Most people assume that doing laundry is simple: just toss it in, add detergent, and press start.
But a lot of the damage your clothes experience doesn’t happen over years of wear. It happens little by little at home, during every single wash.
Kean’s laundry experts have assembled this helpful list of the biggest mistakes you’re probably making with your laundry, and how to avoid them.
Mistake: Using Too Much Detergent
More detergent should mean cleaner clothes, right?
Not exactly.
Excess soap doesn’t always rinse out the way you think it does. Instead, it sticks in the fabric, creating buildup that makes your clothes feel stiff, look dull, and even trap smells and grime instead of removing them!
Over time, the residue can make your washer less effective, so your clothes get less clean every time.
Ideally, there should be just enough detergent to make your water feel slippery – but not overly soapy. This amount will vary depending on how hard your water is, how big the load is, and several other factors.
But sometimes, less is more!
Mistake: Overloading the Washer
It’s tempting to cram as much as possible into one load, but your clothes pay for it in the long run.
When your washer is too full, nothing moves around the way it should. Water can’t circulate, detergent can’t rinse out, and dirt gets trapped instead of lifted away.
Plus, fabrics are forced to rub tightly against each other, creating friction that leads to stretching, distortion, and faster wear.
Mistake: Always Using Hot Water
Hot water feels like it would be the best option – like it would clean better, sanitize more, and do a deeper job.
But for lots of clothes, it’s too harsh!
Heat can weaken your clothes’ fabric, fade colors, and of course, cause the infamous shrinkage. And once that damage happens, there’s no reversing it.
When it comes to heavily soiled items, towels, and bedding, hot water is still needed to get a deep clean. One of the benefits of professional cleaning is the ability to get a deep clean without relying on high heat. But with a standard home washing machine, it’s important to be intentional about when you use hot versus cold water.
Mistake: Overusing the Dryer
Just like hot water, the heat from the dryer is one of the most damaging parts of your laundry routine.
Every time your clothes go through the dryer, the fabric is broken down, colors fade, items shrink, and shapes start to change.
Elastic doesn’t stand a chance. Waistbands stretch out. Socks lose their grip. Activewear stops performing the way it should.
Sometimes these changes are immediate, sometimes they’re gradual.
Incorporating air drying when you can, or using the lowest heat settings possible on your dryer, can make a HUGE difference in the life of your clothes.
Mistake: Ignoring Fabric Differences
Lots of people sort by color – but sorting by fabric type matters just as much, if not more!
When heavier items like jeans or towels are washed with lighter fabrics, they create friction that can wear down softer materials over time. That’s when you start to see pilling, stretching, and fabrics that just don’t hold up the way they used to.
Different materials also respond differently to water, heat, and movement. What’s perfectly fine for one item can be too harsh for another.
Taking an extra minute to separate by fabric can go a long way in protecting the clothes you wear most.
Why These Habits Matter More Than You Think
A little heat here. A little friction there. Residue that builds up over time. And before you know it, your clothes just don’t look or feel the same anymore.
The fix isn’t complicated. Small changes can make a big difference! But it does take intention, and knowing what each fabric actually needs.
That’s where experience matters.
At Kean’s, we approach laundry as garment care, not just a routine. Our experts understand different fabrics, different treatments, and different ways to extend the life of what you wear.
And if you’d rather not think about any of this at home, you don’t have to – that’s what we’re here for!
