To prevent a laundry day tragedy, stick to cooler temperatures when washing these items.
In fact, heat can cause shrinkage or irreversible damage to some of your favorite garments and linens.
Knowing what laundry practices to avoid can protect these items and save you from frustration.
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Sweaters, scarves, and other articles made ofwoolorcashmerecan shrink or otherwise lose their shape in hot water.
Heat can break down dyes indenim jeans, black t-shirts, and other bold-colored garments.
The result over time is that your things will look dull and washed out.
Those bright colors in your closet are also no match for the hot water setting.
It will cause dyes to bleed and potentially stain other items sharing the load.
Be extra careful with protein-based messes (thinkbloodorsweat stains) and tricky combination stains (likechocolate).
So, when in doubt, treat and wash stained items with cold water first.
Washing them in hot water maycause them to shrinkor lose their shape.
Synthetic Fibers
Man-made materials also dont hold up well to heat.
The same goes for towels, as they can get pretty grimy even through everyday use.
Instead, opt for the cold water setting on a gentle cycle to keep them pristine.
Vintage Linens
Whether they have decorative details or not, antique fabrics should never be washed using hot water.
These fabrics are fragile and, more often than not, require expert care when it comes to cleaning.
