You apparently have been doing laundry for years, right? And it’s no surprise that there are quite a few errors made to get it done. But these mistakes can damage your clothing, reduce your washing machine’s lifetime, and result in the laundry that is not as clean as it should be. While we are dealing with common home laundry mistakes, let’s look at seven you’ll want to avoid:

1. Not sorting of clothes

The first mistake you should prevent is washing everything together (although it’s convenient). According to Martha Stewart Living, the more you sort out the laundry, the fresher your clothes are. At least try to separate the light coloured and dark coloured products to avoid colour running. Also, separate heavy clothes like jeans or denim from more delicate clothes. This is peculiarly true because some jeans bleed — and most jeans will take longer to dry than an average garment.

2. Scrubbing the Stains

Scrubbing a stain constantly to remove it is a myth! It could spread the stain and weaken the fabric. Also scrubbing too hard or in the wrong direction will potentially wear the fabric away.

Instead of scrubbing, dab a small amount of detergent with a sponge in the direction of the fabric, or blot. The best practice should be treating the stain as soon as you can; the less time you spend, the greater the success you will have.

3. Overuse of Dryers

Most of us use dryers for our convenience as they dry the clothes faster and save time. But the same dryers are great at shrinking your clothes, stretching things out, and shortening the life of your garments. Strange but true! So if you’ve got time to air dry, do it. Not only will this save energy, but it also helps to keep the shape of delicate items and stretchy clothes.

Also never overload the dryer or over-dry the fabrics, every time you do tumble-dry. And quickly fold or hang them up to avoid wrinkles.

4. Using Hot Water

It’s a common misconception that you have to wash everything in warm water to get it clean. But experts state that “there’s no need to wash clothes in warm or hot water unless they are very soiled.” Because the hot water damages clothing and elastic over time so it is best to always use cold water. The cold water will not cause any wear and tear to the garments. Even for pre-treatment, cold water is preferable.

5. Washing “Dry-clean” labelled Clothes

This might not be a necessarily mistake as some products that say “dry-clean” can be washed by hand, and air-dried. Natural fibres, like linen and the majority of silks, can be washed at home. Merely do a bleeding test by moistening a cotton swab with a mild detergent and rub it on a hidden seam to see if any dye is coming off. If not, just go ahead and dunk the garment once or twice in soapy water, then rinse it out.

For certain categories: leather, suede, anything with embellishments, and structured pieces like blazers, you should strongly consider using the dry-cleaning app for those clothes.

6. Too Much Detergent

Another myth we all swear by is that adding extra detergent will result in better cleaning. But it is wrong! Excess detergent can cause dirt and grime to get caught in clothes instead of washed away. This will lead to bacteria build-up and could be harmful to your skin as well.

So it is recommended to use only half the amount of detergent initially, then gradually increase that amount if your clothes don’t come out as clean as you wish. This will minimise waste and save your money. Also, try to use more natural and less harmful detergent to your skin.

7. Overfilling the Washing Machine

Do you fill your washing machine to its very full capacity? While it’s tempting to wash one giant load compared to two small loads (As it saves your time!), overfilling your washer can damage your machine over time. Moreover, an overloaded machine means that there won’t be enough space for water and detergent to properly soak and wash your clothes.

Hence, it is better to wash the clothes in small batches so that there would be enough space for water and detergent to clean the garments.

If there are any hard stains or you don’t have time to wash your clothes, then we’d recommend trying the launderette app. They got some of the most affordable and best laundry service providers in your area. Download the app today and avail the impressive services they are offering.

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