4 Myth-Busting Laundry Tips and Tricks

Your washing machine is a very complicated appliance it might seem simple, clothes go in and then come out clean, but it’s a lot more complicated than that. Many misconceptions have been built up over the years and seeped into the public consciousness but while they aren’t true many people still believe they are.

Let’s look at some of the common misconceptions about your washing machine and uncover what’s true, shall we?

1. The Quick Wash Is Just As Good As A Full Wash Cycle

This is a myth that many people believe to be true when they really shouldn’t. After all, what sense would it make to have a full wash cycle if a quick wash cycle can do it just as well but in less time? Despite it not making any sense many people still believe their quick wash settings is just as effective.

But it isn’t, many people likely believe this myth to be true because they’ve only used the quick wash setting for lightly soiled clothing. So, after a quick wash, it is actually made relatively clean but the quick wash isn’t something you should use for bigger, thicker stains.

2. The More Detergent The Better The Results

Another common myth when it comes to washing clothes is the more detergent you add the better the clothes will look! In a way, this sort of makes sense doesn’t it? After all, you need so much detergent to actually have enough to clean your clothes, don’t you?

However, while you will need to add enough detergent to go around all your clothes you need to be careful to ensure you don’t add too much. After all, detergent only as so much cleaning power and simply adding more won’t make your clothes cleaner after a cycle.

Adding too much detergent will actually have the opposite effect because your washing machine won’t be able to properly wash it all away during a cycle. So, make sure you follow the guidelines when it comes to adding detergent and don’t add too much.

3. You Should Only Use Hot Water

This is another common misconception about washing machines although unlike some other common myths and mistakes this one does have some truth behind it. So, let’s get down to it, shall we? The fact of the matter is hot water is beneficial and effective when washing clothes however it isn’t always actually needed.

Hot water is great for getting rid of tough stains like soil, blood, and grass. It’s also advisable to use it when washing things like blankets or clothing you’ve worn when you’re sick. Hospitals, for example, will commonly wash almost everything using hot water washes to kill germs and bacteria.

For your regular washes, you don’t often need to use hot water as cool water washes will do the job fine. Cool water will get rid of a wide array of stains and help clothing keeps its elasticity and colour and best of all it will help save you money on the price of your energy bills. Hot water can be very expensive so make sure you take that into account as well.

4. Stains That Don’t Come Out In The Wash Can’t Be Washed Out

Seeing a stain only get faded after a long wash or not even faded at all can be very disheartening. But does that mean the stain is stuck for good? While it’s understandable that you might think this and in the worst case scenario it could actually be stuck in the majority of cases the stain will still be removable.

The reason this problem can be so difficult to tackle is that many people will put their wet clothes straight into their dryer first. This means the heat of the tumble dryer will actually cook the stain into the fabric. However, even if this does happen it can still be corrected but it may take a little time.

Work out what the stain is and then find the best way to get rid of it some good all-purpose stain remover is a great tool to have. Then simply prepare the garment and put it through a wash cycle again, it may take a few attempts but eventually, you’ll be able to get rid of the stain.

In more extreme cases you might be stuck with a stain that you simply can’t get rid of but there is no harm in trying is there? Don’t be quick to declare something ruined when you haven’t at least tried a few different things first.

So, that’s a look at some of the truths behind the common misconceptions and myths when it comes to your tumble dryer.