Washing our clothes is something we just have to do, but it’s very often that our laundry habits are not as good as we may think. We can’t prevent our washing machines from eventually breaking down, but we can do a lot to expand their lifetime.
Some things are considered basic knowledge, but some steps can be taken to easily avoid your washing machine from malfunctioning. We’ve gathered some tips and tricks from the professionals so you can break your bad laundry habits and help maintain your washing machine in a perfect state for quite a long time.
1. Avoid Overloading the Machine
We all had those weeks when we just couldn’t get around doing the laundry. As the weekend gets closer, and the laundry pile gets bigger, it’s natural you get tempted to cram up the washing machine and speed up the process.
As it turns out – this is possibly one of the worst things you can do to your washer, as overloading the machine can cause serious problems with the machine, and it can be really bad for your clothes too. As experts from Appliance Repair Sydney emphasize – regularly overloaded washing machines tend to break almost 30% more often than those used properly. Follow the weight limit of your washing machine, and avoid shortening its lifetime.
2. Remember to Prepare the Clothes before Washing
Adding jackets with zippers to the washer shouldn’t be a problem, but remember – if it has a zipper – zip it up. Metal teeth of zippers can seriously damage the other clothes they are being washed with, and tumbling in such a state can make zippers fall off. Also, leaving pennies and small junk in your pockets can cause some serious issues with the washer.
Zippers that have fallen off, coins, hard or sharp objects that get stuck in the washing machine have a tendency to cause major breakages. Avoid just stuffing your washer with clothes, do a thorough check-up – look in the pockets and zip up all the zippers you have. When it comes to jeans and shirts, keep in mind that buttons have a tendency to get under more pressure while washing, so they can pop off.
3. Don’t Leave Wet Clothes in the Washer for Too Long
It can be very hard to remember to get the wet clothes out of the washing machine by the end of a hard day. Usually, even if we remember, most of us just choose to ignore it and pull it out later on, or in the morning. This is quite a bad habit because of various reasons.
In just 8 – 12 hours mildew and mold start growing on your clothes, which causes that hard, sour smell. Also – leaving the wet, heavy clothes sitting in the machine can make the machine take in the bad smells. It also has an overloading effect, as the clothes are not moving but simply burdening the machine at the same spot for hours. Always take your clothes out of the washer, as soon as the laundry is done.
4. Always Use the Right Amount of Detergent
You would be surprised how many people are using too much of the detergent following the rule – too much soap never killed anybody. This is not just an expensive habit, but it also affects your clothes as well as the washing machine’s basic functions.
The detergent residue has a tendency of blocking and breaking the washer’s pump and drain, while too much of it can leave your clothes dingy and stained. Using recommended amounts helps protect the machine as well as provide the best washing results.
5. Don’t Overuse Bleach
Modern bleach is sold in extremely concentrated form, which makes it a powerful chemical. It’s quite unhealthy and it has a serious effect on the washing machine’s working cycle.
Too much bleach can make your clothes hard and it can really destroy the fabric when used in large amounts, while its concentrated form damages the water heater and helps with limescale forming. Use bleach before the wash, or add it directly to the stained area in small amounts to prevent fabric tearing.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ll find some of these tips useful, and they might even help you break any bad habits you may have had when it comes to laundry. If you focus on it, and do it properly, and not just as a mindless chore, you can see that laundry can actually help keep your washing machine in a good state.
