Surprising Ways That You Are Ruining Your Clothes

Avoid these 9 clothes-ruining habits to keep your clothes looking great and fitting perfectly wash after wash. Stop ruining your clothes.

Surprising Ways you could be ruining your clothes 1

9 Laundry Habits That Are Ruining Your Clothes

Laundry can be such a chore. I know! For one, once you are done, it keeps piling up. But in our hast to get all our laundry done we could be causing more harm than good.

Many times, we don’t realize that our simple habits could be ruining our clothes. I know for a fact, that laundry is not the highlight of your week. And there’s no question that the price of everything including clothing is on the rise and that means it is more important than ever that you take care of your clothing properly.

That is why you need to know about these surprising ways that you may be ruining your clothes. Avoid these mistakes to keep your clothes looking and fitting great for as long as possible. There is no shame in trying to keep your clothes lasting like new. After all, the longer we can keep them looking good, the longer we can wear them.

Keeping our clothes in tip-top shape can help save us more money. So before you start sorting dark from white, let’s cover some clothing-saving tips.

washing clothes - folded shirts in a pile

You Don’t Zip Up

Not zipping up your clothes before putting them in the washing machine can ruin your clothes.

The teeth of the zippers can get caught on other laundry items in your washing machine and snag or tear them. Keeping them zipped up will help prevent other clothes from snagging on them and causing new holes.

You Always Use Hot Water

Chances are you already know that the heat from your dryer can shrink your clothes, but did you consider that hot water might leave your favorite shirt smaller as well? Your clothes can get just as clean if you wash them in cold water, and it can help to reduce your energy costs too. It is also better for the environment.

Expert Tip: Using cold water instead of hot, prevents clothes from shrinkage.

Hanging What Should Be Folded

Hanging heavier items like sweaters is one very common way that people ruin their clothes.

When you hang a heavy or bulky piece of clothing like a sweater you can cause the neck and shoulders of the item to become misshapen. Save a spot for the clothes that need to be folded in your drawer or on your shelf.

Using Too Much Laundry Detergent

Using too much laundry detergent in your washing machine will leave a sticky residue on your clothes which will actually make them attract dirt. Make sure that you are using the appropriate amount of detergent for the size of your load and the soil level of your clothing.

Did you know that when laundry detergent isn’t thoroughly washed from your clothes, it then becomes a dirty trap? It’s true. Detergent left behind becomes a magnet.

Expert Tip: When hunting for the best laundry detergent, look for those that disclose all ingredients. Less ingredient is better. Choose one that doesn’t include fillers, fragrances that could cause allergies, phosphates that pollute water, or other toxic ingredients.

Wiping Stains

You will inevitably spill something on your favorite shirt or pair of jeans eventually, but wiping at the stain is just going to spread it around and possibly make it even worse.

Instead of wiping at stains, gently blot them with a clean cloth or paper towel and cool water. If you need additional help, use an appropriate stain remover and wash according to the directions.

Washing Your Jeans Incorrectly

If you are washing your jeans as you would wear them, then you are doing it all wrong. Denim jeans should be washed inside out to help keep the material from fading. If you are really, really worried about the color fading in your favorite pair of jeans then you shouldn’t wash them at all.

Don’t freeze your jeans! This flawed idea is that low temperatures remove unwanted odors in your jeans (and other clothes for that matter) by killing the bacteria that cause the smell. Once your jeans warm back up, guess what is back? YEP…bacteria!

Washing Too Much

We aren’t talking about overfilling your washing machine, although that’s not good either. What we are talking about here is washing clothes more frequently than they need it. Some items, like jeans, can be worn several times before you need to wash them.

As long as your jeans haven’t gotten any stains on them.

You Don’t Wash Your Delicates By Hand

Some items like your bras and swimsuits are just not meant for the washing machine. Washing delicate items like your favorite bra in the washing machine can cause it to become misshapen.

Not only that but, it could even cause the straps to stretch or break. Speaking of bras, once they are washed and dried, don’t just stuff them in your drawer.

Try stacking them on top of each other instead so that the cups don’t become misshapen or bent. Now you know how to avoid some common laundry mistakes that could be ruining your clothes.

Use Fabric Sheets Instead of Wool Dryer Balls

Dryer sheets soften clothes by coating them, while dryer balls soften them by agitating the fibers as they bounce around. According to EnviroKlenz®; The use of dryer sheets frequently in laundry loads can start to deteriorate the clothing and leave behind thick residue on the material, which can make it stiff and hard.

Wool dryer balls not only help to prevent static cling but also reduce drying time.