Never make these laundry mistakes again

Shared from our friends at GE Appliances.
11/8/17

Laundry mistake #1: Skipping out on stains

Listen, we get it: Stains happen–and forgetting them happens too. But tossing that

chocolate-dribbled shirt into the laundry basket and treating the stain days later is 

a sure way to end up with a ruined piece of clothing. In fact, when it comes to stains

and removing them, time and success are inversely related: The quicker you get to

a stain, the more success you'll have removing it. Pre-treat spills and accidents, from

grass to wine and more, as soon as possible with the right product (and follow label

directions, too).

Laundry mistake #2: Over-or-under-doing detergent

Too many suds and your washing machine will have a harder time rinsing soap out
of clothes. Too few and the dirt may escape (and stay on your clothes) through the
wash cycle. Instead, dig up your appliance manual and follow its detergent
recommendations–including type–to the letter. (And if you have hard water, know
that will affect detergent levels, too.)

Laundry mistake #3: Making your appliances work too hard

Maintenance may not seem related to a finely tuned laundry routine, but alas, it is.
Of course you should empty the lint filter in the dryer after each cycle–but you
should also detach the dryer hose (located at the back of the appliance) each year
and clean it out with a lint brush. In addition, run the "clean" cycle on your washing
machine according to model directions. Finally, regularly clean the outsides and
doors of both washing machine and dryer.

Laundry mistake #4: Looking past the labels

Many clothes can and should be washed together. But some have specific care 

directions, and you'll only hasten a garment's demise by ignoring them. So if it says to wash pants inside out, do so. If it says to line dry–do that too.

                                       

Laundry mistake #5: Skimming over sorting

You probably grew up sorting lights from darks, and figured that was good enough–right? Wrong. Take cold water: Many people assume that it is best for each and every piece of clothing–no shrinkage, no bleeding colors. But that's not true. Some clothes actually need water that's warm or even hot in order to get really clean. Instead, sort by recommended water temperature (cold, warm, hot)–and then lights and darks.


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