Velcro not just a dog’s tail
The Velcro used in some garments can irreversibly deform some knits. Imagine such a Velcro hitch to your favourite jumper and pulling and tugging at it throughout the wash.
Such damage may no longer be repairable, so any Velcro that is in the washing machine should be carefully fastened all the way around. If you are concerned about whether it will nevertheless damage delicate fabrics, put clothes with Velcro in a laundry net or small pillowcase to further separate it from the rest of the laundry.
The zipper better be fastened
This phrase doesn’t just apply to flies. A detached zipper in the washing machine turns into a little saw. Its teeth (especially if the zipper is metal) literally saw through the fabrics it comes into contact with in the washing machine.
An unfastened zipper can not only pull the other clothes apart, but even tear them. Always zip up all zippers before you throw them in the washing machine. You can also turn a garment with a zipper inside out to further protect other fabrics.
Small thing, big loss
Hook and eyes or small buttons make clothes fit nicer and fasten aesthetically. With some types of clothes, they are even essential. But they are also a considerable danger to their neighbours in the drum and… to the washing machine itself. Always make sure that the hook and eyes or small buttons are secure before washing: if they break off in the washing machine, they can even damage it or mess up the filter.
But the hook and eye is a small catch – unfastened, it can tear knitwear or wool. That’s why it is always a good idea to fasten such small details before washing, so as not to expose other clothes to damage.
Strangler cord
Strings and straps from blouses, dresses or trousers can turn into a real boa constrictor in the wash. Not only can they become so entangled with each other that they tear, they can also damage other clothes. Sometimes they wrap around delicate fabric so tightly that they can even tear it. When you take such a tangle out of the washing machine, it’s difficult to even untangle them.
The way to deal with the strings is very simple: you don’t have to separate the whole garment: just put the strings themselves in a small bag (for example, one for jewellery) and carefully tie them so that they don’t slip off. This is how you protect not only the contents of the washing machine, but also the strings themselves. This is also a way to protect tassels, beads or metal rivets, which are often found at the end of clothes strings.
Whenever you throw another item into the washing machine, imagine it at its worst: think of the danger it could pose to other clothes as it spins around doing 1,000 revolutions per minute with them. Think what will happen when it touches delicate knitwear dozens or even hundreds of times in a matter of minutes. This is especially true when washing in modern washing machines: often their drums rotate in two directions at the same time, providing a faster and more thorough wash, but also giving you the opportunity for more frequent and intense encounters with the potential danger of a hook or unzipped zipper.
A moment’s attention and a quick check before washing can protect you from ruining your favourite jumper or T-shirt!
Little things like this, which are worth remembering every time you do laundry, make a really big difference. You will feel it in your wallet, because your clothes will last longer. The environment will feel it too. These little actions, over time, lead to big changes!