Worst Mistakes to Avoid when Doing Laundry

A big family can do up to 400 loads of laundry per year, and even a single college student will generate a hundred loads per year. That's a lot of clothes to wash, and there are many ways this process can be messed up. These are the top ways laundry goes bad.

Not Checking Pockets Before Laundering

It is vital to check the pockets of every garment before putting it in the washing machine. It takes two seconds to clear out the pockets of a garment. It takes hours to remove lipstick or crayon from the inside of a washing machine or dryer. It's virtually impossible to remove ballpoint pen ink from an entire load of white men's dress shirts. Check the pockets. Every. Time.

Not Reading the Laundry Care Label

With so many newer fibers and blends coming on the market, always take a moment to double check the label. Make sure the item is laundry and dryer safe before washing. The beaded silk chiffon top will not be as pretty once it passes through the washer and dryer. Rayon and blends, even if they feel like natural fibers, don't act like cotton in the washer and dryer and may need to be dry cleaned.

Not Sorting Colors Before Washing

Newer dyes are far more colorfast but it is still important to sort colors. Red is notorious for shedding dye, but is generally safe to wash with navy blue or black. And white, of course, stands alone. Many laundry baskets now have multiple compartments for sorting as you change clothes, and presorted laundry is far easier to deal with than sorting a huge stack before washing.

Choosing the Wrong Detergent

HE, organic, 2x? There are many laundry detergents on the market out there, and it's important to get the right kind. Consumer Reports is a reliable source that regularly reviews detergents on their price, fading of garments, and other properties. Double check the label. HE, or High Efficiency laundry detergent will not clean clothes properly in an older top loader, and regular detergent will foam excessively and not work well in a high efficiency front loader.

Using Too Much Detergent

If the clothes are dirty, just add a bit more detergent, right? Wrong! Too much detergent can actually cause more problems by building up on the clothes, leaving greasy looking spots. It may require water-wasting extra rinse cycles. Try using the minimum amount of detergent - it's green and will save you some green as well.

Baking in Stains

To improve the permanence of a stain, let it sit on the fabric a long time before treating with detergent or washing. After laundering, put it in the drier on high. This will bake the stain into the fabric, never to be removed. Don't like stains? Retreat the stain before drying to minimize its chances at permanence.

Overdrying Clothes

Heat rapidly ages fibers. Tumbling around in the dryer is also hard on clothes. The lint in the filter is pieces of fiber that used to be part of that favorite outfit. Many newer clothes dryers have moisture sensors that determine when clothes are fully dry and will automatically shut off. If using an older dryer, consider running the cycle a bit shorter and hanging the clothes to finish drying. This will reduce wrinkling and wear and tear on the fabric.

Letting Clothes Sit in the Dryer

After all that work sorting, washing and drying, don't blow it at the end by letting the clothes sit in the dryer getting wrinkled, musty and stale. Prompt removal and folding of clothes prevents wrinkling. Make sure to clean out the lint filter with every load too. This will help clothes to dry faster and more efficiently, and reduce the risk of fire.

Cheryl Mendelsohn, Home Comforts