7 myths about good laundry that actually harm your clothes and your machine

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Why the more powder, the worse, and what prevents the bleach from making things whiter.

Myth 1: hairspray can remove ink stains

Indeed, you can. But only if the varnish contains alcohol: it is he who acts as a key detergent that dissolves the ink. However, the composition of modern products does not always contain alcoholic components. In addition, many varnishes contain substances that, by themselves, can stain clothing.

This means that by spraying with the wrong spray, you will not only not get rid of the ink stains, but also risk making new marks.

If you are not sure about the varnish, but you want to try its cleaning properties, experiment on the most inconspicuous area of the fabric.

Myth 2: black coffee can refresh the color of dark clothes

The followers of this myth recommend adding a cup of drink to the water at the last rinse. Indeed, coffee can stain fabric. However, there are not too many pigments in it. To somehow darken the shade of, for example, faded black jeans, you need not one cup, but a full espresso washing machine. Which is unlikely to please your equipment: Ground coffee will almost certainly clog the filters in the hoses that drain the water when draining.

To restore color to faded dark clothes, it is much more effective to use special dyes for fabrics. They can be found in the departments of household chemicals.

Myth 3: the more detergent, the better

In fact, if there is too much detergent in the washing machine, there will be too much foam, and this will reduce the quality of the wash. This is because the foam impairs the friction of the fabric, which removes impurities. In addition, if there are too many bubbles, they may not be completely washed out. And along with them, dirt particles will remain on the clothes.

To prevent this from happening, do not load more detergent into the machine than is recommended in the instructions. For the sake of experiment, you can use half of the recommended amount of powder or gel. It is possible that the wash result will be even better than when you used a double dose.

Myth 4: to remove a stain, you need to wipe it from the outside

In fact, in order for the mark to be washed off better, the thing should first be turned inside out. In this case, during washing, you will push the dirt out of the fibers of the fabric, rather than rub it deeper into the fabric.

Myth 5: adding bleach to your wash will make whites cleaner

Bleach based bleach and detergents can mutually neutralize each other. This means that when you mix them, you run the risk of getting not only not too white, but also dirtier than with regular washing, laundry.

To get the powder or gel cleaning enzymes to do their job, wait about 5 minutes after starting your cycle before adding bleach. Remember to dilute it as directed in the instructions.

Myth 6: hot water kills all germs

Indeed, The Dirt on Laundry and How to Reduce Your Risk of Getting Sick / The University of Arizona, the higher the water temperature, the less bacteria will remain on the washed clothes. But this does not mean that the hot liquid will destroy absolutely all microbes.

If you wash clothes or underwear used by a sick person, do not rely solely on the temperature of the water. Be sure to add a disinfectant such as chlorine bleach, pine essential oil, or phenol-based disinfectant.

Myth 7: to prevent things from sitting, you need to use cool water

Clothes shrink not so much due to high water temperatures as due to a combination of a number of factors:

• the effects of moisture on the fibers of the fabric;
• mechanical influences - friction, stirring during washing and spinning cycles;
• exposure to heat. For a thing to shrink, the water does not have to be very hot: some fabrics shrink even at temperatures slightly above 30 ° C.

The surest way to avoid shrinkage is not just to limit the temperature during washing, but to strictly follow the recommendations indicated on the garment label. Your delicate sweater may not be automatic washed at all, and you should be aware of this.