14 laundry myths that are ruining your clothes

This is untrue of course as hairspray makes stains worse, especially ink as it will spread it more. Instead, “blot some water on the stain and to make it more effective, use a versatile stain remover powder,” Robert Johnson, founder of Sawinery, tells Reader’s Digest.

What is a full machine, anyway? “Your definition of a full machine may be different from the manufacturer’s definition,” Melanie Musson, an insurance expert tells Reader’s Digest. “Washing machines are designed to work optimally with a two-thirds full maximum. If you pack the machine to the top, the detergent won’t be able to spread around and clean all the clothes and you’ll have to wash them again, saving neither water nor energy.”

You might think that a shirt is dirty when you see a stain, but there’s a lot more than meets the eye. “Your clothes might be dirtier than you think. In fact, only 30 per cent of the soils in your laundry are visible – things like food, dirt and grass stains,” Jennifer Ahoni, Tide Senior Scientist, tells Reader’s Digest. “The other 70 per cent include invisible soils made up of body soils like sweat and body oils, which if not removed by a deep cleaning laundry detergent will build up over time and cause odours, dinginess and dullness. Deep clean removes both visible and invisible dirt.”

This might be good news for people who may not have time to sort through their clothes by colour. “While sorting by colours is always a good idea, you also need to consider sorting by fabric type,” says Ahoni. “Heavier fabrics such as denim can damage finer and more delicate fabrics. Make sure to always check the care label for the best guidance on washing and recommendations on other fabrics to wash with.”

Now you know how to wash your clothes, learn to fold clothes and save space – Marie Kondo style!

How many times have you buttoned up your shirt before placing it in the washer? In fact, you may not need to do this at all. “Fastening buttons before washing can lead to the buttons falling off due to the stress the washing machine puts on the clothes,” Musson says. “It can also lead to the article of clothing getting stretched because of the uneven pressure the place of the button puts on the clothes when compared to a seam.”

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Source: RD.com