Doing laundry the same way mom did doesn’t necessarily mean it’s being done the right way. Laundry myths abound and have become ingrained in the way laundry is done, often resulting in dingy, stained or shrunken clothing that get tossed far before the life expectancy of the garment has been met.
When To Add Bleach To Wash Water
The laundry myth for adding bleach is to add the bleach and the laundry detergent at the same time, then add the white clothes. The laundry detergent actually counteracts the bleach and the whites begin to turn a dingy shade of gray instead of the desired clean, bright white.
The time to add the bleach is during the last five minutes of the wash cycle. The laundry detergent has already done it’s cleaning work to the white fabric and the bleach can work alone to whiten, brighten and remove any lingering stains.
Clothes Dryers Shrink Clothing
That’s a laundry myth, clothes dryers don’t shrink clothing. It’s the lack of moisture in the clothing caused from over drying that causes the shrinkage. To prevent clothes shrinkage, remove clothing from the dryer as soon as they are dry, or better still is to remove clothing while they are still slightly damp and hang up to finish drying.
Treat Stains By Applying Laundry Stain Remover To The Stain
Sounds reasonable enough, but it’s another laundry myth. Applying the laundry stain remover directly to the front of the stain forces the stain deeper into the fabric. Turn the garment inside out and apply the laundry stain remover to the backside of the stain to force it out of the fabric. Allow the laundry stain remover to set for a few minutes, then launder as usual.
Touch Test Fails On Damp Laundry
Opening the dryer door and touching the laundry to determine if it’s dry or still damp fails the test. Nerves in the fingers have a hard time distinguishing between damp from cold. A more accurate test for dampness is to touch the fabric to the lips. Lips can easily distinguish dampness from coldness.
Laundry myths abound and always will. Some of those laundry myths have been debunked today. Add bleach during the last five minutes of the washing cycle, remove clothes from the dryer immediately, treats stains on the wrong side of the fabric and test for dampness with lips. All these factual tips will help get laundry done right and make garments last longer.
Helen Stewart - Ms. Stewart resides in Georgia where she is enjoying her career as a freelance writer. She writes for many online publications including ...
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