10 things that should not be machine washed

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4 minutes

July 22, 2021

Carpets need regular cleaning. If a vacuum cleaner copes well with lightly dusty piles, then wet cleaning is required to remove more complex contaminants. Cleaning carpets by hand takes a long time, and the results obtained are not always satisfactory. Therefore, many people come up with the idea of getting rid of the hassle by loading the product into an automatic machine. We will tell you whether it is possible to wash a carpet in a washing machine and how to do it correctly.

Clothes and shoes made of genuine leather

After mechanical washing, creases and stains may remain on this delicate material. In addition, leather shoes usually have parts held together with glue. It can collapse under the influence of large amounts of moisture and elevated temperature.

What to do

Such items can only be cleaned by hand, using special leather care products (you can buy them, for example, in shoe stores). If the contamination is so great that, in your opinion, you cannot do without washing, it is better to take the item to a professional dry cleaner.

What should I wash with and can I wash with regular powder?

Dry powder or liquid? For washing any down jackets, it is better to choose the second option. The powder, especially on dark down jackets, may leave white streaks. Powder dissolves less well and is less rinsed out of fluff than a liquid product .
It is strictly not recommended to use bleaching agents and conditioners when washing down jackets.
They make the fluff stick together and form clumps. There are also special products for washing down jackets. They can be found in sportswear stores. Many people praise “UniPooh” for its unique properties of maintaining the breathability of down and preventing it from pilling and brittleness. It can also be used for washing pillows and blankets. This product is already good because it does not contain bleaches and chlorine that are dangerous for down jackets. The same cannot be said about dry washing powders.

Ties

Good ties, as a rule, have a price that in itself serves as a warning: throwing the item into the washing machine along with socks and T-shirts is unacceptable. Ties are often made from delicate silk, which, under harsh mechanical stress, easily loses color and even breaks. In addition, their internal structure may be damaged during washing, causing the accessory to lose its shape.

What to do

Wash only by hand using non-aggressive detergents.

Is it possible to wash clothes in a washing machine?

Don't: Underwire bras

The underwire in some bras can ruin the insides of your washing machine. To be safe, it's best to wash your bras by hand or place them in a pillowcase or special bag before washing them in the machine.

Do's and don'ts: covers for sofas and armchairs

Many covers are pre-shrunk, which means you can machine wash them without any problems. However, if the tag doesn't say so, it's best to have the item dry cleaned or you risk shrinkage on a rather expensive household item.

Pillows and mattress covers made of orthopedic foam

Machine washing is very likely to break the foam into small pieces. Especially if you forget and don’t turn off the spin mode.

What to do

Be sure to read the instructions that came with the specific pillow or mattress cover. Sometimes manufacturers prohibit washing such products altogether. If there are no restrictions, then items made of hard foam are washed by hand in warm water with a mild detergent. And then rinse thoroughly and wring out very carefully, without twisting.

Wash at 40 degrees and other features

Do you have a drum-type automatic machine? With a load of 4 kg or more? Does it have an extra rinse mode? And even a drying function? Great! You're in luck and so is your down jacket.

Select a delicate wash cycle. On different machine models it can be designated differently - “Wool”, “Synthetic fabrics”, “Hand wash”. New models of washing machines have a Duvet mode. From the name it is already clear that it is just what you need for down jackets.

Do not choose the soak and pre-wash cycle. For a down jacket this is unnecessary. The “Cotton” mode will kill your down jacket with high temperatures. The pen simply won’t stand it and will take revenge later with stains on the fabric and an unpleasant odor.

It's good if your machine's delicate wash cycle has several rinse cycles. If this is not the case, then add an additional rinse mode. This is exactly what you will need to remove any remaining detergent from the fluff.

The washing temperature should be no more than 40 degrees . But in general, delicate mode means 30 degrees .

You can put special balls for washing down jackets - such prickly “hedgehogs” made of soft rubber. These balls will “disturb” your down jacket during the washing process, preventing the down from forming lumps. Sometimes, instead of such balls, tennis balls (2-3 pieces) are placed in the drum. But they are not as good as “hedgehog” ones, as they can stain, which will be especially unpleasant if your down jacket is light in color.

Spinning a down jacket . Optimal modes are 400 or 600 rpm. Less is bad, since an under-pressed down jacket will take a long time to dry. But you don’t need more revolutions, otherwise the fluff may get lost. “Hedgehogs” do not need to be removed from the drum for washing when wrung out. They will help whip up the fluff.

Microfiber cloths

When machine washed with regular powder or gel, microfiber cloths run the risk of losing some of their absorbent properties. This is especially true for expensive and high-quality models.

