{"id":11522,"date":"2021-07-20T03:32:37","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T03:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alternatech.net\/?p=11522"},"modified":"2021-07-20T03:33:49","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T03:33:49","slug":"the-common-reasons-youre-doing-laundry-all-wrong-according-to-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/the-common-reasons-youre-doing-laundry-all-wrong-according-to-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"The Common Reasons You’re Doing Laundry All Wrong (According to Experts)"},"content":{"rendered":"

– source:\u00a0 thespruce.com\n

1. You’re Not Washing Yoga Pants, Undies & Socks After\u00a0Each\u00a0Wear\n
While \u201coff-duty\u201d items or seasonal clothing (jackets, scarfs, etc.) generally require less washing than high-use items, “yoga pants, underwear, socks, undershirts, and other sweat-gathering articles should generally be washed after every wear,” said Joe Mercurio, Project Manager at\u00a0RushOrderTees.\n
The (Gross) Scientific Reason\n
Sweat creates a breeding ground for bacteria. Even mixing your soggy socks in the hamper with your other clothes can be a no-no because it creates dampness and ideal conditions for bacteria overgrowth.\n
2. You’re Not Taking the Time to Dry Items\u00a0Fully\n
We\u2019ve all fallen victim to the soggy sheets, rolled-up socks, underwear-caught-in-sweater- pocket, or thick blankets that felt a little damp but probably fine enough to take out of the dryer.\n
When we\u2019re in a rush or just plain exhausted of the endless loads, we sometimes slack on the full dry\u2014and especially if we\u2019re in a laundromat or shared space where others might be waiting to take over our machines. When it comes to the dryer, though, anything that isn\u2019t fully dried isn\u2019t actually clean. Which, of course, is the exact\u00a0opposite\u00a0of what you want when you clean your clothes.\n
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But instead of repeatedly adding time to the cycle to finish that sheet that just won’t dry, a product can help. Cyndi Bray created Wad-Free, a product that keeps sheets and blankets from tangling, twisting, and ultimately not getting washed. It’s a small plastic square with opening slots where you can attach the sheet at opposite ends. When connected, the sheet will have resistance and won\u2019t spin together in a wad.\n
Sheets often ball-up into a \u2018burrito wad,\u2019 or small items get trapped inside the corners of the fitted sheet in a \u2018hostage-taker’ wad,\u201d Bray says. \u201cSo things are still wet inside at the end of the dry cycle.\n
“There are people who put the load in the dryer, run it, and leave it overnight (or even a couple days.) By the time they open the dryer, the whole thing has started to smell and mold since it was wound up in a wet ball. Then they have to run the whole load again (often adding extra products like bleach or scents) to try to get rid of the smell, which can even linger inside the appliance itself. That whole process is really wasteful, and damaging to your sheets.\u201d\n
3. You’re Still Using Dryer Sheets\n
Although dryer sheets have been the go-to for years, experts are saying that they may be doing more harm than good.\n
“Dryer sheets leave a waxy film on your lint screen that can lead to extended drying times and excessive wear and tear on your machine and clothing,” says Jason Kapica, President of Dryer Vent Wizard. “Use wool dryer balls instead.”\n
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If you enjoy the smell of dryer sheets, Kapica recommends essential oils to give your clothes a nice scent without the reside. “Dryer balls will also allow your clothes to dry faster,” he says, “And [they are] great for people with sensitive skin.”\n
4. You’re Not Laundry Stripping\n
According to the latest TikTok trend, laundry stripping is the latest and greatest in laundry musts, and experts agree.\n
“[It] removes] excess minerals from hard water, body oils\/odor, [and] detergent\/fabric softener residue from seemingly-clean clothes, towels, [or] sheets that have already gone through the washing machine,” says Vera Peterson, President of Molly Maid.\n
“The process of laundry stripping is fairly cheap and easy but time-consuming. Simply fill your bathtub with hot water and add half a cup of borax, baking soda, and the laundry detergent of your choice. Stir to be sure all are dissolved and add the items you wish to soak.”\n
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“It is recommended that you soak these items for a few hours,” Peterson says, “Or however long it takes for the water to completely cool. You should then run the items through the washing machine on ‘rinse only.'”\n
Although stripping is effective, she recommends only using this process on certain items. Or, if you suspect a problem with your water, Peterson says you should invest in a water softener. This will keep costs low and, of course, help you conserve water.\n
5. You’re Using Too Much Laundry Detergent\n
The more soap, the cleaner the clothes… right?\n
Nope. “Adding extra detergent in the hopes of relieving strong odors can actually make matters worse,” says Kristiana Laugen, Home Expert at Handy. “If too much soap is added and then not thoroughly washed out, it ends up creating a damp environment that is ideal for the growth of mold and mildew. With this increased amount of bacteria continuing to spread, bad odors will only get stronger.”\n
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Although it may be tempting to add more soap for a deeper clean, it’s actually counterproductive. And the same goes for fabric softener, too.\n
“While fabric softener is great for certain materials, you\u2019ll want to avoid it completely with apparel like athleticwear,” says Laugen. “When fabric softener gets into the pores of your workout gear, it will trap the dirt and sweat, leaving your clothes with that gross ‘gym clothes’ odor.\n
6. You Don’t Have a Set a Schedule\n
When it comes to any household chore, the best results come from the best routines.\n
Yet, an overwhelming majority of us would probably admit that we have no real structure when it comes to laundry. We don’t mean just \u201cSunday Laundry Days\u201d\u2014we’re talking about a regular schedule with specific dates\/times for when you\u2019re washing things like sheets, bedding, pillow cases, and other I\u2019ll-clean-them-when-I-remember items.\n
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Maybe you think you\u2019ve been washing on a schedule\u2026 but if your bedding only makes it into the washer when you happen to remember (AKA: any less than weekly), that\u2019s less than ideal.\n
7. You Never Clean Your Washer\n
Another reason your laundry habits are actually disgusting is because you haven\u2019t cleaned your machine\u2026 ever.\n
Let\u2019s be real for a moment. When was the last time you deep-cleaned the washer? I mean, really got in there and scraped out the gunk, goo, soap residue, hair, fur, or any other unwanted, ahem, materials? And that\u2019s just the inside!\n
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You should, at a minimum, clean your washer twice a year. You can (and should) consider an occasional clean out of your air vents\/ducts that lead to the outside, too. Dust gets trapped in there over time, and if you\u2019re not careful, it can potentially start a fire.\n
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– source:\u00a0 thespruce.com 1. You’re Not Washing Yoga Pants, Undies & Socks After\u00a0Each\u00a0Wear While \u201coff-duty\u201d items or seasonal clothing (jackets, scarfs, etc.) generally require less washing than high-use items, “yoga pants, underwear, socks, undershirts, and other sweat-gathering articles should generally be washed after every wear,” said Joe Mercurio, Project Manager at\u00a0RushOrderTees. The (Gross) Scientific Reason\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[61,153,159,46,6,31,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-11522","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-cleaning-tips","9":"tag-laundry-mistakes","10":"tag-laundry-tips","11":"tag-life-hacks","12":"tag-life-style","13":"tag-tips","14":"tag-tricks"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Three-Frame-Tea-Set-Photo-Facebook-Cover-2.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}