Laundry Tips: Clothing Items You Should Avoid Washing in the Machine

Bleeding dye stains on clothes. Shrunken jumpers and woollens. Pet hair in your sheets. Sounds familiar? These laundry disasters are quite common in every household but can easily be prevented. 

Here are some simple practices that you can follow - Most mishaps occur when all the clothes are dumped together in the machine, therefore, start by sorting these out, check for their care instructions, and separate the items that aren't meant to be machine washed.

Today’s laundry tips tackle the types of clothing that should be separated from the pile of machine wash. Not sure what they are? Read on to find out!

• Suits 

Have you been washing your office suits in your machine? Suits are mostly made of high-quality fabrics that tend to shrink or tear, and are not meant for washing machines. 

It’s best to have them dry cleaned where professionals can provide the right care and wash.

• Embellished Garments

Sparkles and glitter? These aren’t welcome in your washing machine. Such materials can easily tear and even damage other clothes in the washer. More so, if these embellishments are glued to the garment, hot water can break down the adhesive, causing them to fall out. What a mess, right? 

To prevent this, hand wash them using Euca Soft Wash. It’s a special laundry detergent designed for handwashing and soaking your clothing, including the delicate pieces. Simply soak the items in this Soft Wash solution, after which wash them gently, and hang to dry. 

• Swimwear

Beach days may not be here yet – but it’s better to keep your swimwear in top-notch shape before summer arrives.

Washing your swimwear in the washing machine can strip them off their elasticity as they are not heat-resistant. Use our Euca Soft Wash to manually wash your swimwear items and allow them to last longer!

• Sneakers

Some sneakers may be washed in your machine, however, not all. Avoid doing so as some pairs can get deformed or potentially damage your wash drum. For a more effective cleaning, you can scrub the stubborn dirt off with a small brush and anti-grease soap. 

A stubborn stain that won’t come off? Try our Natural Pre-Wash Stain Remover. With the natural cleaning power of citrus and Eucalyptus oils, this laundry staple can dissolve all kinds of soil, grease, and grime without affecting the colours, patches, and fabrics of your shoe. Just spot treat the problematic area with this stain remover. It’s one of Euca’s classic laundry tips for cleaner results.

• Lace garments

Lace is one of the most delicate fabrics. Its fine, net-like material might not hold up well when thrown in the machine. These fragile garments should be hand washed as they require special care. Sure, you can load them in the washing machine using a mesh bag but there’s still a chance that you might distort the material. 

It’s preferable to wash them in cold water mixed in with a very mild detergent, like Euca Soft Wash. To avoid stretching the threads, gently scrub paying particular attention to any trouble spots. Lightly squeeze the garment to drain the excess water, after which, hang to dry. Alternatively, these lace garments can be professionally cleaned at a dry cleaning station to further ensure they remain undamaged.

• Memory Foam Pillow

Not all pillows are made with the same fill. Memory foam can easily lose its shape when machine washed.

Keep your pillows in the right form for countless nights by caring for them in 3 different ways – deodorising, spot cleaning and hand washing.

How about other delicate clothing items, like woollens or those with pet hair? We have laundry tips for those too!

Clothes covered in pet hair

If you love snuggling with your furry friends, your clothes are bound to be covered with their hair. However, don’t toss them straight into the washing machine. This can cause the hair to clump together and stick to the sides of the machine, or worse, clog the drain pipe. Instead, get rid of the hair by applying a lint roller over your garment before placing them in the washer.

Woollens

Jumpers are made of materials like wool, velvet, or cashmere. Without proper care, such fabrics can easily get damaged in the wash. Delicate fabrics can’t withstand the harsh motion of washing machines and may even shrink. 

If you wish to machine wash wools, one of the best methods is to wrap the garment in a mesh laundry bag to help reduce the amount of friction during the cycle.

The versatile Euca Soft Wash can help take care of your woollens as well! This laundry cleaner has a natural soap formula that won’t strip lanolin from wool clothing. 

We’re feeling generous today so here’s another laundry tip that will prove to be useful in your washing cycles, today and beyond.

Many of us believe, more detergent means cleaner clothes. In reality, it could damage the fabric of your clothes. Moreover, adding too much detergent can create extra suds that don't completely rinse off, leaving you more susceptible to allergic reactions. 

For safer laundry, we recommend using a premium powder concentrate like our Euca Eucalyptus Laundry Powder. It’s highly concentrated and guarantees an exceptional wash while using less per measure. Made with 100% Australian Eucalyptus Oil, low in sodium and phosphate, it’s gentle on sensitive skin making it a suitable choice for allergy sufferers. 

To sum it up…

Give longer life to your clothes by caring for them the right way. Follow washing instructions and use laundry products that protect your fabrics, skin or the environment. 

Euca’s range of eco-friendly laundry products will leave your clothes looking new, smelling fresh and feeling divine without the use of any harsh chemicals.

To discover our entire range of cleaning essentials, including the products mentioned above - visit our website today and make the best purchase to ensure a lifetime of seamless laundry sessions.