Laundry - 5 golden rules

There are few things in life that are more chore-some than doing your laundry. It is such a bore. Along with ironing. However, if you want your clothes (and yourself) to look good, it simply must be done. Don't get me wrong, for suits/blazers, I leave this to the dry cleaners (luckily offered as a service at work). But for everything else, it's all hands on deck.

Image:popsugar

The other day I shrunk a wool jumper. It was already the smallest size so once it shrunk it was definitely child size. And it was a Christmas present. And it was from Zara. I was very sad.

Lesson learnt? You can't just bung everything into the washing machine - as I normally do. Needless to say, you really do have to tailor the wash, to the piece of clothing.

With that in mind....

1. Repeat after me: always, always read the label

Had I been wiser, I would have seen that the wool jumper clearly referenced the maximum temperature it could be washed in. Allowing it to be spun at a high temperature shrunk the damn thing. Labels aren't just there for sizing or brand - they contain golden rules for effective washing. Read them. 

2. Learn to hand wash

As a child, my mum would hand wash specific things in our bathroom sink, letting them soak with a special 'delicates' liquid. Pfttt. Too much fuss over nothing. So I thought. In actual fact, garments made from silk, chiffon or other delicate fabrics should indeed be hand washed, submerged in a tub/sink with mild detergent.

3. Separate your whites from your colours

Image: Goodhouskeeping

Why do two washes when you can do one? Yes, it is a huge hassle to double the pain of laundry by doing two sets. But it's less painful than seeing your white blouse turns a lovely yellow-ish colour thanks to being contaminated by other clothes. If you really don't have time to do two washes, try buying a colour catcher sheet which should minimise bleeding.

4. Dry clothing naturally 

If you can, hang your clothing up to dry rather than putting it through the tumble drier. This is because the machine will take those clothes through - surprise surprise - a rough tumble that only really durable clothes can endure. Anything with sequins, lace or embellishment runs the risk of getting torn or ripped.

5. Don't overload the washer

It can be tempting to cram everything into the washing machine, but resist the urge. Think about it: the clothes need space when spinning so that soap can actually work its way through the fabric and clean the clothes. Plus, an overloaded washing machine runs the risk of breaking from too much pressure. And ain't nobody got time for that.