Laundry is a chore that almost everyone has to deal with at some point. Even if you live in an apartment building and have your dirty clothes picked up once a week, you’ll probably have to deal with stain emergencies from time to time.
Laundry is also something that everyone seems to have their own special tricks for making easier. Whether you’re a member of the same family who has heard this advice all your life or someone who shares tips with their friends, there is a good chance you’ve heard some of these laundry myths somewhere along the way.
These helpful tips can make your laundry routine go more smoothly and help you get clean clothes faster, but not all of them are actually true. Let’s debunk some of these common laundry myths together and see how to get the best results when doing laundry at home.
Myth 1: Towels Will Dry More Quickly If You Put Tennis Balls In Your Dryer
Although we can’t be certain, we believe this notion originated from one of the urban legends that occasionally resurfaces on social media.
Since tennis balls are quite inexpensive and widely available, some marketing genius discovered a way to entice consumers to pay money for a product that would accomplish the same thing at some point. And it succeeded. (Not the dryer ball, the marketing concept.)
Dryer balls don’t significantly shorten drying times, according to our testing, and at the end of the day, they end up costing you more money rather than saving it because you have to pay for the little round balls.
VERDICT: Myth busted! Tennis balls, dryer balls, footballs, or any other recreational equipment should not be added to your dryer.
Adding a dry towel may help
Some people believe that placing a dry towel in the dryer can actually accelerate the drying of your laundry – and we believe it (assuming it is used properly). The idea is that the towel absorbs the majority of the moisture from your clothes, increasing the wet laundry’s surface area, and ultimately helping to speed up the drying process.
One warning is that thorough drying requires a lot of tumbling and air movement. It will have the reverse effect if stuffing a towel in makes everything tightly rolled up, limiting the dryer’s ability to tumble dry.
Myth 2: More Detergent, The Better
Scrud. A disgusting phenomenon with a terrible name. Scrud is the sticky, waxy buildup in your washing machine that can damage it and leave stains on your clothes – and your laundry detergent is the culprit.
Although you may think that adding more detergent will make your clothes even cleaner, this is not the case. In fact, adding too much detergent may make your clothes even more dirty because it can leave stains on them. Additionally, it can contribute to filth, which might damage your machine or lock it.
Contrary to popular belief, not using enough detergent can also lead to scrud formation, albeit not nearly as much.
And those convenient little scoops that detergent companies add to their packaging to assist you when you’re doing your laundry? Spoiler: that is far too much. We’ve discovered that even a quarter of a scoop will yield a fantastic wash.
VERDICT: Myth busted! More detergent does not result in cleaner clothes; on the contrary, it has the opposite effect.
Myth 3: Fabric Softener Must Be Used
It’s not difficult to believe this misconception; after all, fabric softener implies that it will actually soften your garments.
Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Fabric softener actually works by coating the fabric with petrochemicals like silicone that cause the fibers to feel slicker and stand more erect, giving your clothes a softer, fluffier sensation.
Sadly, these compounds also lessen your towels’ capacity to absorb water, which is pretty much their only function. So your best bet is to skip the fabric softener unless you want towels that are waterproof.
Fabric softeners can also lessen the fire resistance of children’s clothing as a secondary effect. Using fabric softeners on children’s clothing can actually make them less fireproof because the oily compounds that give your garments a softer feel are also flammable. This is why on the packaging of fabric softeners, there will generally be a warning not to use them on children’s sleepwear precisely for this reason. Scary stuff.
Remember our previously mentioned, scrud? Turns out that fabric softeners can also contribute to it… significantly. More so than adding too more laundry detergent.
VERDICT: Myth busted! Fabric softener is unnecessary, dangerous, and expensive.
Myth 4: Your Washing Machine Doesn’t Require Cleaning
Although we count on our washing machines to function without complaint, even cleaners occasionally require cleaning. This is where our terrible friend scrud re-enters the scene.
Scrud can accumulate over time in your washing machine and cause a variety of issues for both your machine and your clothes, especially if you use too much fabric softener or detergent (as we have learned).
If your laundry machine doesn’t have a special cleaning cycle and you wash in cold, you should run a hot or extremely hot cycle every now and then to get rid of any mold or germs and to help drain out the gunk
To avoid mold, it’s a good idea to clean over the washing machine seals as well. Additionally, keep the lid or door open to the machine to allow air to circulate. You won’t get clean clothes from a musty, smelly washing machine!
VERDICT: Myth busted! You’ll get cleaner clothing and a longer lifespan from your washing machine if you clean it.
Myth 5: Always Wash On High Heat
Even in Australia, where our “cold” water is frequently not all that cold, you won’t find that using hot water will improve your results significantly.
Recent testing revealed a 3% difference in soil removal when washing in warm vs cold water, which is undoubtedly insufficient to justify the additional expense of heating the wash water.
And unless you deliberately want to shrink something that’s too big, you shouldn’t be washing some fabrics, like wool, in hot water anyway.
VERDICT: Myth busted! Cold water washing will still offer great washes – plus, it’ll save you money as well!
Myth 6: Clothes Marked “Hand Wash Only” Must Be Washed By Hand
Washing machines aren’t always the best for delicate goods because of the agitation and friction they use to clean clothes, which is bad for our precious delicates. But who actually has the time to wash their clothes by hand?
A delicate wash will work just fine for the majority of “hand wash only” products. Your silk shirts and fine underwear won’t be tugged out of shape as much because gentle cycles use more water, less agitation, and significantly slower spin speeds. (Although compared to hand washing, you might somewhat reduce their lifespan.)
Of course, it’s important to take the time to hand wash anything extremely special to you if you want to be safe. Otherwise, selecting a moderate wash and drying your items immediately after the cycle is complete (by hanging them outside or lying them flat to dry) will work just fine.
Wrapping It Up
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You can now tell all your friends and family members that they are wrong when they offer a suggestion that one of these ‘hacks’ works (or better yet, refer them to this article!).
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Laundry shouldn’t be a chore – it should be simple.
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