Laundry, properly

Washing is the largest single factor in how long clothes last, and most households do several things that shorten it unnecessarily.

Temperature

Where the largest change has occurred.

Modern detergents are formulated to work at low temperatures, and a substantial proportion of household washing can be done at thirty degrees or below with equivalent results.

Lower temperatures use considerably less energy, reduce fabric damage and reduce colour loss.

Higher temperatures remain appropriate for towels, bedding, and where there is illness in the household or heavy soiling, where a hotter wash addresses microorganisms.

One point worth knowing: consistently low-temperature washing can allow biofilm and odour-causing bacteria to build in the machine itself, which is addressed by an occasional hot maintenance wash.

Detergent

Where most people use too much.

Excess detergent does not clean better. It fails to rinse out, leaves residue in fabric that attracts dirt and causes stiffness, and builds up in the machine.

The dosing instructions assume a full load in average water hardness, and less is needed for smaller loads and soft water.

Biological detergents contain enzymes that break down protein, starch and fat stains and work well at low temperatures.

They are not suitable for wool and silk, which are protein fibres that the enzymes attack.

Non-biological alternatives suit those fabrics and anyone whose skin reacts.

Fabric conditioner coats fibres, which reduces absorbency — which is why it should not be used on towels or on technical fabrics — and which reduces the effectiveness of the next wash.

Loading

A significant and unglamorous factor.

An overloaded machine does not clean, because clothes need room to move through the water.

An underloaded machine wastes water and energy and allows items to tangle.

The general guidance is that a full load should allow a hand to fit above the clothes when loosely packed.

Sorting

Beyond colours.

Separate heavily soiled from lightly soiled, since dirt transfers.

Separate items producing lint — towels, fleece — from those attracting it.

Separate delicate items, and wash them in a mesh bag which prevents most of the damage they suffer.

Close zips and fasten hooks, which damage other items.

Turn dark and printed items inside out, which substantially reduces fading and surface abrasion.

Stains

Where speed matters more than product.

Act immediately where possible, since most stains set with time and heat.

Blot rather than rub, which spreads the stain and damages fibres.

Cold water first for protein stains — blood, egg, dairy — since heat sets them.

Do not tumble dry anything with a remaining stain, since the heat fixes it permanently.

Specific approaches: grease responds to washing-up liquid; tannin stains such as tea and wine to cold water and detergent; ink to alcohol; and rust to acid rather than to bleach.

Drying

Where fabric damage concentrates.

Line drying is gentler than tumble drying and free, and sunlight has a mild bleaching and disinfecting effect.

Tumble drying causes fabric wear — the lint filter contents are fibre removed from the clothes — and shrinkage in natural fibres.

Where a dryer is used, a lower heat setting and removing items slightly damp reduces both.

Knitwear should be dried flat, since hanging stretches it permanently.

And drying indoors without ventilation contributes substantially to condensation and mould, which is discussed elsewhere on this site.

Machine maintenance

Which prevents most complaints about smell and performance.

Clean the detergent drawer periodically.

Clean the door seal, where residue and mould accumulate.

Run an empty hot wash monthly, with a machine cleaner or with soda crystals.

Leave the door ajar between washes so the drum dries.

Clean the filter, which most people have never opened and which collects the items that block the pump.

The labels

Worth understanding once.

The symbols indicate maximum temperature, whether the item may be tumble dried, ironed and at what heat, and whether it may be professionally cleaned.

They are conservative, since manufacturers guard against complaints, and a hand-wash label frequently indicates an item that survives a delicate machine cycle in a mesh bag.

Which is a judgement rather than a recommendation, and it is how most people who care for clothes actually operate.