You might think that doing laundry is one of the easiest things to do, or if you’ve ever taken a shrunken sweater out of the dryer or seen your favorite black jeans fade after just a few washes, you know there’s more to it than just putting clothes in a machine. Taking good care of your laundry can make your clothes last much longer, keep their colors and fabrics, and save you money in the long run.
In this article, you’ll find the best tips, tricks, and techniques to help with your clothes. Look new wash after wash, no matter if you’re doing your own laundry for the first time, I want to improve your laundry skills.
Sort Before You Soak
You want to sort your laundry by color, type of fabric, and the amount of dirt. Keeping your clothes in good shape begins with sorting them correctly. If you mix whites and darts, your fabrics could turn grayish and dingy. If you wash towels with delicate blouses, the rough abrasion could hurt them. It’s good to try to sort your laundry into at least four groups.:
- White
- Dark
- Colors
- Delicates
To get the best results, sort your clothes by fabric, like denim, synthetics, or delicates, and then sort them by how dirty they are, like lightly dirty or very dirty.
Picking the Right Soap
When it comes to detergent, less is more. If you use too much detergent, it won’t make your clothes cleaner, it just leaves behind residue that can irritate your skin and break down the fabric. Pick a detergent that works best for you:
- Liquid detergent is great for getting rid of stains before washing them
- Powder detergent is great for regular loads
- High-efficiency detergent is good for high-efficiency machines
Look for detergents that are gentle or fragrance-free. These detergents are best for washing clothes or other delicate items.
How Hot is the Water?
Warm, hot, or cold? The temperature of the water means more than you might think.
Cold water, between 60 and 80°F, works best for dark colors, delicate items, and things that might shrink or fade. Cold water is better for the environment and for keeping your fabrics from getting damaged.
Warm water, between 90 and 110°F, works well on synthetic fabrics and things that aren’t too dirty. This temperature of water cleans well while taking care of fabrics.
Hot water, 120°F or higher, should only be used on whites, towels, or things that are very dirty and can handle the heat.
If you’re not sure about what temperature to use, cold water is the best way to keep colors from fading and clothes from shrinking.
Stain Removal Techniques
The goal is to get rid of stains before they set in. Stubborn stains that never come out right are one of the main reasons why clothes look old so quickly. Is there a secret? Know how to take care of different kinds of stains the right way.
- Oil or grease stains: use dish soap and let it sit before washing
- For wine or juice stains: dab the area with club soda or white vinegar, and then rinse
- Ink stains: put rubbing alcohol on the stain, blot it gently, and then rinse it off
- For sweat stain: mix of baking soda and water to make a paste, scrub the area, and then rinse.
Never put clothes with stains in the dryer until you’re sure the stain is gone. The heat will make the stains permanent.
Keep Clothes Safe While Washing
You can use mesh bags and other tricks that turn things inside out. Friction is ultimately bad for the life of fabric. To reduce the wear and tear.:
- Wash jeans, T-shirts with prints, and clothes with embellishments inside out
- Use mesh laundry bags for lace, bras, and other delicate items
- Button and zip up things to keep them from getting caught
Doing these little things can help keep your fabrics from getting too much stress during each cycle.
Don’t Overload the Machine
Do you want to give your clothes space to move in the washing machine? Putting too many clothes in your washer may save time, but it will hurt your clothes and your machine. Clothes need room to move around and rinse well.
Too much stuff in the washer can cause the clothes to not get fully cleaned, the detergent to build up and create residue, and more wrinkles. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for load sizes, and when you can, wash big things like bedding or coats in separate loads.
Know Your Dryer
Most of the damage happens in the dryer. High heat and rough tumbling are known to shrink, fade, and break down fabrics. To keep your clothes looking:
For most things, use low to medium heat
When you can, let your clothes, air, dry, especially delicate, activewear, or stretchy things
Don’t dry too much at one time; take clothes out while they’re still a little damp to keep them from getting wrinkled and shrinking.
You might consider buying a drying rack to make your clothes last a lot longer, especially the delicate ones.
Read Laundry Labels
Those little tags on your clothes, pay attention to them. Care labels tell you how to wash your clothes the right way. Don’t ignore the tag that says dry clean only. You can wash some things by hand, but others really need to be cleaned by a professional. Learn the basic dryer symbols, like.:
- A “bucket of water” symbol means for washing
- A “triangle” means to use bleach
- A “square with a circle” means
- A “circle” means for dry cleaning only
Follow these steps, and your clothes will look as good as the day you bought them
Iron and Store Wisely
How you finish the cycle of washing and caring for your clothes is important. When your clothes are clean, finish the job by putting them away and ironing them correctly. For the best results, iron clothes that are still a little wet. To keep shine marks from showing up on delicate fabrics, use a press cloth. To keep clothes from getting wrinkled, hang or fold them. Use padded hangers for delicate tops and blazers, and fold sweaters to keep them from getting bumpy on the shoulders.
Try not to stuff your closets or drawers full of clothes. When clothes are tightly packed, they wrinkle more and wear out faster.
Getting a Fresh Look without a Full Wash
Try to wear your clothes longer between washes. Clothes can wear out faster if you wash them too often. If you have items that don’t need to be cleaned, but you want them to look new.:
- Get rid of smells and wrinkles with a fabric spray or a steamer
- Hang the clothes up overnight to let them air out
- For your jeans, you can kill bacteria by either spot cleaning them or freezing them in a bag
It’s just as important to know when not to wash as it is to wash your clothes correctly
Conclusion
Cleaning your clothes isn’t just about getting rid of dirt, it’s also about taking care of them. If you do it right, you can keep your clothes in good shape, cut down on waste, and save money on new ones. Following these tips will help you keep your clothes looking new, fresh, and bright for a lot longer when you stick to them.
Every choice you make about your laundry routine, from knowing how to wash your clothes and picking the right detergent, to storing them the right way, matters. So the next time you put your clothes in the washer, remember that you’re not just cleaning them, you’re also taking care of your style.
