15 Widespread Mistakes We Make When Washing Clothes

The first thing you should do to keep your clothes immaculate and beautiful is to learn how to wash them properly.

We at Bright Side are here to tell you about the most frequent mistakes that can ruin your favorite garments.

1. Improper sorting. Apart from considering the color, you should also pay attention to the fabric type. For example, polar fleece clothes should be washed separately. And you shouldn’t mix towels with clothes made of synthetic fibers.
2. Lifting stains in the wrong way. Don’t be amazed by a new hole if you are used to scrubbing stains vigorously. They should be washed off gently. The best way to prevent holes is to put some white fabric over the stain and let it become soaked.
   

3. Using too much washing powder. This can result in getting too much foam which can collect dirt in such parts of a shirt as the collar. This will lead to making the clothes even dirtier, and that is not the result you want to achieve, right?
   

4. Not paying attention to zippers. They should be zipped properly before you wash the garment as zipper teeth can easily spoil other clothes.

5. Buttoning clothes. You should always remember to unbutton shirts, etc. Otherwise the buttons may come off, and the clothes will look untidy.

6. Using too much bleach. Bleach makes fabrics become less durable and they can then tear easily, which is why you should try boiling the laundry. You can do this by taking a large saucepan and adding two drops of lemon juice.
   
   

7. Laundering swimming suits in a washing machine. Swimming suits, racing briefs, and any other clothes made of spandex or elastane should never be washed in a washing machine. The correct way is to hand launder them in cool water.

8. Giving the washing machine time to ’rest.’ Some users prefer to do this because they believe that several washing cycles in a row can lead to a breakdown. However, that is erroneous. Using the washing machine without a break reduces electricity consumption as the washer uses the heat reamining after the previous cycle.
   
   

9. Using only one cycle for pillows and blankets. If you wash feather pillows and blankets in a washing machine, run two cycles in a row: feathers can retain the foam, so the soap may stay inside the pillows.

10. Washing clothes without sorting them out. One of the most tiresome tasks after washing clothes is looking for matching socks. Why don’t you try to wash socks first? We are sure that you will like the result.

11. Using fabric softeners for towels. These chemical compounds reduce the absorption capacity of fabrics so you’d better not use them for towels.
    
    

12. Washing too many clothes at once. You should not overload the washing machine as it can lead to a breakdown.

13. Washing windbreakers and anoraks in the wrong way. To prevent the down from losing its structure you can put three tennis balls into the washer. They will also help you to get rid of the foam.

14. Using very expensive washing powders and liquids. Many of the detergents we use have cheap household substitutes: salt can make clothes look brighter, and chalk helps eliminate stains. Laundry soap bleaches and washes off stains. Lemon juice can be used to make clothes softer and more fragrant.

15. Not paying attention to the washer. It is very important to look after your washing machine. Remember that in many cases the compartment for washing powder is movable. As detergent residue can get left behind here, you should pay special attention to it. Do not close the washer after the cycle so that it can get dry. Once a year run a cleaning cycle with hot water and vinegar. This will help prevent your washing machine from breaking down.