What to do

If the wipes were sold with care instructions, be sure to look at them. Manufacturers often advise washing such products only by hand, in a warm soapy solution. Use the same cleaning algorithm if there are no recommendations, but you want the napkins to continue to absorb moisture well.

How to prepare a down jacket for washing?

To prevent the down jacket from losing its shape or tearing during washing, you need to fasten all the zippers, buttons, buttons, and Velcro on it. First remove all contents from pockets. Unfasten the natural fur. Some also advise, to be sure, to turn the down jacket inside out.

Don’t forget to check the problem areas of the down jacket – collar, cuffs, pockets. If they are very dirty, you need to wash them with soap. It is with soap, and not shampoo or gel, which foam very much and do not behave well when rinsing. It is recommended to use laundry soap, preferably one labeled “anti-stain.”

Fabrics contaminated with flammable liquids

Stains of fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline, motor oil, and solvents are a clear sign that clothes should not be put in the washing machine. Firstly, these are aggressive substances that can damage filters and other equipment. Secondly, if the stains are large, they may ignite during washing, which will lead to a fire. Thirdly, residues of fuel oil, gasoline and other petroleum products sometimes remain on the inner surface of the tank and stain the laundry during the next wash.

What to do

Clothing contaminated with flammable liquids must first be washed in warm water with a strong detergent. Then dry. Only after this, having made sure that the fuel oil or gasoline has been washed off, can the item be put in the washing machine.

How to wash things correctly: 28 gross mistakes when washing

How to wash things correctly:

Don't turn things inside out

If for most clothes it is preferable to wash from the outside, then delicate blouses, cotton items, sweaters, and especially jeans must be turned inside out before washing.
This way, the fabric is less damaged when the washing and spinning process occurs, and pills do not form on things.

Ignore the inscriptions on the label

The label of each item clearly indicates how it should be cleaned. But often, ignoring the “dry cleaning” sign, we throw clothes into the machine, thereby almost guaranteeing that they will be damaged.
It’s better to try to wash a thing with a similar label by hand than in a machine, even using the delicate mode.

Forget about antibacterial laundry detergents

Conventional laundry detergents do not destroy germs, but we are around people all day, in a wide variety of environments and not always sterile.
Therefore, if you take into account how to wash things correctly , then you should not only disinfect your hands and body by washing with soap, but also your clothes, adding antibacterial agents when washing.

Loading laundry into the machine without pre-washing

Let us remember how, since the days of washboards and basins, our grandmothers and mothers soaked laundry for several hours before washing it. This is how a lot of contaminants were removed.
And today, despite ultra-modern machines, experts advise not to ignore the pre-washing stage, especially when it comes to bed linen, which “absorbs” a lot of skin secretions, cosmetic and hygiene products that we use before bed, etc.

Do not soak

Neglect cleaning the washing machine

Despite the external shine of the drum, thorough cleaning from the inside is necessary if we want our assistant to serve for a long time and reliably.
Therefore, you should not skimp on cleaning and descaling products, while not forgetting about the cleanliness of the seals on the doors, and also the filter, which would be a good idea to clean every time you finish the next wash.

Overloading the washing machine

There is no need to fill the drum to capacity - always leave free space so that your washing goes well.
Otherwise, it’s unlikely that the machine will cope with all the dirt, so don’t be surprised or indignant when, at the end of the wash, you take out trousers and blouses that haven’t been completely washed, and also with stains from laundry detergent that hasn’t dissolved.

Bleach abuse

If you want to know how to wash things correctly , then it is important to remember that you need to use bleach very carefully. This is exactly the case when you need to strictly adhere to the indicated dosages.
If you overdo it, you can harm the structure of the tissue, destroying and weakening it. In addition, you need to make sure that the bleach and water are mixed evenly so that you don’t end up pulling out clothes with “faded” stains.

In the indicated dosages

Put a lot of washing powder

Just like with bleach, when adding washing powder (gel, capsules, tablets, etc.), you must adhere to the volumes that are usually indicated on the package.
Exceeding the norm will not lead to better cleaning of the laundry from dirt, but will only add foam, which can play a cruel joke and make the laundry sticky to the touch even after it has been rinsed.

Careless attitude towards socks

Every housewife is familiar with the bewilderment experienced at the moment when she runs out of socks in a pair after washing. You usually have to look for them in the area of the seal, where socks often get stuck.
A special mesh bag or an old, disused pillowcase will help. By folding your socks in them before washing, you are guaranteed to get them all back clean. You can do the same with underwear.

