Saturday 07 / December / 2024
Whether you're preserving a treasured hand-me-down, caring for an expensive sweater or just trying to maintain that perfect pair of jeans, the right cleaning steps can keep your favourite clothing looking and feeling better.
A key solution? Choosing the right tools, additives and procedures to care for your most favoured wardrobe items. Knowing how to best clean your favourite wardrobe items will help ensure they'll last for as long as you want to wear them. Take time to learn laundry basics so you can enjoy your top picks well into the future.
"At first blush, learning how to do laundry is a simple task - throw in the clothes, add the detergent, press the button," writes Kate Rockwood on Realsimple.com. "But after accidentally shrinking a sweater or ruining a few T-shirts with stubborn sweat stains, you quickly learn it's more complicated than it seems."
Unsure what you can be doing to better care for your favourite wardrobe? Consider the following five tips for a laundry process designed to work in your favour.
1) Address stains early
If you spill something on a treasured garment, immediately blot the spot with a clean white cloth. If the clothing label allows for machine washing, apply a spot treatment ASAP, following the specific directions provided. Once the garment is washed, check to ensure the spot is completely gone before moving it to your dryer; otherwise, the additional heat could further set any remaining stain.
2) Choose the right machine
All washers are not created equal; it's worth shopping around for a model that features the technology you need to get the job done faster and more effectively. Some machines have a lot of options whether you prefer an agitator or impeller for your washing machine. Front load washers are undoubtedly the best on clothes and has the ability to both deep clean with the gentle power clean with all 5 jets. If you prefer an agitator model, you're still not far from the best.
3) Prep garments for washing
Instead of tossing in your clothing indiscriminately, you'll want to minimise the chances of snagging, pilling or other abrasions by zipping zippers and closing buckles, snaps, hooks and Velcro strips. Buttons are the exception; they should be left unbuttoned to prevent them from coming loose and to keep buttonholes from stretching. You may also wish to turn delicate items inside out and/or place them in mesh bags to prevent them from mingling with rougher or heavier-duty items.
4) Give whites special treatment
Your sturdier whites can best be kept bright by washing them separately in hot water with bleach. More delicate whites may be safely lightened via a half-cup of white vinegar pre-diluted in a gallon of water and added to your wash cycle; others may respond well to being naturally dried in the sun.
5) Customise settings
Many consumers don't take time to fully utilise the settings on their washing machines that are intended for gentler care of delicate or fragile garments. If your clothing could be misshapen or shrunken by too much heat, wringing or agitation, you'll want to pick the "delicate" or hand-wash" settings, opt for a cold-water wash and allow it to air dry instead of going through the dryer. As a general rule, hot water should be used for white loads, warm for average loads and cold for bright colours.
