Common Laundry Mistakes That Ruin Your Clothes

Quality clothing doesn’t come cheap. That’s why it's so important to treat our clothes with the utmost care through regular and gentle washing. However, a few laundry day faux pas may be doing your wardrobe more harm than good. These common mistakes can lead to rips, holes, stains, and other issues that ruin your beloved clothes. But they don’t have to. Watch out for these eight wash day missteps to get your cleanest load of laundry yet.

Using Too Much Detergent

Adding in a splash of extra detergent may seem like it’ll boost your laundry’s freshness, but it actually does the opposite. Excess detergent can get trapped in your clothing because it doesn’t thoroughly wash out during the rinse cycle. It also makes all the items in your wash too slippery, keeping them from properly agitating against one another to free dirt and grime. The result is stiff and scratchy clothing that needs an additional trip through the washing machine. 

Forgetting to Empty Your Pockets

Turning out coat and pants pockets does more than save your wallet or chapstick from a trip through the washer — it also protects your washer and dryer from unnecessary damage. Keys, coins, and other metal objects that fall out of pockets mid-wash can damage the machine’s drum. High speeds during spin cycles can also launch these items, causing them to crack front-loading glass doors.

Letting Wet Laundry Sit Too Long

There’s no specific rule about how quickly you should move your wet laundry from the washer to the dryer, but waiting too long can lead to unsavory odors or even mildew stains on your linens. Warm, wet environments like your washing machine are prone to developing mildew and mold with the help of bacteria that survive the suds. Cleaning experts recommend drying laundry ASAP, waiting no more than 12 hours to move it out of the washer.

Using Fabric Softener

Fabric softeners work by leaving a chemical residue that fluffs up fibers on clothing and towels, making them feel softer. However, this coating makes it harder for fabrics to absorb water, eventually causing towels and linens to become less absorbent. Fabric softeners can also interfere with some special apparel properties, such as reducing the flame-resistant feature of children’s pajamas and making moisture-wicking clothes less effective. Another reason to consider dropping fabric softener: Its residue slowly builds up in your washing machine over time, which can promote mildew growth.

Leaving Zippers Unzipped

Plastic and metal zippers can do damage in the wash, primarily to more delicate fabrics in the same load. When left unzipped, the plastic and metal teeth can catch on other articles of clothing, causing them to tear or develop holes. The same goes for other apparel with hooks or clasps. 

Washing Every Load With Hot Water

Hot water is great for removing laundry stains, though maxing out the temperature for every load of laundry can reduce your clothing’s lifespan. Cold water helps clothes last longer by protecting delicate clothing from shrinking and reducing color fading or bleeding. Another perk: Washing in cold water is an energy-saving choice since 90% of the power used to run a washing machine goes toward heating water.

Only Selecting “Speed Wash” Mode

Most newer washing machine models come with a speed wash mode, which can complete a load of laundry in 15 to 25 minutes. While tempting, this setting should only be used for some loads. Speed wash cycles are meant for just a few lightly soiled items. Full loads of more heavily dirtied items need extra agitation and rinsing to remove dirt to get fully clean. 

Forgetting to Maintain Your Washing Machine

The idea of cleaning your washing machine might seem counterproductive. It’s getting a regular clean with every load of laundry, right? Not really. Over time, washers collect a buildup of dirt, detergent, and hard water minerals that can make your machine less effective and prevent a truly fresh load of laundry. Most washing machine manufacturers recommend cleaning your appliance once a month and wiping down gaskets on front-loading machines weekly.

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