{"id":413665,"date":"2018-02-27T21:48:35","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T21:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/origin-www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=413665"},"modified":"2024-11-04T07:33:53","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T13:33:53","slug":"laundry-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/laundry-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Laundry Mistakes You Didn\u2019t Know You Were Making"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
Separate very dirty or muddy clothes apart from lightly soiled pieces, and heavy or abrasive fabrics like denim from more delicate ones. (For denim, turn inside out, wash in cold water on a gentle cycle, and dry at a low temperature to prevent fading.) To prevent sheets from twisting, wash each set separately instead of the whole family's at once, and include smaller items like underwear in the load. According to Donna Smallin Kuper, author of\u00a0The One-Minute Cleaner<\/i><\/a>, the items help prevent twisting because they have different tumble patterns.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n Believe it or not, there's a right and wrong way to load the washing machine.(Don't forget to clean your top-loading washing machine<\/span><\/a>.) <\/span>Laundry experts say that for best detergent distribution (read: cleaner clothes), place laundry in first, then add water, and lastly add soap. However, if you're using bleach, add water first, then clothes, and then soap. By the way, have you ever tried laundry strips<\/a>? They make wash day a breeze.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n If you have time to air dry, do it. Not only do you save energy by not running the dryer, it's gentler on delicate items and helps stretchy clothing, like yoga pants, to keep their shape. Whenever you do tumble-dry, don't overload the dryer, or over-dry fabrics. Then fold or hang them immediately to prevent wrinkles.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n Tired of losing one less sock every time you do a load? Try placing socks in the washer first, then adding everything else. This makes them less likely to attach to other garments, which often causes them to go missing.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n Loose zippers can snag delicate clothing, as well as scratch the doors of front-loading washers. Make sure they're all the way up before you toss in the machine. Also, unclipped bras can pull fabrics or damage the drum if they fly around loose. Invest in lingerie bags or an old pillowcase as a solution.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n If you're worried about that new red shirt the first time you wash it, do this easy test to find out before a mess happens. Splash a little water on a discreet spot, then soak it up with a paper towel. If the color bleeds onto the towel, wash the clothing separately until the running stops.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n Empty the lint filter after every cycle, because lint buildup can clog the duct and become a fire hazard. It's also important to actually clean the filter about once a year. Scrub with a toothbrush dipped in detergent, then rinse and air-dry. Also, detach the hose from the back of the dryer about once a year (you'll know it's time when it takes more than an hour to dry a load), then snake a long brush through and push out lingering lint.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n Even if you’ve been washing your clothes for years and think you know how to do laundry, these common slip-ups can cause unnecessary damage to fabrics, fit and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5763,"featured_media":413669,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[303819,303823,303797],"categories-v2":[308433,308438,308432],"coauthors":[58420],"acf":{"long_pin":"","long_pin_file":false,"ncv_override_generic_settings_option":false,"ncv_autoplay_option":"","ncv_stickyplay_option":"","ncv_ads_option":"","ncv_mute_option":"","ncv_comscore_option":"","ncv_moat_option":"","ncv_autoplay_mobile_option":"","ncv_viewable_threshold_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_option":"","ncv_autopause_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_mobile_option":"","ncv_autopause_mobile_option":"","ncv_sticky_mobile_option":"","ncv_remove_player_option":false},"yoast_head":"\n\r\n
Don't put detergent directly on your clothes<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Don't abuse your dryer<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Don't mix socks with clothes<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Don't leave zippers open<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Don't leave dress shirts buttoned<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nYes, zippers should be fastened, but buttons should not. Washing a button-down shirt with the buttons fastened can damage the buttons and rip the buttonholes. And don't forget about the cuff and collar buttons either! Here are some other\u00a0tips that make laundry day easier<\/a>.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
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Don't forget a quick \"bleeding\" test<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Don't skip the filter and hose when clearing the lint trap<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Don't scrub stains<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nYou may think the best way to treat a stain is to give it elbow grease, vigorously scrubbing the stain with detergent. But that's not the best course of action, and it could even result in the stain spreading. Instead, gently dab the stain, working from the outside in. And, of course, the earlier you treat it, the more likely it is to go away. Watch out for the\u00a0signs you're using too much laundry detergent<\/a>.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
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Don't wash items that should be dry cleaned<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIf clothing has a \"dry clean<\/a>\" label, proceed with caution. Some items don't actually need to be dry cleaned; if you're dealing with natural fibers, like linens and silks, it's probably safe to hand-wash them and let them air-dry. But for items like leather, suede, and \"structured pieces\" (like blazers and suits), you'll probably want to obey that label.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Photo: Shutterstock\/ronstik[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe kitchen is in many ways the heart of the home. It's more than where we cook. It's where we meet, where we eat, and where we make all the memories in between. For folks who cook at home, the kitchen needs to be a well-oiled machine that is both easy to use for food preparation but also a pleasant place to spend time. Most people don't have to grapple with canyons of extra space in their kitchens, though, so it's important to make sure everything that makes it into our pantries, shelves, drawers, cabinets, and, most exclusive of all, our countertops, is there for a reason. Even if you are so blessed that you have to make decisions about a huge amount of kitchen real estate, it's safe to assume your design intent doesn't include mountains of unnecessary clutter. Here are the common items taking up precious space that most of us can get rid of guilt-free.\r\n\r\nPsst!<\/em> Learn which gadgets our Test Kitchen couldn't live without<\/a>.\r\n\r\n \r\n
