You may think that buying that latest and greatest washing machine and dryer will solve all of your laundry woes. You may even think that as long as everything gets clean, then you’re good to go and that the details don’t matter! That’s simply not true! The details surrounding your laundry day matter a great deal when it comes to getting the most mileage out of your clothes! Fortunately, reversing these 10 mistakes will help your laundry game become easier and much more efficient!

1. Forgetting to check pockets.

We’ve all been there, right? You open up your washing machine and see that pen that bled all over your clothes, or perhaps, you find some long lost change rolling around. Not checking pockets and removing items like these is one of the biggest culprits for damaging or completely ruining your clothes! 

2. Incorrectly sorting fabrics. 

Everyone knows to sort your clothes based on their color before you wash them, but did you know that it is just as important to sort your clothes by their fabric type as well? For instance, your jeans should not be paired with your nice silk blouse just because they both happen to be blue. Those jeans would be too abrasive and will eventually cause damage to more delicate materials! It’s better to sort by color AND by fabrics. Keep your delicates together and your more abrasive materials together!

3. Not cleaning your machines.

This mistake is an extremely common mistake! Most people do not know or have never been taught to clean their machines often. Studies recommend deep cleaning washing machines once a month and cleaning the dryer vent after every load. We often don’t think that a machine that cleans our clothes would also need cleaning. The truth is, water, dirt, hair, and other debris gets removed from our clothes and tends to build up in the machine causing mold and mildew to grow, and in turn, the machine will not work properly! So remember to run a cleaning cycle on your washing machine at least once per month using our Clean People Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets.

4. Overfilling the washing machine drum.

When filling up your washing machines and dryers, it is important that they not be overfilled. If you try to shove too many clothes into the drum, the water and detergent will not be able to efficiently reach everything, and your clothes will come out still smelling dirty and not truly being clean!

5. Leaving shirts buttoned.

As clothes tumble and spin in the washing machine and dryer, buttons on shirts (and sometimes pants) will start to become loose if they remain buttoned during washing and drying! The reason for this is that the buttons will be continuously pulled causing the threads to stretch and tear and eventually, you will end up with missing buttons! 

6. Forgetting to leave clothes zipped.

If you’ve ever felt a zipper, then you know it is rough and could potentially cause damage to other fabrics if it gets caught. Leave those zippers zipped so that they do not get caught on other articles of clothing and cause unnecessary pilling and loose threads!

7. Not pretreating stains.

Pre-treat stains immediately after they happen! Doing this will prohibit the stain from setting in too much and keep you from having to wash your clothes more than once to remove stains. At CLEAN PEOPLE we have two fantastic stain-removing options–our Stain Remover Spray and our Oxygen Brightener!

8. Using the wrong washing temperature.

Always be sure to double check the tags on your clothing before washing! Using the wrong temperature could cause your clothes to shrink or even cause heat damage to more delicate fabrics! Clean People Laundry Detergent Sheets are formulated to work just as well in cold water as it does in hot water –  that way you don’t have to use different brands of detergent for your laundry needs!

9. Using the dryer on the wrong items.

It can be a little overwhelming to know which fabrics should or should not be put in the dryer, and this makes it tempting to just throw everything in; however, doing that could cause damage or even ruin your fabrics! Some common items that would be better air-dried are: knitted/woven fabrics, leather/faux leather, silk, spandex/lycra, and wool.

10. Using too much laundry detergent.

While it can be tempting to use more than enough detergent because it feels like your clothes must be “cleaner” if you do, you may actually be causing them to become dull and lifeless! When you use too much detergent, your washing machine will not be able to get all of the soap out, and your clothes will become stiff and eventually discolored. Plus, too much detergent can actually damage your washing machine – ultimately taking a toll on your wallet when your machine is in need of a repair. 

Fixing these top 10 mistakes will not only make laundry day much easier, but will also be more friendly on your wallet! Plus, you’ll be able to get more mileage out of your clothing! That’s a win-win in our book!