I don’t know about you, but to tell you the truth, I never really paid attention to how I washed my clothes. Except for separating whites from colors. I know it’s bad. But I’m sure that I’m not the only one who does this. It is time for us to do better for several different reasons. Now, it is time to learn how to wash clothes properly.
Why We Should Learn How to Wash Clothes
As I mentioned before, there are several reasons why we should learn to wash clothes properly. One of which is so our clothes last longer. So they don’t fade, tear, or bleed dye into our other clothes, etc. Learning how to wash your clothes the right way can also help us not just save our clothes, but also our wallets. Washing properly can save us money on our electric/water bills. It can also help us save money on our clothes. Or at least save us the money we would spend on new clothes after ruining our favorite shirts and pants.
So if you really want to make sure your favorite dress or shirt lasts a long time it is important to follow the instructions for proper care. And how do we do that? By looking at the clothes tag.
How to Read the Clothes Tag
I’m many, if not all, of you have seen those symbols on your clothes tags. These are your care instructions for how to wash, dry, and take care of your clothes. You are probably wondering what they mean. Well don’t worry. I got a chart for you to let you know what Most of them mean. There were certainly a lot more than I anticipated. But don’t fret. They are easy to understand and grasp. And if you want you can save these images and maybe print them out for your use.
It looks like a lot huh? Looking at it is easy enough to understand though isn’t it. Following the directions is a different story. Here, I will also provide another image that may help you with those things you may not understand. Do be aware that all washers and dryers are different so you may want to check your manual to double check temperature.
Hopefully, this made things easier for you. Now, lets talk about some washing tips and drying tricks.
Washing Tips
I know you’ve heard about some cleaning hacks. And I wish to explore on a few of them here. The first thing I would like to talk about is how to get rid of blood stains. This is a very simple trick. If you haven’t heard of it yet, this could be a game changer for you. In order to get rid of blood stains, you can use hydrogen peroxide. If the fabric is white, then it’s okay to pour it directly on the stain. But if it is colored fabric you might want to test it first to make sure the color doesn’t bleed. Generally, hydrogen peroxide won’t damage your colored fabric. You just need to be careful. One way to do this is to put the hydrogen peroxide on a sponge then dab the stain. Now you are good to go.
Another tip I wish to discuss is about vinegar. Vinegar is a wonderful product that can help you clean almost anything. But our focus today will be for fabric. Vinegar is a good way to clean your clothes and sheets. It can remove stains, get rid of mold and odors, and be used on colored fabric! It is a good replacement for chlorine bleach which can only be used on whites. Just don’t use vinegar when washing anything elastic as it will wear them down, and DON’T use it with chlorine bleach. It’s a huge no no. Also don’t use it too much in your washer or it could damage it. You can use vinegar to pre-treat stains or in the wash. Either way, it is a great trick to help you with laundry. If you wish to use it in your laundry, you can generally use 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar. This amount will change depending on what you wish to use it for.
Drying Tricks
Drying can be something difficult to grasp for some. You worry about whether it will shrink your favorite pants or damage your new sweater. Well, this is for you people. Turning your favorite print shirts inside out will make them last longer. And to make sure nothing shrinks you can put your dryer on a no heat setting. Just put in some dryer balls or something like that. Or, if you wish to save money, you can hang everything!
There are some things to keep in mind as you hang your stuff. Make sure your clothes pins are clean and not left out in the elements. Keep them in a container where they will stay dry. You don’t want your newly cleaned laundry to get dirty again from rust or something. Also make sure your clothes line is clean as well. Before hanging your laundry to air dry, shake everything out to reduce wrinkles. And if you need to use hangers, use plastic ones. Heavy sweaters and jeans should be hung upside down. Or if you are concerned about stretching your sweaters and jackets, lay them out flat to dry. Just turn them over on occasion to dry them faster. And last piece of advice, any pillows or anything with down should be put in the dryer.
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