The Eight Biggest Laundry Mistakes 2

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

07 Jan 2009 09:52 AM

Yesterday, after I posted the first part of this subject, we got a lot of interesting comments! Go check out the post if you haven't seen it: The Eight Biggest Laundry Mistakes.

Now, let us continue.

The red sock mistake. How many of use have accidentally let a red sock or other item in with the lights or whites, which means again that you'll have that pink underwear.

Not checking for stains before washing. My husband frequently comes home with pen marks on his shirts. With a little careful pretreatment, I can usually get them out, but not if they have already been through the regular wash and, yikes, the dryer.

Leaving wet clothes in the washer. Sometimes I will leave clothes in the washer overnight so I can dry them first thing in the morning. I can't run the washer in the morning because of showers, so this technique can sometimes help me catch up with laundry. But, if I get distracted, there is the potential of forgetting that the clothes are there in the washer, still wet. This leads to a mildew mess that has to be rewashed a few times. Yuck.

Washing everything in hot or warm water. Washing everything in hot water can prematurely break down the fibers. Washing in cold also helps save money on your energy bill. Separate clothing out by the things that really require hot water to ensure that you've killed allergens or get underwear really clean, and wash the rest in cold.

Running the washer without clothing in it. When my husband does laundry, this is usually the mistake he often makes. It happens when you start the washer filling, add the detergent and then get distracted before the clothing is added. One way to help combat this mistake is to leave the lid of the washer open, so it is obvious that you haven't completed loading the washer.

Are there any other laundry mistakes that I might have missed?

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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Heidi (5269) 07 Jan 2009 10:10 AM

My problem is leaving things in the dryer and then they get all wrinkled! Oops!

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 07 Jan 2009 10:12 AM

Oh, I do that so often that I don't even consider it a mistake anymore!

drnewmom (307) 07 Jan 2009 12:03 PM

If you have a high efficiency, then you have to check under the gasket in the rim. Socks and underwear like to work their way in and get lost for a really long time if you don't know where to look!

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 08 Jan 2009 07:16 AM

I never heard of that drnewmom! Thanks.