1. The apple corer you've only used once<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nGetting rid of items that no longer serve a purpose in our kitchens is hard. To make it easier, start simply by eliminating the single-use kitchen tools you know you don't use, says Rachel Jones, the Joyful Space specialist and founder of NourishingMinimalism.com<\/a>. This applies to the apple corer, melon baller, avocado slicer or any other gadget you haven't used in months.\r\n\r\nRemember that a high-quality chef's knife makes many of the chopping tools you might be storing obsolete. Pick one up and eliminate the tomato slicer, onion chopper and mandolin you don't use.\r\n\r\nThe exception to this uni-tasker tool rule is, of course, if you reach for that apple corer every week when you make apple sauce every Sunday (but I've hardly heart of anyone using their melon baller that often).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
2. The dishes you never reach for<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nMost of us will host a dinner party, or two if we're lucky, outside the holiday season. (And we have perfect recipes for that<\/a>!) But we keep dozens of plates, wine glasses and bowls inside our cabinets. Realistically, we use the same few plates over and over again. Jones only stocks enough dishware (coffee cups, stemless wine glasses, dinner plates, salad plates, soup bowls and water glasses) for her family\u2014plus, two extra. That's it. Limiting the number of dishes helps her maintain a clean kitchen. \"I would wait until all the dishes are used up before I washed the dishes. Now, I am limited so I have to wash the dishes regularly.\"\r\n\r\nJones keeps a set of her grandmother's Corelle plates for holiday parties with her extended family. \"There are 30 plates, which don't take up much space. I keep them in the cupboard that isn't accessed often,\" she said.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
3. The measuring spoons that always fall off the ring<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIf there's a kitchen essential that you absolutely hate using for any reason, it's okay to upgrade. For me, it's my plastic measuring spoon set that I've had since college. The spoons always end up falling off the ring in the middle of cooking and measuring, or while soaking in the sink. Replace with a professional-quality, stainless-steel set and toss the plastic.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
4. Cheap plastic containers that never stay put<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nRaise your hand if you think you're spending hours monthly picking up the mismatched plastic containers and lids that fall out of the cabinet every time you need a container for leftovers. Simplify your life and invest in glass or high-quality plastic food storage containers that come in one size. Recycle or donate the ones you have precariously stacked. A bonus: You'll decrease food waste. \"I have a set of ten. When there are no more storage containers in the drawer, I know I need to have a leftover night and use up the leftovers. It keeps the fridge cleaner, takes up less space and decreases food waste,\" Jones says.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
5. Specialty pans you know you won't use\r\n<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nWe hold onto kitchen supplies thinking of the person we might become (a pie-baking goddess) and not the person we are today. It's kind of like holding onto the jeans you wore when you were 23 (and a size 2), hoping to get back there someday. For your sanity, it's better to let it go. Donate the jeans and the pie plate. It's okay that you're a laid-back cookies-and-banana-bread<\/a> champ and don't want to mess with crusts, fillings and lattice tops.\r\n\r\nEmbracing minimalism, Jones donated the specialty pans she held onto but never used. \"I had this idea that to be the perfect mom, I had to be like Martha Stewart, and so I had a lot of specialty pans like tart pans and springform pans. I had to be really realistic with myself rather than focusing on what I thought I should be. I had to let things go and acknowledge what I'm capable of and what I really want.\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
6. Kitchen gadgets that do the same thing<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIf you're recently upgraded to an Instant Pot<\/a>, consider donating your slow cooker, rice cooker and food steamer. The multipurpose cooker eliminates the need to keep these other devices around. Don't keep them around as a backup (think when the last time you cursed yourself for not having a backup rice cooker\u2014never). Consider other gadgets that do the same work. If you have a Vitamix or Ninja blender, you may want to eliminate your immersion blender, food processor and coffee grinder.\r\n\r\nLook through your kitchen and evaluate what you really use. If you haven't used it in the past year and it doesn't hold any sentimental importance, you can probably toss it. Purging your kitchen of nonessentials will help make room for the stuff you use on a daily basis.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[collection id=\"13677\" title=\"Little room to spare? Try these one-pot wonders.\"]\r\n\r\n[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[\/cf]","post_title":"Declutter Your Kitchen: 6 Items to Purge Guilt-Free","post_excerpt":"Need to declutter your kitchen? Here's a guide on what to toss.","post_status":"inherit","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"404411-autosave-v1","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2018-02-16 17:20:32","post_modified_gmt":"2018-02-16 17:20:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":404411,"guid":"http:\/\/origin-www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/404411-autosave-v1\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"revision","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},"post_meta":{"long_pin":[""],"_long_pin":["field_fhm_long_pin_image"],"subhead_text":[""],"_subhead_text":["field_rd_dotnet_subhead_text"],"meta_description":["Declutter your kitchen without guilt. 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