Do not clean wool from clothes

Cats and dogs leave fur on soft surfaces and on the clothes of their owners. It is impossible to avoid this, but cleaning things before putting them in the washing machine is possible and necessary.
Otherwise, you cannot avoid a clogged filter and the need for additional cleaning.

Cleaning

Do not control spin modes

Each type of fabric has its own boundaries and limits that the spin speed can reach. If a thousand sheets and towels are nothing, then for delicate fabrics this means rapid wear and tear, or even tears directly during the spinning process.
Somewhere in the middle are cotton fabrics. In a word, it is necessary to select the appropriate modes if we do not want to quickly turn our favorite thing into a rag.

Pay attention to the tags

Neglecting to wash new clothes

Even if an item was purchased not at a second-hand store, but at a boutique, we cannot be sure that someone has not already tried it on. Consequently, there could be pieces of skin left on the new thing, possibly affected by some disease.
Not to mention the aggressive dyes, as well as the treatment the clothes undergo before they are sent to the store. Therefore, it won’t hurt to wash a new, just purchased item.

Wash your new clothes

Do not treat oil and gasoline stains

If you put things with similar stains into the machine (you can also add alcohols and solvents), the result will be disastrous; the stains will simply spread, becoming even larger and uglier.
It is necessary to first work on the stain as much as possible: wash it by hand, apply a stain remover. And only after such treatment should the item be washed in a machine.

Leave the zippers unzipped

An unfastened zipper is an additional risk of ruining several things at once. The teeth can grab adjacent clothes, and when it comes to spinning, they can easily damage not only them, but also the wall of the drum. And the lightning itself is no less likely to become deformed.
So don’t be lazy and save time on checking and fastening zippers.

Washing toys

This is not to say that this is absolutely impossible to do. You just need to not throw all the toys in a row into the washing machine, but carefully inspect them and select those that will most likely not be damaged during washing.
Agree, it will be a shame to get your daughter’s favorite bunny, clean but eyeless.

Do not sort things before washing

Before you load your clothes into the machine, you need to sort them. You should not wash light with dark, so as not to be upset later if the clothes suddenly fade.
And you also need to pay attention to the type of fabric, because each of them has its own washing and spinning modes.

Be sure to sort

Fasten the buttons

Here the situation is the opposite regarding lightning. If you fasten the buttons before washing, it is possible that they may simply come off.
This is also harmful for the threads with which buttons are sewn to clothes: they wear out much more easily.

Machine washable swimsuits

The material from which swimsuits are made is usually 100% synthetic. She absolutely should not wash it in a washing machine, and even in hot water. In this case, the item may lose its shape, fade and simply stretch.
For swimwear, hand washing is sufficient and the water can be cool.

Don't check pockets before washing

It’s a shame when the washing result is offset by small pieces of paper, napkins, etc. that have spread out. You have to clean not only all the washed clothes, but also parts of the washing machine. And all because before washing we forgot to look in our pockets and the napkins, notes, and leaves left in them became wet and spread out. Checking pockets should be an immutable rule of washing.

Ignore the water temperature

This, not surprisingly, is one of the most common mistakes. The label of each item indicates the recommended washing temperature, and you should definitely follow these recommendations so that the items do not shrink, lose their shape and color brightness.

Pay attention to temperature

Failure to maintain process continuity

If you have accumulated enough things for two or three bookmarks, you don’t need to give the machine a “rest”, as housewives often do.
When loading immediately after the first wash, the machine uses the heat remaining from the previous wash, and thus uses less energy.

Forgetting the benefits of tennis balls

Perhaps all housewives have heard about this know-how, but not many put this very simple advice into practice.
It is better to wash the down jacket together with a couple of tennis balls - then the down will not roll off, and the foam will be rinsed out much better.

For down jackets

Put in too much effort

When trying to remove a stain, we sometimes rub the fabric of our clothes with all our might - it seems to us that the more effort, the better the result. But, as a rule, such fierce friction only wears out the fabric faster.
It’s better to use a stain remover, and if you need to rub, do it with care.

Soften towels

Some housewives use fabric softeners when washing towels.
This product is absolutely not needed for towels, since their ability to absorb moisture is reduced.
But that’s exactly what towels are designed for.

Does not require special softening

Do not wash feathers

Often, after washing a feather blanket or pillow, housewives consider the job done. But the problem is that the density of the feather filling them may prevent the powder from rinsing out completely.
Therefore, it is better to re-wash, which will help remove any excess.

Leaving things in the drum

It happens that immediately after washing we don’t have time to take the laundry out of the machine. But this does not mean that it can be left there for a long time.
The faster you empty the drum, the easier ironing will be. And, most importantly, you will prevent the unpleasant odor that can appear if the laundry stays in the drum for a long time.

