A towel comes out scratchy. A shirt still smells after washing. A stain survives the wash and then goes into the dryer. Before you add more detergent or run another cycle, check the routine. These eight laundry mistakes that ruin your clothes, or at least leave them dingy, stiff or stained, are small and easy to repeat. Here is what to change.
The short answer: measure detergent for the load, load the washer loosely, check stains before tumble drying, read the care label and choose the water temperature for the fabric and stain. Cold works well for many everyday loads, but not every situation. Unload wet laundry promptly and keep the dryer’s lint filter and venting clear. Never mix chlorine bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other household cleaners, and follow product directions for laundry use.
Eight laundry mistakes that ruin your clothes
1Using too much detergent
Tide Cleaners says too much detergent can leave residue on fabric and in the washer, which can contribute to stiffness, dull-looking colors, dingy whites and a musty washer smell. It adds that high-efficiency machines use less water and need less detergent, that soft water needs less and that hard water may need a little more. Stiff, scratchy towels are a common sign, and our guide on why towels smell after washing covers the fix.
Do this instead: use the amount recommended for your machine, load size and water conditions, and follow the measuring line on the bottle.
2Overloading the washer
Manufacturer Bosch explains that an overloaded drum makes laundry move as one mass, so water can’t circulate and detergent isn’t fully rinsed out. Packed clothes don’t rinse properly, which can leave residue behind. Capacity varies by machine, so check your manual.
Do this instead: leave room for clothes to tumble and split a big pile into two loads. That rule of thumb is our own advice.
3Putting a stained garment in the dryer
Iowa State University Extension’s AnswerLine laundry stain tips say that if a stain is still evident after washing, you shouldn’t dry the garment, because the heat of drying makes the stain more permanent. The same page says fresh stains are easier to remove than ones more than 24 hours old, that you should blot rather than rub and that you shouldn’t iron stained fabric. Test any stain remover on a hidden seam first. For a specific stain, try our guide to sweat stains.
Do this instead: check the garment in good light after washing, and air-dry it until the stain is gone.
4Ignoring the care label
Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Care Labeling Rule, most clothing it covers must carry care instructions that stay attached and legible for the garment’s useful life, and the label must include a warning, such as “wash separately” or “do not bleach,” when a normal wash could harm the item or other clothes. The rule has exclusions and exemptions, so not every item will have one. The Cleaning Institute’s fabric care symbol guide explains the symbols
