Pop-quiz: How sure are you that you’re loading your washer and dryer the correct way?
If your answer is anything remotely close to “I’m not sure,” then this post is for you! We want to briefly go over a few quick tips that can help you ensure that your loading and unloading your washer correctly — which means your clothes will be cleaner, dryer, and last longer.
Here’s our quick tips:
Don’t Over- or Under-Load
A common issue with washers and dryers boils down to how much you put in them. Too much fabric in a washer will prevent everything from cleaning as it should, which means your clothes stay dirty despite the wash. On the opposite end, too little clothes (and too much water) can cause your clothes to become extra damp and harder to dry. You may find yourself drying multiple cycles, which damages the fabric and shortens the life of your clothes.
Finding the right balance between water and fabric will ensure that everything gets clean and runs smoothly. You’ll have cleaner clothes faster, which is hard to argue with!
Washing smaller loads allow you to optimize the clean-to-wrinkle ratio by allowing more room for your clothes to agitate. This means they’ll come out less crumpled, cleaner, and minimize your wrinkles once everything is dry.
Use the Right Amount of Detergent
Similar to too much (or not enough) water, the amount of detergent you use is an essential ingredient when ensuring how clean your clothes are. Not enough, and you can’t ensure that everything has the soil lifted from it. Too much, and you may end up with detergent remaining after the washing cycle — which can cause itchiness when you put the clothes back on.
As a general rule, you want to follow the directions on your detergent to the letter. This will help you create the right balance of water, detergent, and clothes.
Fabric softeners, as the name implies, soften your fabric and can help you dry out wrinkles in the dryer. A similar common recommendation is to add some white distilled vinegar to your load, but it’s best to be careful with this method. Check to ensure your washing machine can handle this, and that it will wash out of your clothes completely.
Untangle for the Dryer
Your washer agitates your clothes to help lift soil and stains, but too much agitation can lead to wrinkles. If you’re washing clothes that are a bit more on the delicate side, choosing a gentler wash cycle is an easy way to reduce wrinkles in the final outcome.
Tie Loose Strings and Straps
At the end of your washing cycle, it’s not uncommon to find all of your clothes in a ring around the edges — all tangled up and wrinkled. To some degree, this is unavoidable, but it can be helped when you move everything to the dryer.
Take a moment to pull everything out one-by-one, straighten it, and put it into the dryer gently. This simple separation will allow your clothes to dry completely without tangling, thus preventing wrinkles.
