Washing Tips & Care Labels ♥

If there's one appliance that's well-loved and over-used in our home, it's the washing machine. I've shared on the blog before about how Tyler is obsessed with washing machines and it seems as though his obsession isn't going to end anytime soon...

He even had a washing machine cake for his fourth birthday back in February!

At least there's a positive aspect to all his washing machine talk - our laundry basket is never full and is almost always empty. The washing is always done and everything is clean, but, that also means there's mountains of stuff to put away almost every day and there's nothing I hate more than putting away the clean laundry - does anyone actually enjoy this?!

Due to Tyler's love of washing machines, I thought I'd share some washing tips here, things that he's learnt from his father and I these past few years and things which have helped to keep our clothes from getting ruined in the wash - because lets face it, those washing labels can be confusing and does anyone actually follow them properly all of the time? I have been known to put a 'dry clean only' coat into the washing machine on a delicate wash simply out of convenience...

I learned the washing symbols and their meanings back in secondary school home economics classes, but I could do with some brushing up on them, and if you could too then check out the handy infographic below that explains them all.

So here are our top washing tips - and I have to say 'our' here because Tyler is insistent that he's involved with all things to do with the washing - I hope he's still as enthusiastic when he's a teenager!

1. Always wash baby clothes on a delicate wash and separately from other clothes
This helps to keep baby's clothes soft and in perfect condition. Also remember to tie the Velcro on baby bibs if you're washing them with baby cardigans - this will stop them sticking to the wool and ruining the stitches. Always use a non-bio detergent and a mild fabric softener on baby clothes so that you don't irritate baby's sensitive skin.

2. Learn to read the care labels properly
I know that some of us (I'm definitely guilty...) ignore them from time to time just so we can get everything washed in one go, but the care labels really are important for keeping garments in the best condition possible. Knowing how to read them properly means that you won't end up tumble drying and ruining a much loved clothing item!

3. Colour catchers are your friend
I pop one or two of these into every wash to stop the colours running and ruining the wash. It's super important to chuck one into a wash that has new fabrics in it too - especially reds and blacks - as they're most likely to run and discolour everything - and no one wants pale pink or dirty grey clothes!

4. Separate your colours
It's such a simple thing to do, but I know of people who still don't separate their colours when putting on a wash. Keeping the lights away from the darks really does help to protect your garments from discolouration and never wash whites with any colour other than white!

5. Treating heavy stains before washes is important
Being a mother to two young children, not a day goes by where I don't have an item of clothing soaking in my sink. Using stain removers such as Vanish or Ace are great for tackling stains, but you can also use store cupboard ingredients to get rid of stubborn stains too. Lemon juice is great for getting sweat stains out of gym or sports kits, white wine is great for getting rid of red wine stains (who'd have thought?!) and vinegar is also a great stain remover too.

*Information provided from a press release by Data Label.

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