First time washing clothes? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are plenty of people who still don’t know the proper dos and don’ts when washing clothes, either manually or with a washing machine. Here are some of the most important reminders to know the next time you head to the laundry shop.
Know What Your Fabric is and How to Wash it
Not all clothes are made of the same material. While cotton and polyester are the most common materials for clothing, fur, fiber, and velvet are also widely used, and you need to know how each reacts to different types of washing. Not knowing how the cloth will react can completely ruin your clothes and force you to buy a new set. Of course, that wouldn’t be ideal, so be sure to do your research.
A great example of knowing your fabric is acetate. Acetate is a man-made fabric that’s incredibly smooth and silky. This silkiness also means that it is quite sensitive, and it can get damaged when washed using a washing machine that doesn’t care about the fabric type. Ideally, you want to hand wash acetate clothing yourself, so you can get rid of the dirt and stains with care.
Another example would be wool. Wool is sturdy, so you’d think that they’d do fine when thrown in a washing machine. But in truth, washing wool with water actually ends up shrinking it. This makes it harder to wear, and quite frankly, more awkward to look at. So unless you plan on sizing it down for your child or someone younger, be sure to dry clean any type of wool as much as possible. If it can’t be helped, then handwash the wool, but don’t go overboard with the water.
These are just two of the many different types of fabric that clothing can be made in. We can’t possibly cover every single type of fabric, so be sure to look up all the clothing fabric you have in your wardrobe and know how to wash each one. It’ll save you quite a few sets of damaged or shrunk clothing, also consider using the best fabric softeners.
Don’t Add Too Much Detergent
A common rookie mistake is to add too much detergent when washing. And it’s not hard to see why this mistake is so common - many people believe that detergent doesn’t do damage to clothes. And while this is technically true for many fabrics, that doesn’t mean it can “damage” your clothing in other ways.
You see, when washing clothes, detergent creates suds. These suds, when there are too many, can actually trap dirt and soil that’s found in clothes. This may sound like a good thing, but trust us, it isn’t. When the suds trap the soil, this allows the soil to stay in the machine until it’s done washing. And when you pull out your clothes from the machine, you’ll be met with your clothes still covered in dirt, wondering what went wrong.
Because of this, it’s best to actually use less than the recommended amount of laundry detergent per usage of the washing machine. A great way to test this out is by using only half of the recommended dosage when washing your clothes. If that’s not enough, work your way up by adding slightly more per dose. Just don’t reach the actual recommended amount. Once you’ve found a dose that works perfectly, mark it down and use that amount from now on. You’ll not only clean your clothes more efficiently, but you’ll also be saving up on some detergent, too, which is always nice.
Don’t Leave Stains to Dry
If you got stains all over your clothing, then you should look to clean it as soon as possible. Stains are notoriously difficult to remove, but they’re even worse when left out to dry for extended periods of time. The stain will end up seeping into the fabric, making it even more difficult to remove than if you did so earlier.
Try catching them as soon as they stain your clothes. This means that if you stain your clothes while at home, then get rid of them immediately. If you’re at work, head home as soon as you can. Depending on the severity of the stain, your clothing may still very much be salvageable. It’s only a matter of time before the stain becomes a permanent addition to your shirt or pants, so act quickly.
Don’t Mix Colored and Non-Colored Fabric
This is a common tip that many people know about, with some learning about it first-hand. You see, when you mix different clothes together in a washing machine, some of the coloring from those clothes can bleed out. These colors don’t really settle on other colored clothing, but they can end up on your white tee.
So if you want to avoid having no white shirts in your wardrobe, then be sure to wash the colored and non-colored fabric separately. If you only own one washing machine, then it will take extra time to clean, but it’ll be well worth the wait. If you can use more than one washing machine in a laundry shop, then make use of them to save time if you must.
Give Extra Care to White Clothing
White clothes are known to be easily stained, but there’s more to it than that. If you don’t wash white clothes properly, then they can end up losing their bright color and turn yellow. There are multiple reasons for this. You could be using water that’s too cold for the fabric, or you’re washing the white clothes with really dirty fabric. Be sure to separate white clothes and wash them in the right temperatures so they stay nice and bright.
Conclusion
Washing clothing is more complex than one may expect. Some fabrics require hand washing, while others need to be dry cleaned. Then, you need to deal with mixing colors and adding too much detergent. But with these handy tips, you should be washing your clothes with no problem at all.