'I'm a washing machine expert – five mistakes everyone makes can ruin laundry' – The Mirror
A washing machine guru unveils the laundry nightmares she’s witnessed over the years and how you can avoid a disaster of your own – some of the tips are surprising
On the face of it, doing the laundry may seem pretty simple – but a washing machine expert at Which? claims that you might be doing it completely wrong.
Natalie Hitchins, Home Products and Service Editor, told The Mirror of the many laundry nightmares she's witnessed over the years and how you can avoid a disaster of your own.
"[First] be careful when you're putting things into the washing machine," she said. "Lots of people often get items such as loose coins and bra underwires stuck between the inner and outer drum. Always check your pockets before you do a wash to avoid loose change accidentally being placed in the machine."
"When you're cleaning your bras, Which? recommends putting them in a laundry bag to protect them from getting caught."
Natalie claims to have five key rules to ensure your washing process is up to standard. While checking the pockets of clothes is certainly among them, the expert also claims that overloading your machine is a big no-no too.
"If you've been waiting a while to put a wash on, it can be tempting to fill your machine right up with items," she continued. "But putting in heavy things such as dressing gowns and large towels can cause more harm than good. As these absorb lots of water, it could cause the drum of your washing machine to spin unevenly as the weight isn't balanced out."
Checking in on the health of your machine and paying attention to strange sounds are rules recommended by Natalie as well. She claims that many typical problems are caused when machines make use of an area's hard water. This water can lead to a build-up of limescale in a washing machine which can, in the worst cases, stop the filter and drain pump from working effectively.
She continued: "Lots of people living in hard water areas don't realise that it can lead to limescale build-up in washing machines… Keep an eye out for hard water damage to clothes, usually you'll notice things such as whites losing their shine and coming out grey or yellow as well as towels becoming hard and scratchy.
"Some detergents contain ingredients to soften water – check the packet to see if yours does. If so, add a little more to your wash."
So, in order to keep machines running for a long time, Natalie urges washers to maintain and clean them. While this may sound like another chore for the list, it actually doesn't take up too much time at all. Scrubbing the detergent tray every three months could enough to dodge typical problems.
"It might seem simple but keeping your washing machine clean is so important. If you don't, you could be faced with limescale, soap scum and mould build-up," Natalie added. "Every two to three months, clean the detergent tray and run a hot drum cleaning wash to make sure everything is working well and will keep your clothes smelling fresh."
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