Clothing cleaning should be the simplest daily life skill, especially now that every household has a washing machine – throw the clothes into the washing machine, pour the laundry detergent, and then it is all about the washing machine~
So, have you ever thought about whether the clothes washed in this way are really completely clean and safe?
The truth is: Improper laundry will not only make the clothes harder and older with each wash, but may also lead to many skin diseases, such as molluscum contagiosum, tinea corporis, tinea pedis, etc.!
The following is a summary of some common mistakes made by the editor. Have you made any mistakes?
Myth 1: The more detergent, the cleaner the wash?
Many people like to put a lot of laundry detergent and washing powder when washing clothes, thinking that more laundry detergent will make the washing cleaner, but this is not the case.
The amount of detergent is not directly proportional to the cleaning ability. If too much is poured in, rinsing will be difficult and residues will easily remain. As time goes by, the clothes will become harder and harder. The older.
Generally, the laundry detergent or washing powder we buy will be marked with the corresponding usage amount. It is recommended that you use it reasonably according to the amount of clothes you want to wash.
Myth 2:
Is laundry detergent better than washing powder and soap?
In the past, more people used washing powder and soap, but now many people prefer to choose laundry detergent, which is convenient and does not hurt their hands. So do washing powder and soap really have no advantages?
In fact, different materials of clothing are suitable for different detergents.
① Washing powder: strong decontamination
Washing powder is a weakly alkaline chemical substance extracted from petroleum. Supplemented by phosphorus additives, friction additives, alkaline additives, enzyme additives, etc., the decontamination ability is relatively strong.
However, due to its solid form, it is not completely soluble in water, and it easily leaves residue when cleaning, and can easily hurt hands and skin.
It is relatively more suitable to come into contact with dusty coats, jeans, down jackets, sofa covers, curtains and other items.
②Laundry detergent: Strong hydrophilicity
The composition of laundry detergent is similar to that of washing powder, but its decontamination ability is not as good as that of washing powder, but it is highly hydrophilic and easy to use. Soluble in water and easy to rinse, making clothes softer after washing.
Laundry detergents are also divided into ordinary and special ones. For clothes made of special materials such as woolen sweaters and silk, it is best to choose special laundry detergent, which can reduce the damage of detergent to clothes; for clothes made of other materials, use ordinary laundry detergent. That’s it.
Try to choose a neutral laundry detergent with a pH of 4.5 to 8, and less alkaline laundry detergent with a pH of 8 to 10.5. This can reduce damage to clothing.
③Soap: low irritation
The ingredients of soap are renewable vegetable oils, which are low irritation to the skin and can protect fabrics. Effective, save water and time.
Infants’ clothing, underwear, etc. are more suitable for hand washing + soap, which is gentle and does not hurt the hands. It can also prevent the material from becoming hard and increase comfort.
Myth 3:
If you get stains, do you have to scrub hard?
When clothes are stained with juice, vegetable soup and other stains, many people will subconsciously rub them vigorously when cleaning, but this often has the opposite effect, and the stains on the clothes may become larger and larger.
Once clothes are stained, they should be cleaned immediately with appropriate methods. Over time, stubborn stains will become difficult to clean.
1. Tips for cleaning stains
①Blood stains: starch + salt + soap
Sprinkle starch and salt on the stained area , apply and press, wait a few minutes for the starch to absorb the stain; then wet it with cold water, add some soap and rub, then the stain can be removed more easily.
②Fruit stains and coffee stains: toothpaste + water
Once fruit stains or coffee stains are stained, toothpaste should be applied immediately Dip the toothbrush into water on the dirty area and gently scrub the dirty area to make it clean.
③Sweat stains: baking soda + lemon
When you sweat a lot, clothes are prone to sweat stains. If they are not cleaned for a long time, the clothes will turn yellow.
Mix baking soda and water into a paste and apply it to sweat-stained areas of clothing. Baking soda contains surfactants that can emulsify with oil and grease to remove sweat stains.
If the yellowing of the clothes is serious, you can add some lemon juice to mix and soak. Acidic lemon juice can neutralize alkaline stains and clean them faster.
④ Mildew stains: bleach + hot water
Prepare a basin of hot water, mix a small cup of bleach, put the moldy clothes in and soak for 1 hour. Under the action of the bleach, the mold stains will be dissolved quickly, and then you can wash them with clean water. .
Myth 4:
Is warm water better than cold water for washing clothes?
The decontamination effect of warm water will be It is better than cold water, but it cannot be completely considered that warm water is better for washing. It still depends on the fabric material of the clothes.
Generally, the best water temperature for cotton fabrics is 40℃-50℃, while for wool The optimal water temperature for woven clothes is around 35°C, and for linen clothes is 30°C or below. Failure to control the water temperature will only damage the clothes.
In addition, since most of our daily use is enzyme-containing washing Agents, among which there are mainly two types: alkaline protease and alkaline lipase – alkaline protease is used to decompose protein dirt, such as sweat stains, blood stains, etc.; alkaline lipase mainly acts on fatty acid and its ester dirt substances, which is what we usually refer to as oily dirt.
The activity of the two enzymes is related to temperature. At about 40°C, the activity is strongest and the decontamination ability is best. If it is too high or too low, it will Reduce enzyme activity.
In addition, improper hot water washing can also cause clothes to deform, shrink, fade, etc.
Myth 5:
Will clothes be easier to clean if they are soaked in a soak?
It is said that dirty clothes are easier to clean if they are soaked in a soak, but if you soak them for too long, the dirt dissolved in the water will re-enter the clothes. , are more likely to make clothes fade!
Recommendation: The best time to soak clothes is about 15 minutes, even for heavy clothes, no more than 30 minutes.
Misunderstanding 6:
Close the lid of the washing machine immediately after using it?
It is a good habit to close the door of the washing machine, but closing the door of the washing machine may not be a good thing.
After washing the clothes in the washing machine, there will be some residual water stains inside. If they are not dried in time, the humid environment inside the washing machine will easily become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.
So it is recommended that you open the lid to ventilate the bucket for 30 minutes to 1 hour after washing the clothes. Wait for the water vapor to dissipate and dry the bucket before closing the lid. You can also use a dry rag to wipe away the water in the washing machine.
In addition, the washing machine should also pay attention to sterilization and disinfection. You can buy a special cleaning agent and clean it every two months or so.
Myth 7:
Throw all the clothes into the washing machine?
Many people are afraid of trouble and throw all their clothes, socks, and underwear into the washing machine for cleaning. However, this habit of washing without classification not only easily causes light-colored clothes to stain, but may also cause cross-infection. Especially people with skin diseases.
Precautions for cleaning clothes
① Separate dark and light clothes.
② Underwear should be washed by hand.
③Look at the washing label. It will indicate whether dry cleaning, bleaching, ironing, etc. are allowed. Washing as required can avoid damage to the clothes.
④It is recommended to use a laundry bag when machine washing, which can reduce the pulling on the clothing and prevent the neckline from becoming larger and the clothing from deforming.
⑤ If the newly purchased clothes are in bright colors, prevent them from fading – if they are brightly colored pure cotton clothes and knitwear, they can be soaked in water with white vinegar or lemon juice added After a while; if it is denim clothing, it can be soaked in salt water.
⑥ Clothes that have been machine washed and dehydrated should be dried in time and do not be left in the washing machine for a long time.
