Some people learn the hard way that washing differently coloured clothes together isn’t exactly a great idea. A good example is washing dark or bright colours in hot water together with your white clothing. This can make your whites look like a Christmas cookie.
Separating your laundry is an essential skill that you should practice doing if you want to preserve the integrity of your clothes. Some pieces of clothing should be washed in cold water, while some should be separated for hot water washing. Others shouldn’t be laundered at all and should be delivered straight to the dry cleaners. If you’re not sure how to properly segregate your laundry, here’s a quick and simple guide for you.
Wash clothes only when they’re dirty
You’ve probably heard of the Sniff Test. Well, believe it or not, it’s a real and actual test you can do to judge if you need to wash your clothes or not. If you didn’t sweat, spill your drink, or in some other way make the clothing look visibly dirty, there’s actually no need to wash it. At the very least, fold the item or hang it up properly so it won’t get dirty or wrinkled.
Jeans, suits, sweaters, and flannels are perfect examples of items of clothing that rarely need to be washed that often. As long as you wash yourself and your underwear thoroughly and regularly, your clothes will need less attention.
Don’t mix dark clothing with your whites
When you do need to clean your clothes, it’s always a good idea to sort them. Yes, it’s completely possible to wash them without sorting as long as you use cold water, but you’re still making a huge mistake by not separating your darks from your whites.
Dark-coloured clothes will start to fade faster, and your whites will begin to look dingy over time. It’s not that noticeable on your first wash, but by subjecting your clothes to the same treatment over and over again, you’ll start to see a difference.
Separate your towels and bedsheets
Another big no-no when doing laundry is mixing your towels with your bedding. Even if you’re blessed with a super-sized washing machine, it’s still a bad idea to fill it to the brim with heavy loads like your beddings and towels. Keep them separate to avoid punishing your washing machine.
Towel fibres can also be harsh on regular clothing and on your beddings, and they tend to leave tiny fuzz balls on everything. Your towels can also benefit from being washed separately as they can remain softer and fluffier for longer.
Pay attention to clothing labels
Those little labels found in most of your garments are there for a reason. They tell you exactly what to do on most garments, including how to wash, dry, and iron them. If you have clothing that only says “dry clean only,” then you better take it to a professional cleaning service instead of treating it like any other piece of clothing.
Conclusion
Sorting clothes when doing your laundry will save you a lot of headache and money if you stick with it all the time. Ruined and stained garments are less of a risk and will generally last longer. Spending a couple of bucks on clothes only to ruin it because of inappropriate washing is not something you’d want to be doing forever. Consider these tips, and your clothes will continue to be in better condition.
For all your dry cleaning needs, rely on the cleaning professionals at Goodfellow Cleaners. We take careful steps when it comes to cleaning your precious garments. Take advantage of our same-day dry cleaning, tailoring, and alterations service in Ottawa. Schedule a service today and enjoy free pickup and delivery.