10 Items You Should Never Put in Your Washing Machine
Keeping your laundry machines in top working order without destroying your clothes is easy! As long as you keep your load size reasonable, use the right type and amount of detergent, and ensure you don’t put the following items into your washing machine:
Clothing Covered in Pet Hair – If your clothes are covered with pet hair and making their way into your washing machine, it can cause issues. Pet hair becomes matted and sticks to the sides of the machine, getting on other clothes and clogging drain pipes. If you have clothes covered in dog or cat hair, use lint rollers or vacuum them before throwing them in the wash.
Running Shoes and Other Items with Leather Accents – Washing your everyday canvas shoes in the washer will work great, but if you have shoes with leather accents, it is best to spot-wash them using a brush instead of putting them in the washing machine. Your laundry equipment may cause them to shrink, deform, and lose their leather accents.
Coins and Car Keys – Ensure you check your pockets before washing your clothes! Even though it may be an accident, coins are just small pieces of metal banging around in your washing machine. Car keys and coins can damage the fins of your drain pump, scratch the interior, get stuck in valves, and cause several other issues.
Smaller Sized Clothing – Items like baby socks may slip past the filter and end up stuck in hoses and vents, leading to a flood or machine damage. You may wish to put these items into a mesh bag to avoid damage to washers and dryers during your next load of laundry.
Rubber-Backed Mats and Other Rubber Materials – Due to the heat generated inside washing machines, items with rubber backing will come apart or deform during the wash cycle. An adhesive may melt away and damage drain pumps and other pieces. If a care label on a bathmat states that it is machine washable but hangs dry, do not put it into the dryer.
Clothes with Zippers and Buttons Put In Incorrectly – Although it is possible to wash clothes with zippers and buttons, it is important to zip up zippers to prevent snagging, and keep buttons unbuttoned to prevent buttonhole stretching and losing the buttons altogether.
Memory Foam Pillows – Memory foam is a material with an open-cell structure, meaning it is not meant to be submerged in water and subjected to spin cycle agitation. Solid foam pillows will come apart in the wash cycle and can become heavy enough to damage the interior of the machine.
Throw Blankets and Comforters – Many throw blankets are sent to the dry cleaners. Washing them yourself may cause them to shrink or lose their soft feel. King-sized comforters can overload the machine, causing damage. It is best to read the label before washing your bulky pieces.
Swimwear and Other Delicate Washings – Hooks, lace, wires, and delicate fabric can get caught on other clothes and pieces of the washing machine, damaging not only your delicate items and embellished garments, but also the washing machine itself. Suits and cashmere items may shrink or tear, and embellishments will come off. Hand washing the item in cold water, having it dry cleaned, or using a mesh garment bag will help you avoid these issues.
Flammable Stains – A flammable stain may include a gasoline spill on your jeans, cooking oil on an apron, paint thinner, or other flammable residues on your load of laundry. These are not compatible with washing machines and may lead to a house fire. Hand washing using a solvent-based stain remover, or an ultrasonic cleaning machine can get these stains out, as can spot cleaning.
If you are looking for more information about laundry machines or if you require laundry repair in the South Florida area, contact Commercial Laundries today at 855-254-9274. Our customer service team is standing by to answer your questions and help you in any way we can.