You’ve been washing your clothes all wrong! Experts reveal hacks that will get your garments REALLY clean – from putting vinegar in with your gym gear to removing ink stains with milk
- Care label symbols confuse many, while others simply wash with detergent
- Workout gear should be washed cold with vinegar to eliminate odours
- Coffee stains can be melted away with baking soda and oil with white chalk
- These laundry hacks will ensure that you never ruin your favourite shirt again
We’ve all had that sinking feeling when taking washing out of the machine to find it’s not as clean and fresh smelling as you’d hoped for.
But if you want your clothing to come out squeaky clean, there’s more to it than throwing your gym gear in with detergent and softener and hoping for the best.
Now experts from Luckily Workwear Giant have compiled the ultimate hacks for ensuring your load comes out squeaky clean, while ensuring delicate items don’t get damaged.
From washing smelly gym clothes with vinegar to treating make-up stains with shaving foam this guide will turn doing your laundry into a much more satisfying task.
Getting your clothes squeaky clean involves more thank throwing them in the machine with detergent and softener (stock image)
How to wash common items in your wardrobe
Workout clothes
- Use cold water and half a dose of detergent with one cup of white vinegar – this will eliminate odours
- Do not use fabric softener
Denim
- Spot clean for minor stains in between washes – jeans can be worn four or five times before they need to be cleaned again
- Use cold water on a delicate cycle with mild detergent
Underwear
- Use a low temperature with gentle detergent on a delicates cycle
- Use net bags for bras
Shirts
- Unbutton shirts before washing
- Wash on a permanent press but check the care label for the temperature
Wool
- Use a delicate cycle, or wool if your machine has it
- Only use mild detergent, or consider buying one designed specifically for wool
Silk
- Add three tablespoons of white vinegar – it will restore the shininess of the material
- Hand wash with cool or tepid water
- Use a gentle detergent
Coats and jackets
- Wash in a front-loading washing machine, as top-loader drawers can damage coats
- Use a delicate cycle
The dos and don’ts of laundry basics
DO
- Pre-treat stains as soon as they happen
- Sort clothing by colour and fabric type so it’s washed on the correct cycle
- Zip up zips before washing to prevent holes
- Wash clothing inside out
DON’T
- Put bleach on elastic/spandex items even if they’re white, as it will eat the elastic
- Use fabric softener on towels – it reduces the absorbency
- Overload your washing machine
- Leave wet clothes in the drum after the wash load has finished – it only takes 24 hours for mildew to start growing
This handy guide explains which cycle and which temperature you should use for your cloth
Which drying cycle should you use?
Regular/high heat
- Whites
- Linens
- Jeans
- Towels
- Sheets
- Pre-shrunk items
Can be used for any item of clothing washed in hot water
Care instructions on clothing labels (above) don’t have to be confusing with this simple guide
Permanent press/medium heat
- Shirts
- Dresses
- Jackets
- Outerwear
Can be used for most pieces of clothing
Delicate/low heat
- Knitwear
- Fragile fabrics
Air drying/no heat
This setting fluffs clothing at room temperature, which can help remove dust and pet hair