10 Laundry Mistakes You Might Be Making

Rubbing can make the stain worse and possibly wear away the fabric. Instead, be gentle and methodical. Treat the stain as soon as you can; the less time that elapses, the more success you'll have. And always use a white cloth so that colors can't transfer. Dab, rather than rub, working from the outside in to keep the stain contained.

Washing a dry-clean-only item isn't necessarily a blunder. Most items that say "dry-clean" can be hand-washed and air-dried. This includes natural fibers, such as linen and most silks. First, you'll need to check for colorfastness: Moisten a cotton swab with mild detergent and dab it on a hidden seam to see if any dye comes off. If not, go ahead and dunk the garment in soapy water just once or twice, then rinse and immediately roll it in a towel to extract moisture. However, you should stick with dry-cleaning for certain categories: leather, suede, silk dupioni, anything with embellishments, and structured pieces (like blazers).

Metal teeth can snag delicate and woven clothing that's being washed in the same load. The fix is simple: Be sure to pull the zippers closed before tossing them into the machine. To provide another layer of protection for particularly delicate pieces, consider washing them inside a mesh laundry bag.

Excess suds can hold dirt pulled from clothes and get caught in areas that won't always rinse clean, like under a collar, leading to bacteria buildup. The remedy: Use only half the amount of detergent that you normally do, then gradually increase that amount if your clothes are not coming out as clean as you would like. An exception: If you have hard water, you may need more soap than you are using. Check the recommendation for hard water on your detergent bottle.

Buttoning up shirts before washing seems like a good idea, but it can stress buttons and buttonholes, leading to premature bursting of buttons. Take the time to unbutton before tossing clothes in the washer (or the hamper).

If your washer is not level, vibrations can damage your floor and prematurely wear out key components, like the shock absorbers and the tub bearings. (Plus, there's that terrible noise.) Place a level on top of the machine and adjust the feet accordingly, which typically screw up and down. If this doesn't help, beef up the floor with a ¾-inch-thick piece of plywood that's a little larger than the machine's base. It will help absorb vibrations.

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Some folks like to wait an hour after one cycle concludes before putting in a new load. But in fact, running back-to-back dryer loads is smart and efficient. It lets you take advantage of retained heat from the previous cycle, cutting down on energy usage.

Similarly, reconsider the best time to run your washing machine and dryer. To lower your energy bill, check the peak hours listed by your energy company. Oftentimes, running these appliances at night will save you money in the long run. 

The permanent press setting on your dryer is a medium-heat cycle with a cool-down period in the end and is a proven crease-curber. Another tip: Don't pack clothes in; they need to freely float or they'll wrinkle. (Note: Ditto for the washer. Stuffing it can create wrinkles and prevent your clothes from getting clean. On top of that, it can put pressure on the machine's bearings and shock absorbers, causing them to wear down prematurely.)

And procrastinators, take note: It does eliminate creases if you fold clothes when they're still hot, right out of the dryer (or, if you prefer, right out of the pile that you dumped onto your bed). Give each item a quick shake so wrinkles don't set in. If you don't have time to fold a load immediately, shake out the pieces and lay them flat in the laundry basket, one on top of another, while they await further attention.

Here's a sock-saving tip: Place socks in the washer tub first, so they're less likely to attach themselves to other garments and go missing. You can also use an extra-large mesh wash bag so that none of your socks mysteriously disappear. Just avoid over-filling the bag to make sure each sock is washed and dried properly. 

Even though you empty the lint filter after each use (right?), lint buildup can clog the duct over time and become a fire hazard. A sure sign that your dryer is clogged? It takes more than an hour to dry a load. Once a year, detach the hose from the back of the dryer and snake a long brush through to push out lint (here's the complete step-by-step). Also, scrub the lint filter once a year with a small toothbrush and a bit of detergent. Rinse, then air-dry completely.

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