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The laundry mistake that could be ruining your clothes

Are you guilty? - by Livia Gamble
  • 14 Feb 2018
The laundry mistake that could be ruining your clothes
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Stained shirt? Just pop it in the wash, right? Wrong!?

Before washing a stained item of clothing, there’s one thing many people forget to do and it could be ruining your clothes.

It’s important to remember to pretreat your stains before washing. 

 

“Not pre-treating laundry immediately after, say, the vinaigrette hits your white T-shirt can make it much harder to remove the stain once it has set,” Corinna Williams, who co-founded the hip laundry mat Celsious, told Real Simple. "At that point, getting the stain out will require much harsher treatment, which will ultimately shorten your garment’s life cycle."

sheets
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How to pre-treat stained clothes

Before doing laundry check for stains and ensure they are pretreated before washing. 

When treating a stain make sure you blot the stain rather than rub it. According to www.bhg.com, “Blotting draws the stain away from the fabric; rubbing pushes the stain into the fabric and damages the fibre finish and the colour of the fabric.” 

“Use a gentle rubbing motion under running water to help remove dried food, protein, or oil stains from denim-weight fabrics of cotton or cotton/polyester blends.”

Once treated, make sure the stained items are washed separately with cold water, especially if you aren’t sure what caused the stain. Hot water can cause the stain to set.

Lastly, make sure the stain has been removed before putting it in the dryer.

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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

The secret to getting sweat stains out of white T-shirts

The secret to getting sweat stains out of white T-shirts

6 household items that can remove ink from furniture

6 household items that can remove ink from furniture

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How to get candle wax out of anything

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{headline}

{headline}

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These multi-tasking laundry appliances will streamline your wash-and-dry process

The smart new way to do laundry

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How to remove stubborn stains

{headline}

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How to wash up the right way

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How to clean with vinegar minus the smell

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Is it okay to store dirty clothes in your washing machine?

Is it okay to store dirty clothes in your washing machine?

12 Christmas disasters to avoid

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