Stop Ruining These 7 Types of Clothes in the Wash

HOW TO:

Note: These are general guidelines for these types of garments. Always defer the directions on your clothing's tag!

1.) Swimsuits.

Swimsuits do not belong in the washing machine. After you wear your suit, give it a quick rinse. Then, every few wears, fill a sink with cold water and then add a few tablespoons of mild liquid detergent. (Don’t use powder detergent – it won’t dissolve completely in the water.) Turn your suit inside out, and then hand wash it in the sink. After about 15 minutes, rinse away any remaining soap and lay out the suit to dry. Tip: Do not wring the suit, because you could misshape it!

2.) Bras.

Despite what you may have heard, you can put bras in the washing machine. There are just a few rules. Always use a delicates bag, only wash in cold water and put the bras in a cycle by themselves. And the most important rule: Never, ever use the dryer! Hang the bras clothing-line style on the shower curtain rod and give them about 24-hours to dry.

3.) Lacy Lingerie.

Got a secret drawer of naughty undergarments? Nice. To clean them, separate the black lacy things from the white lacy things from the colorful lacy things. Then, hand wash the lingerie in the same way you’d wash a swimsuit (see step number one for details). Tip: Keep lingerie out of direct sunlight, because UV rays can alter the color, and faded, almost-black lacy things don’t have quite the same effect.

4.) Athletic Jerseys.

Pre-treat any mustard or ketchup you spilled during the last big game with a spray like Resolve Pre-Treat. Then, turn the jersey inside out to protect the stitching on the numbers and letters. Then, wash the jersey in a normal cycle. Pull the jersey before the dryer portion of the event and lay it flat to dry. Do not iron the jersey, because the high temperatures may melt the letters and numbers.

5.) Waterproof Clothing.

We’re talking about things like ski pants and rain coats. To be clear, you only have to wash these items about once a season. When it’s wash time, first zip all of the zippers. (Don’t forget about the pit zippers.) Then, machine was your waterproof clothing in warm water using a washing detergent made specifically for waterproof gear like Nikwax Tech Wash. When you’re choosing a cycle, pick one that rinses the clothes twice to ensure that the soap is completely washed away. We recommend line drying your outdoor gear, but if you’re in a rush, you can tumble dry the items on low.

6.) Denim.

Blue jeans won’t stay blue for long if you wash them in the regular cycle. To prevent fading, wash your jeans inside out in a delicate cycle that’s jeans-only. Go cold water all the way, and add a tablespoon of salt to the load. Salt prevents bleeding, meaning your denim will hold onto its color, longer. The dryer is up to you; it won’t technically harm the jeans, but it will shrink them like whoa.

7.) Downy Items.

Down vests are pretty low-maintenance. You can throw them in your washing machine and dryer, you just have to follow a few precautions. Cold water only. Gentle detergent. Low heat. When the down clothes are in the dryer, add a few tennis balls to keep the down fluffy.

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