Tips to Make Washing Easier
Meaning of the maintenance symbols
Each garment has a small label which, in addition to information on the cotton blend, synthetic etc, gives indications regarding the care and maintenance of textiles. Our table will help you understand these indications and use our stain removers and other laundry care products correctly.
Tips to make washing easier
Water hardness and degree of soiling
The dosage indications on packaging are average values. For conventional detergents they are based on a load of 4.5 kg and for detergents for delicates, on a detergent of 2.5 kg. The details also refer to a normal degree of soiling and an average water hardness. You should take into account the water hardness in your area and how soiled your laundry is.
The loading capacity of washing machines varies considerably depending on the model. If the capacity of your machine is higher, you should add more detergent accordingly at full load. This also applies for hard water and heavy soiling. With soft water, very light soiling and a small drum, less detergent is sufficient. Overdosing is synonymous with waste and can degrade the washing result because detergent residues are deposited on the laundry. If the detergent dose is too small, the laundry will not be clean and stains that are not completely dissolved can become fixed in the fabric, which makes them difficult to remove afterwards. In addition, dirt can settle on the heating elements and in the interior of the machine which can cause breakdowns.
Washing with low energy consumption
Today’s detergents and modern washing machines perform so well that textiles are clean even at low temperatures. Even stubborn dirt or stains are removed, if they have been properly treated before washing. Frequently washing your laundry at 30 ° C or 40 ° C not only saves energy but also a good action for the eco-balance. By reducing the washing temperature by one level for each wash, French households could save around 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year (source: IKW washing at 30 ° C).
To prevent the formation of germs in your machine with low temperature wash cycles, you can run your washing machine at 60 ° C every now and then, or in addition use a Hygienic Washing Machine Cleaner , which has been specially designed for this purpose.
Other useful tips
Be careful not to overload the washing machine as this can damage the clothes. Rubbing can create light areas and damage prints, therefore it is recommended to always wash printed textiles inside out. Textiles with intense colours should also always be washed inside out to avoid fading from rubbing. In overloaded machines laundry cannot move freely in the drum, which prevents adequate rinsing. This results in deposits of detergent residue on the laundry.