Use the wrong powder

Sometimes, in order to save money, housewives use powder for washing machines intended for hand washing, since its price is lower.
But by saving on powder, we risk spending money on buying a new washing machine, since the too lush and abundant foam that such a powder produces is harmful to the machine and can cause it to fail.

Do not level the machine

When the washing machine is placed on an uneven surface, it is subject to very strong vibration, which reduces its service life.
To prevent this, level the position of the machine using planks or folding newspaper several times. This way you will also protect the floor from possible damage.

May cause damage.
Try to avoid the above mistakes to ensure you wash your items correctly . And washing will become pleasant, and your clothes and washing machine will last you a long time.

Baseball caps and hats with cardboard inserts

Many types of hats are made using cardboard inserts. They help create and maintain the required shape of the product. However, cardboard is susceptible to deformation when wet. When wet, it easily spreads and creases, holes and cracks appear on it. Therefore, if you want to keep your favorite baseball cap or hat intact, never use a washing machine to wash it. It is better to use a slightly damp cloth for cleaning.

A washing machine is an excellent assistant that makes life easier. However, you should not trust her with absolutely any clothes. Some items need to be hand washed, others dry cleaned. It is important to carefully read labels and follow care instructions. Then the products will look like new for a long time.

We recommend: How to wash a jacket, down jacket and coat made of camel hair at home?

Items with pet hair on them

If you immerse an item that has not been cleaned of pet hair into the machine, when wet, it will immediately spread throughout the entire product and will not be washed off even after several rinses. And this is the minimum that can happen. It will be worse if you wash such things regularly, then the wool is deposited in the filter of the equipment, which then has to be changed by calling a specialist. Such contamination can also lead to equipment breakdown. You can wash items that have pet hair on them only after shaking the item vigorously or after using a roller with a sticky layer.

Big things

Photo: unsplash.com

Blankets and blankets are large and heavy (especially when wet). If they barely fit into the drum of the washing machine, there is a high probability that such washing will end in serious damage to the “washing machine”. After all, in order for the drum to rotate and stains to be washed off, there must be some free space left in it.

It should also be taken into account that not all clothes and bedspreads are designed for machine wash. You must carefully read what is written on the label, otherwise you may ruin the item. If it is heavily soiled, it is better to take it to a dry cleaner or laundromat.

Bras

Bra hooks and wires in the washing machine drum can get caught in other clothes and tear them to shreds. Moreover, they can get caught on the drum itself, then you cannot avoid expensive repairs to the equipment. It is best to wash this piece of underwear by hand. To do this, simply fill a basin with water, pour soap into it, whip up some foam and leave the bra to soak. Then rinse it and hang it to dry.

Things with decor

Photo: pexels.com

Clothes decorated with sparkles, beads, rhinestones and sequins are not suitable for washing in the washing machine. Sewn on decorations can come off easily, and if they are glued on, hot water and laundry detergent can dissolve the glue. As a result, decorations can damage the internal parts of the washing machine (primarily the water filter).

Clothes with embroidery and lace are also not suitable for machine washing. These elements can be damaged when the washing machine drum rotates at high speed.

How to dry?

Proper drying is no less important than proper washing.

Ideal if you own an automatic machine with a drying function (mode for synthetic fabrics). If your machine does not have this function, then you need to dry the down jacket as follows:

choose the warmest place in the house where air circulates freely.
Place the down jacket on hangers and hang it vertically.
Periodically, as the down jacket dries, it needs to be fluffed, kneaded, and agitated. After such manipulations, the down will fluff up, and the item will regain its presentation. It is better to wash the down jacket in the summer, when it is possible to hang it out to dry on the balcony or outside.

A little trick : down returns volume when exposed to cold. If a still damp down jacket (not damp through and through!) is placed in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, then small ice crystals will form from the moisture contained in it, which will fluff up the down. This way the down jacket will regain its previous volume, and with it the ability to warm you in cold weather.

It is forbidden ! Dry the down jacket in a horizontal position. This way the fluff will not dry out, but will only lock it up. An unpleasant sour smell will appear. You will ruin your down jacket; it will no longer warm you.

The down jacket will not heat up even if you overheated it during drying by placing it or hanging it close to a fire radiator. Such excessive temperatures have a bad effect on the feather - it becomes fragile, breaks and then will stick out from all the seams of your down jacket.

Clothes with stains from flammable materials

If you spill gasoline or other flammable material on your clothing, you must wash it very carefully. First treat the stain with a solvent-based stain remover, and then put the item in the machine, just do not put other things in it. You should not dry such clothes in a machine, because the remaining flammable material combined with hot air can cause a fire.