like they have faded due to tiny little pieces of fabric being dispersed onto the shirt. Washing towels with your clothing can also cause them to have an odor after they are washed. You can learn more about what you can do if your clothing still smells after they have been washed on our site.
Not Checking the Washing Machine Prior to Use
Best Wash Laundromat facilities in Missouri and Illinois are the cleanest facilities in the St. Louis and surrounding area, however you should still check each washing machine before you put clothing inside of it. This is because a patron that went ahead of you may have forgotten an item and it may be an item that has dye that bleeds. You do not want someone else’s dark sock, ruining your white clothing because it was missed when they transferred their clothing into the dryer.
Over Scrubbing Stains
Some people assume that the harder you scrub and the more detergent that you use, the better when combating stains in your laundry, however this is not the case. Over scrubbing can cause the stain to navigate outside of the stain area and run, creating a bigger area that is involved. Also, it’s not good to create a ton of friction on the fibers that comprise your favorite clothing. You want to use a strong stain fighting agent sparingly, and gently brush it into the stain, without causing it to loosen up too much and then run into the other areas of the fabric.
Using Too Much Bleach
Bleach is strong and can harm your skin and eyes and put holes in your clothing. Inhaling bleach is dangerous, avoid it! Think of the old saying, a little bit goes a long way with regards to bleach. If you put too much, you will damage the fibers that comprise your favorite white clothing. If you are spot treating stains, opt for a specific bleach pen from your favorite laundry brand, or mix up your own bleach to water concoction to apply to the stain before washing right away.
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