Many people learn laundry basics once, then repeat that routine forever. But, like any other life skill, laundry techniques should be updated every few years. The longevity of your clothes depends on it!
When was the last time you refreshed your basic laundry knowledge? If you haven’t reviewed your routine for a while, we’re here to help with a few essential laundry tips anyone can use.
Keep reading for five common laundry mistakes to avoid and what to try instead.
Laundry Tips: Stop Making These 5 Laundry Mistakes
Not pretreating stains
Modern laundry machines and products can work wonders, but they can’t do everything. If your go-to solution for stained clothes is tossing them directly in the washer, you’re missing out on the power of pretreating!
Pretreating is a stain removal step you should complete before using machines. It targets the stain directly and gives your garments the best shot at recovery.
While you can use a store-bought pretreating product like Spray and Wash, you can also use at-home solutions like:
A cold water soak for 30 minutes
Applying liquid dish soap or laundry detergent directly on the stain for 10 minutes
Soaking the stain in white vinegar
Eyeballing laundry detergent
Another easy mistake to remedy is how you measure liquid laundry detergent. Because using too much detergent is notorious for damaging clothing and washers alike, you should never eyeball your pours!
Instead, always keep a detergent-only measuring spoon in your laundry room. Use it for every wash, and never pour over two tablespoons per load.
Curious why too much detergent causes clothing damage?
Leaving zippers and buttons undone
If you’ve ever wondered why rips and tears mysteriously appear on your favorite items, zippers and buttons may be to blame. When left unclosed, they latch onto fabric quite easily during washing and drying. Metal ones are especially damaging!
To avoid this, just take an extra minute or two while sorting and loading your laundry to zip every zipper and button every button.
Letting dryer lint accumulate
If you haven’t heard it enough already, allow us to say it again: your dryer’s lint filter needs to be cleared after every load!
Clogged lint filters have a long list of risks, from increased fire danger to improper drying to machine damage.
Adding a quick link check to your laundry routine is perhaps the easiest and most important laundry tip on this list.
Heat drying everything
Dryers may speed up your routine, but they can also shorten the lifespan of your clothing when overused. On the other hand, line and air drying protect your garments and lower your energy bill, but they are time-consuming.
Instead, try the 50/50 method: Machine dry your clothes on low or medium heat for ten minutes, then hang them up to finish drying.
Want to learn more about line drying techniques?
If you don’t have room for laundry on your plate, the team at your local WaveMAX laundromat in Thornton is standing by to help! Skip the ‘laundry near me’ search, and visit our website to schedule a professional wash and fold pick-up and drop-off in the Denver metro area.
