If you’ve ever been shocked when you open your dryer and find a load of wrinkled towels, you know that there’s no such thing as too much washing. And if you’ve ever had to throw away a perfectly good pair of jeans because they were ruined by the time they got to your machine, you know that there’s no such thing as too little detergent either. But how can we get more from less? There are lots of tips out there for saving energy and reducing water use in the laundry room, but few people think about how we even start with our clothes—that is, until the dryer starts acting up or we find ourselves with a bunch of wrinkled towels after a trip to the beach house.
Use the right detergent.
There are a lot of detergents out there, but not all of them are created equal. You need to choose one that’s appropriate for the fabric you’re washing. Some fabrics will take up more water and require a higher concentration of detergent than others, so don’t use too much or it’ll leave your clothes feeling stiff and uncomfortable!
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Bad news: some fabrics actually prefer not being washed as frequently as others (like denim), so make sure yours is in good shape before jumping on board with this method. Good news: if you’re worried about damaging your delicate items by overloading them with harsh chemicals, there are plenty of eco-friendly options available today that won’t cause any damage at all—just check out our guide here for more info on what makes each one different from their counterparts!
Don’t overload the washing machine.
When you’re washing your clothes, don’t overload the machine. Overloading can cause clothes to get tangled and damaged. If you are using a front loader, it is important that you use enough detergent and water so that there is room for all of the items being washed. You should also make sure that the lid closes securely after each cycle so that nothing gets sucked into any parts of your machine while it’s running.
Set your water temperature right.
One of the most important things you can do to ensure professional results is set your water temperature right. Hot water is best for whites, and cold for colors. If you don’t test the temperature of your tap water before washing, it’s possible that it might boil away too much moisture from your clothes and fade their colors over time (or worse yet, damage them). So make sure to check!
If you have a dishwasher or laundry machine with an option for “Warm,” use this setting instead of “Hot.” Warm will keep clothing at an ideal temperature while removing most dirt without damaging delicate fabrics like silk or wool (which could be damaged by hot water).
Use an appropriate wash cycle.
- Check the label on your garment. If it says “hand wash only,” you can use a gentle cycle with cold water and mild detergent.
- If it says “dry clean only,” you will need to use a delicate cycle with warm or hot water and a gentle detergent like Woolite or Dreft.
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Put small delicate items in a mesh laundry bag.
When washing delicate items, such as lingerie or fine clothing, it is best to put them in a mesh laundry bag. This will help prevent any damage caused by rubbing against each other, and it will also help keep the items from touching one another.
After placing your delicate clothes in the mesh bag, place it in your washing machine with all of the remaining laundry (do not put this directly on top of other clothes). Fill your washer with enough water to allow plenty of room for everything to move around freely while being washed. Turn on the machine and let it run until all cycles are complete; then remove items from their bags and hang them up to dry!
If you follow these tips, you can get professional results from your home laundry machine.
- Follow the instructions on the detergent packet. Detergent manufacturers often have very specific instructions for how much detergent to use in different situations. For example, if you have a small load size and want to wash delicate items like silk or wool, then a low-sudsing liquid detergent might be best for you. On the other hand if you’re washing cotton overalls or flannel shirts with lots of starch in them (which will require more suds), then an average-strength powdered product may work best.
- Use enough detergent so that it doesn’t go into sudsing too quickly; this will help prevent damaging creases on certain fabrics by giving them time to absorb rather than just sitting on top of them like mud would do!
If you follow these tips, you can get professional results from your home laundry machine.