Using too much detergent can result in odors being trapped in the clothing under excess detergent. It can also result in wetter clothes in the dryer. Lucky for you there’s an easy fix for this, just read the recommended amount of detergent for your load.
Scrubbing Stains Too Much
Scrubbing stains too much can result in spreading the stain further. Instead try different strategies to remove the stain or slowly scrub the stain making sure to stop if the stain starts to spread.
Forgetting to Empty Pockets
Besides ruining what was in your pockets, forgetting to empty pockets could result in damages to the washer. In a front loading washer metal objects can break the front-loading window glass. The simplest way to fix this is to check all your pockets before washing.
Not Reading the Care Tags
If you don’t read the care tags you won’t know if there are any special cleaning instructions to not damage your clothes. But like many other mistakes on this list the fix is to just pay a little more attention to the care labels.
Not Sorting Laundry by Color
This mistake happens most to people just starting to do their own laundry. Not sorting your lights, darks, reds and blues can result in the blending of the colors of your clothing. White t-shirts become pink ones in a load with mixed colors. The simple fix is to just separate your clothes by colors.
Not Zipping Your Zippers
If you don’t zip up your zippers in the wash they can snag onto fabrics in the wash ripping your clothes apart during a spin cycle. Just double check that your jackets are zipped up completely before washing.
Buttoning Your Shirts
Leaving shirts buttoned will result in the threads around the buttons loosening and eventually will come clean off. Simply make sure to leave all buttons UN-buttoned before putting them in the wash.
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Bleach is a double edged sword, on one hand it can remove stains, but on the other hand it can ruin some perfectly good clothes. Over bleaching clothes will result in damaged fibers and turning a red shirt into a pink one.
Overloading the Washer
Overloading your washer can create problems in your washer down the road. These include putting overall strain on the washer resulting in the longevity of your washer to last a shorter amount of time.
Machine Washing “Dry Clean Only” Items
Making this mistake will make it a lot harder to wear your clothes. Washing dry clean only clothes in the washer shrinks your clothes 2-3 sizes down from when it was originally. Just make sure you’re washing what needs to be washed and not washing what does not and you shouldn’t have an issue.
Leaving Wet Clothes in the Washer
Leaving clothes in the washer is something that happens a lot, if you start to smell a funky odor then you know that you’ve left your clothes in too long. Unfortunately the only way to get rid of this smell is to run your clothes through the wash again.
Over Drying Clothes
Over drying clothes makes up the brunt of all damage done to clothes, it will shrink, warp the elastic, and ware down clothes over time. Set clothes to low temperatures if you want to solve this problem.
Forgetting to Empty the Lint Trap
Not cleaning out the lint trap of your dryer will cause your dryer to become very hot, as the heat can no longer pass through the lint trap. This is a problem because it speeds up the process of overdrying your clothes. It’s recommended that you clean out the lint trap after every load of laundry.
Not Leveling/ Balancing Your Washer
If your washer doesn’t have a stable base it will rock and bang back and forth damaging the surrounding floor and walls. Just make sure to double check your washer is stable while setting it up. If you hear consistent “banging” sound or your washer tends to scoot during a spin cycle, put a level on top of the washer and adjust the feet until it is truly level.