Check pockets and fastenings before washing
Short answer: Empty the pockets, close zips and hook bras. These three things take twenty seconds and prevent most damage in the machine. Also turn dark clothes inside out to protect both colour and surface.
Twenty seconds before washing
A quick check before the laundry goes into the machine saves you many problems afterwards. You only need to remember three things: empty the pockets, close zips and hook bras. It takes about twenty seconds and prevents most of the damage that can otherwise hit both the clothes and the machine.
The pockets
A pen, a napkin or a coin can ruin a whole machine load. Check every pocket, including jackets and trousers you have not worn for a while. Look especially for notes, receipts and small things that slip in easily. If you empty the pockets while sorting, it takes almost no time.
Paper and lint
Paper breaks down in the water and settles as lint over everything. A single piece of napkin can leave the whole load white and fluffy. Brushing it off is tiring, and sometimes the clothes must run through again. A look in the pockets beforehand is far easier than that clean-up.
Metal and the drum
Metal such as coins, keys and hairpins can scratch the drum and make noise during the wash. It can also damage the clothes lying next to it. If you have ever found a coin at the bottom of the drum, you know how loud it sounds. Empty the pockets and both clothes and machine are spared.
Zips and hooks
An open zip snags on everything it meets. Close it so the edge does not turn sharp and other garments are not pulled apart. The same goes for hooks on trousers and jackets. See for example bamboo loungewear for men, where soft clothes are best kept away from hard fastenings in the same wash.
Bras with underwire
Hook the bra and put it in a laundry bag. The wire can otherwise snag on other clothes or get bent in the drum. The bag holds it together and protects other garments from hooks. It is a small thing that extends the life of the bra and the rest of the wash.
Inside out
Turn dark clothes and all knitwear inside out. It protects the colour from wear by the drum and makes lint settle on the inside rather than the visible side. This goes for bamboo shirts for women and bamboo dresses, where the surface should look good.
Colour and lint
Wear from the drum can make dark colours look less deep over time. When the garment is turned, the inside takes the wear, and the outside keeps its look longer. Lint that settles shows on the inside rather than the front. It is a simple habit that costs seconds per garment and gives a better result.
Make it a habit
If you do the check while sorting, it becomes a fixed part of the wash without costing extra time. Empty pockets, close zips, hook bras and turn what needs turning. Glance through each basket before the machine is loaded. After a few weeks you do it without thinking.
Frequently asked questions
What do you do about lint after a napkin
Run a dry cycle in the tumble dryer or hang the clothes up and brush them off with a lint brush. It takes time and is tiring, so it is best to avoid it by emptying the pockets before the clothes go in.
Should a bra go in a laundry bag
Yes. The wire can otherwise snag on other clothes or get bent in the drum. Hook the bra and put it in a laundry bag, so it keeps its shape and protects the rest of the wash from hooks.
Why inside out
It protects the colour from wear by the drum and reduces lint on the outside. The lint settles on the inside instead, where it is not seen. Turn dark clothes and all knitwear inside out before they go in the machine.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
