There are a lot of common mistakes we make when washing clothes that can ruin your clothes.

You may be wondering should you wash clothes in warm water, and can all-purpose cleaners be used to remove all the stains?

In her article for Reader's Digest in Australia, author Madeline Wahl reviews expert opinions on what to do when doing laundry and what to avoid.

  • More detergent means cleaner clothes

A common myth you may have heard is that using more detergent means cleaner clothes.

"Increasing the amount of detergent does not contribute to cleaning clothes better, but can cause residues to be left in your clothes," explained Brian Sansoni of the American Cleaning Institute.

This expert cautioned that "this may make you wash them again and over time additional washings can damage the clothes faster. For this reason, check the label on the detergent package to know the amount of detergent you need and the appropriate amount of washing and washing machine, especially that the strength of Lots of detergents are in focus these days."

  • The higher the water temperature, the better the cleaning power

The water temperature is sure to have a profound effect on the cleanliness of the laundry.

However, hot water may not have as great an effect as you think.

According to Sansoni, "Hot water won't necessarily clean clothes. In fact, hot water can damage some fabrics or make some stains permanent instead of removing them."

"Detergents these days are designed to be more effective in cold water, so you should always check the label and the appropriate conditions of use," he added.

A common myth you may have heard is that using more detergent means cleaner clothes (Shutterstock)

  • Wash clothes after every time you wear them

Sometimes, you may not need to wash your clothes every time you wear them.

“If you throw clothes in the dirty laundry basket to wash them after every wear, you can damage them prematurely,” Sansoni says.

Overloading the washing machine with too many bulky items can damage your machine, and it is advised to place oversized items in a balanced manner in the washing machine to avoid problems.

  • Discard the fabric care label

As with all other products, always read the instructions, including the fabric care label.

"There are times when it's tempting to throw everything in the washer and wash it at once," Sansoni said. "But every piece of commercial clothing has a label with fabric care instructions from the manufacturer to preserve its appearance."

  • Remove all stains the same

If you thought you could use the same laundry detergent to remove blood and greasy stains, you might want to rethink, as the type of stain actually determines how you remove it.

According to home cleaning expert Shannon Loach, blood stains should be removed with cold water and common bath soap. To get rid of oil stains, simply pour a few drops of dishwashing liquid onto your fingertips without water and rub the stain until it changes to a gel consistency, then rinse with cold water.

Hot water can damage some fabrics or make some stains permanent instead of removing them (Pixabe)

  • Use body lotion to wash clothes

Perhaps one day, while you were doing laundry, you were surprised that you ran out of laundry detergent.

As a solution, if you use hand or body wash as a liquid to wash your clothes, it will not be as effective as a laundry detergent, because body wash contains more gentle chemicals.

"It's best to use items that contain the right amount of chemicals to provide a deep clean," says Lynn Stubf, of The Killing Authority.

  • Filling the washing machine with clothes helps save water and energy

As explained by insurance expert Melanie Mawson, “Your definition of a full machine may differ from that of the manufacturer, as washing machines are designed to operate optimally with two-thirds full at maximum. If you fill the washer completely, the detergent will not be able to spread and clean all the clothes and will have to You have to wash it again, which will cause you to waste more water and energy."

  • Visible stains are the only types of dirt

You may think the shirt is dirty when you see a stain on it, but it may be a lot more dirty than you think.

"Your clothes may be dirtier than you think. In fact, only 30% of the impurities in your laundry are visible - such as food, dirt and grass stains," said Jennifer Ahoni, a senior researcher at Tide.

"The other 70% of invisible impurities are made up of body impurities such as sweat and oils that, if not removed by a deep-cleaning detergent, will build up over time and make clothes smell foul and dull. Deep cleaning removes visible and invisible dirt," Ahoni added.

Only 30% of impurities in your laundry are visible such as food, dirt and grass stains (Shutterstock)

  • Sorting laundry by color

This can be good news for people who don't have time to sort their clothes by colour.

Ahoni stressed that sorting clothes by color is a good idea, but you need to think about sorting clothes by type of fabric.

Heavier fabrics such as jeans can damage delicate and softer fabrics.

For this reason, be sure to always check the care label for the best washing instructions and recommendations for other fabrics.

  • You should lock the buttons before washing

How many times did you unbutton your shirt before putting it in the washing machine?

In fact, you may not need to do this at all.

Mawson warned that locking the buttons before washing causes the buttons to fall off due to the pressure the washer puts on the clothes.

It can also cause the piece of clothing to pull due to the uneven pressure that the button place puts on the clothing.