Whether it’s your favourite old pair of silk pants or a new cashmere sweater, there are ways to wash your clothes to prevent them from getting damaged. In this blog, we’ll give you a guide on how to prevent damage to your favourite clothing items whether you’re washing them in the machine or by hand. We’ll also give you tips on which products are best for protecting garments too.
Tips To Prevent Damage When Washing Your Favourites
There are a couple of must-do tips to follow when washing your best items – be they delicate or not – that can help to prevent them from getting damaged or ruined in the wash.
Tip #1 – Always Wash Like Colours Together
The biggest problem when it comes to washing clothes is when people do not separate their colours effectively. When you don’t separate colours, you get colour bleeding where lighter colours will take on the colour of the darker ones and you can also get your lighter colours coming out of the wash a dull, yellow colour too. The rule of three applies always when washing clothing which means you should always separate into three categories: whites, brights, and darks.
Tip #2 – Choose Your Wash
Just because your garment is a favourite, it doesn’t mean that it should be hand washed only. Always follow the care label on your garments to see whether they can be machine washed or it should be hand washed.
For either method, try and select a cold wash if you can as cold water will encourage fewer issues like stretching, shrinking, or colour bleeding from happening. Select a delicate cycle when machine washing too to avoid too much agitation on your favourite clothes which could potentially damage them.
Are you often not sure how much powder or detergent to use when machine washing? Read our blog on A Guide On How TO Dose Detergent When Doing Laundry now.
Tip #3 – Use A Laundry Mesh Bag
Using a laundry mesh bag to protect your clothing has been a method used for years. It’s often popular to use for delicate underwear and bras but it can be used for any other kind of clothing too. The mesh of the bag allows the detergent and water to flow freely through the garment, but it is not exposed to as much agitation or movement in the machine, which can protect it.
If you don’t have a mesh bag, you can find one to buy at your local home retail store. Or get creative and make your own DIY laundry bag. Get yourself some mesh material and sew it into a rectangle, keeping one side open. Add in a zip at the open end and there you go.
Tip #4 - Choose Products Wisely
The products you use when washing your favourite items will go a long way in whether or not they remain to look new and protected. At Cleanipedia, we’ve tried and tested a huge range of detergents and there are some great products out there. We highly recommend:
OMO Hand Washing Powder – for all your hand washing requirements
OMO Auto Capsules - for unbeatable stain removal, long-lasting freshness and care
OMO Auto Powder Detergents – for washing machine use and if you like to use a powder for clothing cleaning.
OMO Auto Liquid Detergent – if you prefer a liquid detergent for your machine washing, then choose from this range today.
Tip #5 – Air Dry When Possible
The rule of thumb for protecting your clothing is to choose to air dry in natural sunlight when you can. If you have to use a tumble dryer then select the low temperature or low heat setting. Hot air can cause damage to fabric fibres and damage your clothing too.
Keep your memories and favourite items alive for longer by following our tips on how to prevent damage to your clothing. All it takes is a little time and some great products, and it’ll be done in no time at all.
For more clothing care tips and tricks, visit Cleanipedia today.