What are some common mistakes made while washing plain shirts?
- Rubbing stains vigorously
- Using too much detergent
- Overfilling the machine
- Not cleaning the filter of the machine
- Not sorting your clothes
When you have a favorite plain shirt, the last thing you want is for it to lose its best qualities over time. Plain shirts in the Philippines are popular for their comfort, versatility, and classic style. Once you’ve found a plain shirt you really like, you know you can wear it over and over again.
Unfortunately, one of the quickest ways for a shirt to lose its quality is when it’s tossed into a washing machine and part of a full cycle wash. Fortunately, you can avoid damaging your shirts if you avoid these common mistakes when washing plain shirts.
Rubbing stains vigorously
It’s always a good idea to look at the washing instructions on the shirt’s label in case they have instructions on dealing with stains. Otherwise, if you look at stain removal instructions online, you’ll find several ways to remove stains of just about any composition. Make sure you’re getting your stain-removal information from a reputable source, so the stain doesn’t spread or get worse.
If you can’t find instructions on the label or online, gentle blotting with water or mild detergent will likely do the trick. Just remember to never rub stains with vigor because that will pull at the garters and seams of the shirt and cause it to become loose.
Using too much detergent
Overusing detergent is one of the most common yet unwitting mistakes made when washing clothes. This is because some people mistakenly believe that putting in more detergent makes the clothes cleaner.
Remember, though, that if you put too much detergent, the full cycle might finish without completely washing out all the suds in your clothes. This then leads to the excess detergent residue and even dirt or bacteria being left behind on your clothes.
To know how much detergent to use, it’s always good to go with the amount recommended by its manufacturer, since that’s the tested amount that has been found to work best.
Overfilling the machine
Since a washing machine requires motion to clean the clothes properly, overfilling your machine may stop the drum from spinning properly. If there are too many clothes in the drum, it will be too heavy to move, and even if it does, the clothes won’t be cleaned evenly.
Not only will this mean your clothes don’t clean as they should, but overfilling your washer and putting too much weight in it can also cause eventual damage to the washer itself.
Not cleaning the filter of the machine
Like all filters, the washing machine’s filter gathers lint, dust and other unwanted bits stuck in your clothes. Just because it’s inside a washing machine doesn’t mean it isn’t dirty.
Make it a habit to clean the machine’s filter after every load. This removes the dirt and lint from the filter, and consequently, from your clothing. Additionally, if you have pets, avoid putting clothes that have pet hair in the washing machine. If you do have to, run over them with a lint roller first to make sure most if not all of the pet hair is gone. Pet hair and dander could not just dirty up your filter, but could even clog your machine.
Not sorting your clothes
While many people are aware that you need to sort your clothes, many people are unaware of how to go about doing so, or they do it wrongly.
Sort according to fabric type first to avoid damaging the delicates. Then, sort according to color to keep clothes that might bleed from the ones that might stain. Always wash whites separately, separate light colors from dark colors, and if you have some black clothes that you want to retain darkness, wash them on their own and not with the rest of your darks.
Key Takeaway
Shirts of good quality don’t lose their vibrant colors, good fit, and appropriate stretch very fast, but they can still wear and tear over time. Despite that, you can wear your favorite shirts at their best quality for much longer if you avoid making these common mistakes when washing plain shirts.
If you’re not sure and want to preserve a particular shirt or piece of clothing, hand washing is the way to go. It’s gentle, safe, and less likely to cause dye bleeding, but on the other hand, it can be quite time-consuming and tiring. Still, with these tips, even machine washing shouldn’t be too damaging.
If you’re looking for your next favorite shirt, why not go to the leading plain shirt supplier in the Philippines? At Lifeline, we make sure our shirts are made of the most durable yet comfortable cotton, they don’t bleed, and they can be easily customized. What more could you want? Shop from our product catalog today! You may also shop from the official Lifeline Shirts Shopee page.
