We all know to separate your lights and darks and to NEVER put wool sweaters in the dryer. But why do we follow these rules? Some of them are quite interesting and we thought we’d share! One great takeaway is that you will hopefully remember these rules the next time you do a load!
1. Why wash clothes inside out?
This is not a very common rule, but it is still a good one. There are many reasons we do this. One of the best reasons is so that the inside takes all the agitation and not the outside, keeping it looking newer for longer. This practice also focuses on the most soiled part of your garments. Those exterior spots will still get clean, but the sweat and skin flakes will get the most attention as they should.
2. Why separate jeans?
Jeans are like a battering ram to the rest of the clothes in a washer. Think about how chafed your legs would get in wet jeans? Now think about a blouse rubbing up next to them repeatedly. Besides, the first few times you wash them, the dyes will bleed out.
3. Why wash clothes in cold water?
Not all clothes, but some fabrics just do better in cold water. Hot water used to be the go-to due to the way detergents were made, but this is no longer the case. They are much more effective now at lower temperatures. Hot water can make stains settle into certain fabrics. Cold water also saves energy. According to several longtime studies, 75% of your laundry’s energy emissions come from just warming the water. That’s crazy! Your clothes will last longer too, as fabrics should not shrink. Unless you have clothes that need sanitizing, opt out for cold water washes!
4. Why wash clothes before wearing them?
Besides you not knowing who’s been trying the clothes on and handling them, there is another very important reason to wash before you wear. Most fabrics that are made from synthetic fibers have very heavy dyes in them. Many people have proven allergic to them, causing severe skin rashes. Friction and sweat can cause the dyes to leach out and disperse. There are even rare cases where people have developed lasting sensitivities due to dyes getting into open wounds. Sounds like an episode of House, but it’s true!
5. Why wash clothes separately?
Besides the reasons covered above with temperature and texture, we also want to separate clothes according to color. I know, that is a lot of separate loads and it may seem excessive. Unless you have suffered your favorite white tee turning pink, you might not realize that even old red fabrics can bleed. You will definitely want to separate out brand new vibrant colored garments. If you want to keep whites dazzling, you might want to use detergent containing bleach. Make sure no colored clothes sneak in there. You know what happens to colored clothing that gets bleach on it.
6. Why do laundry at night or early in the morning?
This one sounds like a weird one, but bare with us! Did you know that certain energy companies have “peak hours” where they charge for extra electricity usage? Crazy right?! Ask for your energy provider’s rates and if they do this, try washing your clothes before 2pm and after 7pm.
Bottom Line
We were all raised with different tried-and-true practices when it comes to laundry. Whether you even glance at the tags or not, we commend you for doing it. If you struggle and don’t want to go through the hassle, Deluxe Cleaners is here for you! We’d love to take that pile off your to-do list so you can focus on more important things. Trust that we are experts at doing it right. We know all the whys and their importance in laundering so you don’t have to! It is interesting stuff though!
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