You’ve probably heard it before: the best way to wash your clothes is by machine. But what if you don’t have a washing machine? What if, for some reason, you’re not able to do laundry at home? Or what if you live somewhere where there’s a shortage of water or electricity? In those cases, handwashing may be your only option.
Fortunately, with just a few tips and tricks under your belt, it can be as easy as pie! Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of washing clothes by machines.
The Advantages of Washing Clothes by Machine
Washing clothes by machine is a way of washing clothes that has increasingly become prominent in modern society. Not only does it help you save time and money, but the clothes come out cleaner than if they were washed by hand. Read on to learn more about the advantages of washing your clothes this way.
1) Save Time and Energy
Washing clothes by hand takes hours of effort if done properly. Laundering them by machine, on the other hand, only takes around forty-five minutes.
2) Better Results
As mentioned above, washing your clothes by machine will result in cleaner clothing than you would get if you went to the trouble of doing it manually.
3) Improved Life of Clothing
The gentle agitation from the machine allows you to get rid of dirt and other hard particles that can damage your clothing. The results are a longer life for your garments, which means you will save money in the long run.
4) Less Work for You
Washing clothes by hand puts a lot of strain on your body. Machines make the process less of a hassle, allowing you to save your muscles and wear and tear on your joints for when you really need them.
5) Save Money
When you buy new clothes, they usually come with special instructions from the manufacturer. If you launder them by hand, you will be able to follow these instructions to the letter, which will help you preserve their colors and materials.
6) Get More Time for Yourself
Washing clothes by hand can eat up your spare time. If you want to make use of it by doing something more productive, like catching up on e-mails or spending social time with friends and family, getting a washing machine is an excellent choice.
7) Easier Cleaning for Your Appliances
As mentioned above, the gentle agitation of a washing machine eliminates the risk of damage or wear and tear on your machine. You can clean it out without having to worry about ruining it during the process.
8) Save Money on Additional Devices
If you hand-wash your clothes using a washing board, you will need to purchase it separately. A machine comes with a portable unit that is already designed for the purpose.
9) Less Hassle
In addition to all of the aforementioned benefits, taking your clothes to a laundromat or hiring a service to clean them for you means less hassle and less time spent on the process.
10) Ability to Wash Clothes Other than Clothing
A washing machine can also be used to wash clothes other than your everyday apparel. For example, you can use it for rinsing and cleaning out shoes and blankets saved from winter storage.
11) No Excess Water
Less water is required when washing by machine as compared to doing it manually. The average machine fills with less than forty-five liters of water on the wash cycle, which is much less than what would be needed to do it by hand.
This means that you will also save money on your energy bill since there will be less water heated.
12) Easier Drying of Clothes
The gentle agitation of a washing machine allows for easy rinsing and drying of clothes, which means that there is no need for them to be hung up outside or in a dryer.
13) Save Money
The gentle stress of the machine’s agitation allows you to preserve the colors and materials of your clothing so that they last longer. This means you will have to spend less money on buying replacement clothes.
14) Better Results
As mentioned above, washing your clothes by machine will result in cleaner clothing than you would get if you went to the trouble of doing it manually.
15) Save Space
Washing machines are smaller and more compact than bathrooms or bathrooms that would be needed for hand-washing your garments. This means that you can keep them in smaller homes or apartments where space is at a premium.
Disadvantages of Washing Clothes by Machine
When people think about washing clothes, the first thing they usually do is head over to their machines and start throwing in fabric. However, there are many serious disadvantages to washing clothing in this manner that people often overlook when doing their laundry.
Some of these include potential rips or tears in fabrics with certain kinds of stitching; damage due to using hot water on delicate fabrics; and shrinkage of certain materials. Also, washing clothing in the machine does not actually clean the clothes as well as a person cleaning them by hand or using a home dry-cleaning product.
The majority of people who use machines to wash their clothes often end up with dirty, stained clothing despite rinsing out the soap and running the machine multiple times.
- Machine washes can result in damaged or ripped clothing that needs to be thrown away.
- Hot water can damage delicate fabrics that may shrink, pill, or lose their color after being washed in a machine.
- Certain detergents and soaps can ruin clothing by causing it to fade or shrink.
- Many people do not have machines that are appropriate for different types of fabrics, which can result in clothing being torn apart during the wash cycle due to agitation from the machine.
- Machine washes may not clean as well as hand or dry cleaning because they don’t use enough water and/or soap to get all of a person’s clothes clean.
- Dryers can ruin clothing due to being too hot and/or clothing not being set correctly in the dryer, which can shrink or stretch the fabric out of shape.
- People who only have a machine to do their laundry often end up with dirty, stained clothing because they don’t use enough soap or rinsing cycles.
- Machine washing can make clothing fade or pill, which are often signs of damage due to over-washing the fabric.
- Dryers can ruin clothing by being too hot or setting it incorrectly in the dryer for too long, thus damaging the clothing shape or stitching.
- Many machines do not have the right settings for different fabrics, which can cause undue agitation during the wash cycle, resulting in damage.
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Factors to consider when washing clothes by machine
1. Detergent:
A laundry detergent that is meant for a specific type of fabric must be used or else the clothes will shrink, fade, or even bleed color.
2. Temperature:
Make sure the washing machine is set to the correct water temperature based on what kinds of clothes are being washed as well as their level of dirtiness.
3. Fabric softener:
If a fabric softener is needed, make sure it is appropriate for the type of fabric being washed and not too strong of a solution.
4. Cycle:
Make sure the appropriate cycle is chosen based on what kind of clothes are being washed and their level of dirtiness.
5. Machine Setting:
Make sure to set the machine on a spin cycle that will not crease or wrinkle the clothes. Make sure the appropriate settings are made for each fabric depending on its nature and uniqueness.
6. Pre-Treatment:
Sometimes you may need to pre-treat a stain or fabric before throwing it into the washing machine if you want to achieve great results. This must be considered first before you start washing your clothes in the machine.
7. Post-Treatment:
You may have to sometimes try to spot clean certain portions of garments or fabrics depending on the stains one is trying to clean. Therefore, this must be considered when washing by machine, since some stains have to be treated after washing by machine.
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Final Thoughts
While machines are great for doing the laundry, there are some serious disadvantages to washing clothes in this manner. The most important factors to consider when washing clothing by machine are: 1) detergent, 2) temperature, 3) fabric softener, 4) cycle, 5) machine setting, 6) pre-treatment, and 7) post-treatment.
Detergent needs to be appropriate for the type and level of dirt; fabric softener needs to be appropriate for the fabric; the cycle must match what kind of clothes are being washed and their level of dirtiness, and finally if a spin is needed it should not crease or wrinkle the clothes due to too much agitation during wash cycles. Thanks for reading!
