This Laundry Mistake Is Making Your Clothes Wear Out Fast – Cleaning Pros Reveal the Easy Fix
It's music to our ears
If your clothes seem to wear out, fade, or lose their shape far too quickly, your laundry routine may be to blame.
One common but 'fatal' laundry mistake quietly shortens the lifespan of fabrics, accelerating wear, weakening seams, and stretching fabrics, experts reveal.
The good news is that it’s entirely preventable with a few simple adjustments to your laundry routine. Here's how to do laundry correctly to prevent premature damage, and why it makes such a difference.
This Is the Real Reason Your Clothes Don't Last
The most common laundry mistake ruining your clothing is washing items too often, so if you have been on the lookout for ways to do less laundry, this might be music to your ears.
This bad laundry habit ruins your items by increasing stress on the garment, warns Alicia Sokolowski, green cleaning expert and co-CEO at AspenClean, as it breaks down fibers and makes colors fade.
'Every agitation cycle and detergent exposure can weaken fibers, causing pilling, thinning, or fraying over time,' she explains.
The solution sounds simple – just don't do laundry every day. However, you still need to stay on top of stain management, and you don't want to be walking around smelling stale. So, how do you find the right cleaning balance?
How to Wash Clothes to Make Them Last Longer
Being more specific about how you care for your clothes can prolong the lifespan.
While washing less is one of the best laundry tips for prolonging the lifespan of your clothes, the trick is to balance this with spot cleaning and using the right washing machine settings when you do launder garments. This works for washing your household linens, too.
'It should go without saying that you should only wash clothes when they're actually dirty,' Alicia explains. 'For lightly worn items like jeans or sweaters, try airing them out for a day instead of tossing them in the machine.'
When items have small marks, consider how you can use spot treatments such as Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover Pens, from Target, to remove spills, or garment steamers, available at Wayfair, to refresh creases and mild odors.
When you do wash your clothes, how you wash them matters. Using garment bags from Target, for instance, Alicia says, is a must for delicate items to reduce friction.
Alternatively, Jacqueline Sava, founder and director of possibilities at Soak Wash Inc. suggests hand-washing laundry. 'Hand-washing is the best way to preserve your finest clothing and materials. At Soak, we recommend hand-washing lingerie, swimwear, lace, and delicate knits. The less agitation, the better for the garment,' she explains.
Sorting clothes for laundy will make picking the right settings easier. Jacqueline continues, 'The best way to keep your best clothes lasting longer is to separate them right when you take them off. Having a second laundry basket for hand-washing, delicates, or lightly soiled clothes ensures that delicate materials don't end up in the machine.'
The Joseph Joseph Tota Trio laundry hamper, from Wayfair, is ideal for this, with three removeable bags to make pre-sorting and taking items to your washing machine quick and intuitive.
What to Shop
Environmental Working Group (EWG) Certified, these laundry pods are certified healthier for use in your home, helping to cut out toxic laundry room items.
Perfect for pre-treating stains, Oxiclean can also be added to your washing machine for an extra stain-fighting boost during the cycle.
Dryer balls are a great dryer sheet alternative that will break up and fluff up your laundry for even drying and softer bedding.
Our Head of solved Punteha van Terheyden fell in love with this laundry hamper and has been using it for over a year. It banished the previous physical pain she was suffering when having to manually sort washing on the ground or reaching into the bottom of a basket.
Tumble drying clothes is quick, but damaging to your clothing. Reap the benefits of air drying laundry with this roomy drying rack without using lots of floor space.
Speed up drying indoors with a dehumidifier to suck out moisture from garments, fending of musty odors and preventing mold.
Meet the Experts
With over 17 years of experience, Alicia specializes in creating a healthier, green alternative to chemical-based cleaning products and services. AspenClean provides all-natural, chemical-free cleaning services that have revolutionized the cleaning industry and changed the way people clean their homes.
Jacqueline is a CEO, delicate laundry expert, award winning entrepreneur, mom to twins, and a champion of women in business.
While washing too often is an issue, there are still some things you aren't washing enough that you should add to your next cycle to keep your home hygienic.
