Have your favourite black jeans faded? Did you forget about the rogue red sock in your white wash? Does your favourite work shirt have a stubborn stain that just will not budge?
Look no further than this definitive guide from UK cleaning experts Dr. Beckmann for simple and effective tips on how to avoid the most common laundry blunders.
Delicate means delicate
It goes without saying that garments of a similar nature should be washed together (darks, whites, delicates etc) but another way to protect your clothes from damaging in the wash is to (where possible) remove pins or buckles, close poppers and hooks, and secure Velcro to prevent snags and abrasion – but don’t button buttons! This can stress the buttons’ stitching and stretch buttonholes. Empty pockets and turn them inside out, unfurl socks, and unroll cuffs. Tie sashes and strings to prevent tangling and be extra careful by placing delicate items like lingerie and fine knitwear in zippered mesh bags.
Fade to grey
If you’re fed up of watching your favourite black/dark garments fading and gradually losing their crispness after each wash, then wash them inside out to reduce abrasion, dulling, and limit the fabrics’ exposure to any harsh detergents. If your whites are starting to turn grey or yellow then perhaps your temperature is too low (whites do better in hot water) or you’re not using enough detergent. Dr. Beckmann’s Glowhite Ultra fabric whitening sachets are the perfect remedy to yellowing or greying whites. They not only restore discoloured whites to their former glory but also help prevent whites for losing their gleam, keeping them whiter for longer.
Too much of a good thing
When clothes start to lose their lustre there’s always a temptation to use more detergent, thinking that this will be a more efficient method of stain removal. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing! By using too much detergent, stains can be lifted and carried in the suds and get redeposited to other garments in the wash. Always follow the guidelines on detergent packaging, taking the number of garments and the types of stains in your wash into consideration.
Don’t let it linger
The best time to get your laundry out of the machine? Straight away! Of course, it’s easy to get distracted by flicking through a magazine, being on the phone to mum, or updating your Instagram story but the longer your laundry sits in the machine after a wash, the more wrinkled and musty it’ll get. Make sure you’re keeping an eye on the time and remove your load to dry as soon as the cycle is over.
Where do lost socks go?
We’ve all fallen victim to putting pairs of socks into the wash only to get lonely odd sock in return. A great trick to combat this? Put socks in a pillowcase or mesh bag so they don’t get separated! That way all your socks are washed together securely and none will get lost in the “land of odd socks” again.
Pre-treatment is paramount
To keep a stain from setting, pre-treat it as quickly as possible. Rinse or soak the garment in cold water and apply a stain remover, working the product from the outline of the stain into the centre to stop it from spreading, then wash the garment as normal. Dr. Beckmann Pre-Wash Stain Devils is the perfect solution to removing new or dried-in stains – it doesn’t contain bleach and is suitable for all washable whites and colours, even at low temperatures in short cycles. Stain Devils removes a variety of everyday stains including chocolate, grease, ketchup, baby food, make-up and oil, and now features an added soft brush applicator for greater stain removal results in 10-15 minutes.
