Across the world, a staggering 540 million items of decent clothing are chucked away unnecessarily every single year – because we’ve ruined them in the wash.
This adds up to 10 items of clothing each, totalling £147.60.
In reaction to Bosch’s shocking survey, Good Housekeeping’s laundry expert Richard Wilkinson is on hand with advice on how we’re all doing the washing wrong.
We throw away a huge £150 worth of decent clothes every year – because they have been ruined in the wash
Speaking exclusively to the Sun Online, he gave these top tips…
- Never use fabric softener on our towels, because it “makes them less absorbent”.
- Don’t wash polyester clothes on high temperatures, or you’ll never get the creases out.
- Only wash underwired bras on the ‘handwash’ programme.
- New clothes should only be washed with similar colours, to avoid running. We’re not just talking about darks and whites – you may need to run a whole ‘red wash’.
- Wash clothes inside out to avoid bobbling.
Richard added: “If clothing is becoming bobbled, try delectably removing bobbles using sticky-tape or, or carefully use a razor blade.” 6. Soak whites in bleach. Richard explained: “If the colour has run, for white items, first check whether it has a ‘do not bleach’ symbol.
“If it doesn’t, soak in a weak solution of household bleach for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and repeat as necessary.”
- Clean your washing machine every three months.
Richard added: “Run the washing machine on empty, using the hottest programme available, usually 90 degrees, and add a de-calcifying agent to the recommended dose of detergent.
“This will also help if your washing machine has become a tad smelly.”
- Use different detergents for different coloured and types of clothes.
Richard explained: “Biological powder is best for keeping whites white.
“Wash at 30C using a liquid detergent specifically for coloured clothes, but check the care labels first.
“Silk and wool should be washed in delicate, non-biological detergents.”
