Keeping your clothes clean and in excellent condition starts with knowing how to handle your laundry and washing machine. Following good laundry practices lets you save money, time, and energy on this menial task. With these six laundry tips, you can make the most of your clothes and enjoy them for longer.
Tip One: Pay Attention to Water Temperature
Washing machines allow you to adjust water temperature because different clothing items last longer when washed in certain water temperatures. Clothing made of delicate fabrics, dark colors, or materials that tend to shrink (like cotton, wool, or silk) last longer when washed in cold water. Use warm water for denim or polyester, and reserve hot water laundry rounds for white or light colors, bed sheets, and bath towels.
Tip Two: Lower Your Laundry Detergent Use
Many people use too much laundry detergent to wash their clothing. Concentrated detergents allow you to use less to achieve sufficient cleanliness, so try using half or less of the laundry detergent cup in your next load. Many fabric softeners also come in concentrated form, so add a little water to your softener to make it last longer.
Tip Three: Sort Your Clothes Before Washing
Neglecting to sort your clothes out may cause colored clothing to bleed onto white or light-colored fabrics, causing a dingy or tie-dyed effect. Most people sort their clothes into three loads: Whites, colors, and dark clothing. Washing these separately stops dye from colored or dark clothing from seeping into your white or light fabrics.
Tip Four: Dry Clothes Faster
One of the best laundry tips helps you save time drying your clothes. Before starting your next dryer load, toss a dry towel in with the wet clothes. As the dryer begins heating up, the towel helps to distribute moisture faster and dry your clothes in a shorter amount of time.
Tip Five: Use a Pretreatment on Stains
Even deep-seated stains can fade away with the proper pretreatment. You can use specially designed stain remover solutions, hot water with baking soda, or hydrogen peroxide to soak clothing before you wash it. Sometimes you may need to pretreat, rinse, then treat and wash again to get the best results.
Tip Six: Add Salt to Save Colors
Brightly colored clothing can quickly fade after too many washes. Throw some salt in with your wash to preserve and brighten colorful clothing. To prevent colors from bleeding into each other, turn clothing inside out before putting it in the washer. Also, try to sort your clothing to keep like colors together.
Keep Your Clothes and Washing Machine in the Best Condition Possible
Whether you have a front-loading or top-loading washer, using these six laundry tips can help you preserve your clothing and extend the life of your washing machine. If you don’t have a washer, use our eco-friendly washing machines and dryers at LaundroMart in North Fort Myers, FL. For more information on our laundromat services, call (239) 995-0260.