Many of us find laundry to be one of the most tedious chores. While there are distinctly different approaches to tackling this task, from the just throw it all in the machine, to the meticulous sorter, there are some common laundry mistakes that can affect everyone.
Whether you are a diligent laundry taskmaster or more haphazard, you may think that more detergent will result in cleaner clothes. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake and could be creating laundry issues. A Wall Street Journal article highlighted this issue and detailed that Americans typically use far too much laundry detergent, which can lead to appliance problems and dirty clothes. In the past, a good rule of thumb was that a cap full of detergent was the right amount for a full laundry load. Today, modern appliances are more efficient and detergent is far more concentrated. This means that there is less water to dissolve the soap leading to residue or staining on the clothes, improper draining and even odd odors left in the machine from excess residue becoming trapped. Most importantly, you could be increasing the wear and tear on your machine and causing it to use more energy.
Fabric softeners are designed to leave a coating on your laundry to create softening magic. Unfortunately, while it may smell great, being heavy handed with your softener can create laundry problems. Towels can be particularly affected as the coating inhibits moisture absorption. Excess amounts of fabric softener can also build up inside the appliance and could eventually start to cause stains on your clothing.
Not all your laundry items should be washed at the same temperature, and it could be creating problems if you treat every load the same way. Even if you do use different temperature settings, you need to appreciate that you may need different detergent products. Some detergents cannot properly dissolve in cold water, particularly powdered laundry detergent. So, if you are washing on a cold water setting, you should choose a detergent that is specifically formulated for cold water use. The wrong detergent and temperature settings could not only cause damage to your clothing, but could leave clumps of undissolved detergent in the load.
Many people pay very little attention to which items are loaded into their washing machine first, as they assume it makes no real difference. This is an unfortunate mistake and is likely to lead to your dirtiest clothing sitting at the bottom of your appliance. A better approach is to place your grimiest items in last, so it is on top where the detergent will be the most effective.
Finally, one of the most common laundry mistakes is to load the machine, set it going and then ignore it. Ignoring any odd noises produced by your appliance means that you miss an opportunity for a little proactive repair. Minor issues such as small worn components can lead to noises being emitted during a wash, particularly when the machine is spinning. If this type of issue is not addressed, it is likely to develop into a more serious problem that could cause the appliance to break down. If you do hear any screeching, squealing or grinding, have your appliance checked by an experienced professional as soon as possible.
There are a number of laundry problems you can face and educating yourself on just some of the common issues can help to tackle some simple issues. While many common issues may be solved on your own, for a long lasting and effective solution, you’ll need an experienced professional.
For help with all your washing machine repair needs, ensure you contact a professional appliance repair service.