Laundry Care
Hey, Ya’ll!
Are you still separating your laundry by color? Are you using a dozen products to get your clothes clean? I’m here to burst your bubble because you don’t need to be doing all that. It’s actually a lot simpler to do laundry than you think. I’m going to go over some basics that will not only save your clothes from getting ruined in the wash, but you’ll save some money too. I’ll even help you get that weird smell out of your washing machine.
Let’s start with jeans. I’ve had a couple of friends ask me over the years, why don’t my jeans fit me after I wash and dry them? The simple answer is you shouldn’t be putting your jeans in the dryer. Denim is made up of mostly cotton, and cotton is a fiber that is very likely to shrink/contract when exposed to heat. If you’ve noticed that after running your jeans through the dryer they’re not only smaller, but shorter on you, it’s because they’ve shrunk. Hot water is also really bad for them. A good way to avoid shrinkage, and also prolong the life of your favorite jeans, is to wash them in cold water and then air dry them on a clothesline.
More about washing and drying your clothes with heat. Not only are jeans susceptible to shrinkage and damage when washed and dried with heat, but so are most other clothes as well. Natural fibers like cotton and linen are most likely to shrink, and synthetic fibers like polyester and lycra are likely to melt. Hot water also opens up the fibers of your garments and allows the pigments/dyes to bleed. This is why most people separate their loads into lights and darks, colors, and towels. The reality of it is, if you wash your loads in cold water, there’s no need to separate them.
Well, what about stains and disinfecting your laundry? The only things you should absolutely be washing in hot water are towels, sheets, and socks. These things won’t get ruined with heat. They’re comprised of sturdy fibers made to withstand wear and tear and high temperatures. Stains can be lifted with a short soak in hydrogen peroxide before going into the washer. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxygen bleach that lifts stains without disturbing the pigments in the fibers of your clothes. If you need to disinfect an item of clothing, it’s better to soak it in a 25/75 solution of white vinegar and water than to run it through a hot water cycle.
The dryer can be a menace when it comes to ruining clothes. Let’s go over what should be line-dried instead of going into the dryer. The first one I already mentioned is jeans. Some more important items are delicates like underwear and lingerie, and one you wouldn’t think of, graphic T-shirts. The quality of the graphics on T-shirts has gone down in quality over the years. They are now made with screenprinting which is a layer of paint on the surface of the shirt. Heat over time will disrupt the bond the paint has to the fibers of the shirt. This is why over time you’ll see the design get splotchy and eventually disappear. I like to turn my T-shirts inside out before washing them, and then let them air dry on either a clothesline outside or a towel rack in the bathroom.
Over time, your washer and dryer will begin to smell. This is because dirt, bacteria, and laundry products will clog up your machines and create an odor. Things like fabric softeners and dryer sheets cause build-up and can be hard to flush out. The best way to get rid of this build-up is to run a cycle with 1 cup of white vinegar in your washer machine and spray 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts warm water in your dryer. Avoid dryer sheets and fabric softeners altogether, and make it a habit to vacuum the lint filter out.
Anyway, I’ll get off my soap box (hehe). I hope these tips and tricks help! I have had items of clothing for years, and the ability to hold on to those special pieces in my wardrobe means so much to me. I want more people to be able to experience that as well! Not only does it make curating a wardrobe so much easier, but it’s a whole lot more sustainable and better for the environment too!
Thanks for chatting with me!
- Mars
