How often should you be cleaning your washing machine? Should you be putting your jeans in the freezer? Carolyn Forté, the executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab, answers reader questions about washing machines and shares her insider tips.
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00:00Hi, I'm Carolyn Forte, Executive Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care
00:03and Cleaning Lab, where we test all kinds of cleaning appliances and products and share
00:08our best tips and cleaning advice.
00:09Today, I'm going to be answering some common questions about your washing machine and sharing
00:13some insider tips.
00:15This is Good to Know.
00:17So the first question we have here is, how often should I be cleaning my washing machine?
00:21And we recommend doing it about once a month.
00:23It's really important to keep the appliance that's keeping your clothes clean, clean.
00:27Most of today's new machines have a tub clean cycle.
00:30So all you need to do is select that, it'll select the proper water temperature, the proper
00:34amount of water, and you're going to add a commercial washing machine cleaner, a powder
00:38or a tablet or something that you buy.
00:40But you also want to do other things between that, like clean off any spills, bleach spills,
00:45fabric softener spills.
00:46You want to dry off the gasket if you have a front load washer and the door, so mold
00:50and mildew don't grow there.
00:51And every once in a while, pop out the dispenser.
00:53Give that a good scrub to remove any residues that may be lurking there.
00:57Next, are there any at-home remedies that will clean my washing machine?
01:02There's lots of DIY tips out there that I tend to recommend that people stay away from.
01:06Wiping the inside of the washing machine with baking soda, using vinegar, those things aren't
01:11really as effective as they should be and can actually make more of a mess for you to
01:15clean up afterwards.
01:16So it shouldn't be so much of a chore to clean your washing machine.
01:20Next question, which is better, a top loader or a front loader?
01:23And the answer is they both clean really well.
01:25In our Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab test, we've gotten great performance from both.
01:29So which you choose is first a matter of personal preference.
01:33Some people like front loaders, others don't like bending.
01:35Some people like top loaders, others don't like reaching inside.
01:38So there are pros and cons to each type of machine.
01:41Generally, we do get a little bit better cleaning maybe from a front loader.
01:45So if you've got lots of sports uniforms or heavily soiled clothes, a front loader could
01:50give you a little bit better cleaning performance.
01:52But overall, no matter which model and which style you choose, you should be able to get
01:57great results.
01:59Which washing machine settings should I use for a normal load of clothes?
02:03Today's washing machines have lots of cycles and settings and options.
02:06Default for most loads is probably normal or the colors.
02:10Those are pretty routine and will take care of most loads.
02:13But don't overlook lots of extra cycles that you might want to consider.
02:18Hand wash is a great one.
02:19Bulky bedding is a great one.
02:20Whitest whites or a high temperature wash if you've got particularly soiled clothes.
02:24Active wear is another popular one today.
02:26So what these cycles do is adjust the agitation of the machine, they adjust the water temperatures
02:32that go in, they adjust the length of the cycle to better accommodate the care for those
02:36items.
02:37How do I avoid getting a bad smell in my washing machine even if it's clean?
02:42The best thing you can do after you've finished your loads for the day, make sure your machine
02:47airs and dries out.
02:48So that means either leaving the lid open or leaving the door open, leaving the dispensers
02:52open.
02:53Of course if you have small children and pets that are running around, you want to make
02:56sure that you lock those controls.
02:58If that's not enough, it may be necessary for you to actually wipe down the door.
03:04Mostly it's front loaders where the water puddles and pools in the door gasket.
03:08So it might be worthwhile to just keep a cloth handy there, wipe that gasket out, remove
03:13any excess moisture because that's really where mold can grow and musty odors can develop.
03:19Next, should I be using liquid detergent or the single dose packets?
03:23It's really a matter of personal preference whether you use the single dose packets or
03:27whether you go with a liquid or a powder.
03:29Most important thing to do is find a brand that works for you, that delivers on the promises
03:34that it makes, takes care of the laundry problems that you need to solve, whether it's odors,
03:38color protection, stains, whatever.
03:40Once you find that brand, choose the form that works best for you, is most convenient
03:45and fits within your budget.
03:47Is fabric softener really necessary?
03:49Fabric softener is great because like conditioner for your hair, it conditions the fabrics in
03:54your clothing.
03:55So it makes the fibers smooth, it makes them lay down flat so they're less scratchy and
04:00they feel softer.
04:01Is it something you need to use in every load?
04:04Probably not.
04:05And if you do use fabric softener, you want to make sure that you use it correctly.
04:08Make sure that you measure.
04:10Don't add too much.
04:11It can build up and leave a waxier, filmy coating on clothes that you ultimately may
04:15have to remove later on down the road.
04:17You also want to be careful of the types of garments you're washing with fabric softener.
04:22So you don't want to use the fabric softener on anything that's flame resistant, children's
04:26sleepwear for example.
04:29Is it really necessary for me to separate my dark and light clothing?
04:32Yes, it is.
04:33It's really important.
04:35If you don't want your whites to be gray and dingy, it's always best to wash whites and
04:39light colors separately.
04:41Now, when you wash things in cold water, they are less likely to fade and bleed.
04:46But certainly whenever you wash something for the first time, if you've never washed
04:49it before, always wash it separately.
04:51You could do a little drop test on it with water to see if it bleeds or any color runs
04:55off.
04:56But separating as much of a chore as it is, is always a good idea.
05:00Next question, which items should I wash with cold water versus warm water?
05:04Cold water washing has gotten better.
05:05It definitely saves energy and as detergents formulations have been improved, they're working
05:09better in cold water too.
05:11So for the most part, you can pretty much do most of your loads in cold water.
05:15Now having said that, there are certain things that should be washed in warm.
05:18Really heavily soiled clothes, things that have dirt buildup in them, maybe sports uniforms
05:24you might need to wash in a little bit warmer water.
05:27Certain stains, greasy stains come out better in warm water.
05:30So assess your laundry load, assess the types of garments that you're washing and how they
05:34need to be cleaned.
05:36And if you are choosing to use cold water to save energy, which is great, make sure
05:39you're using a really great detergent that's formulated to clean well in cold.
05:44Will hot water shrink my clothes?
05:46Hot water can cause some shrinkage, so you're going to want to reserve that for the sturdier
05:50things.
05:51You're not going to want to wash your delicates on hot water.
05:53Hot water is also better for allergen removal.
05:56So if you've got somebody and you're cleaning their bedding or you're cleaning any garments
05:59that they've worn while they've been sick, hot water really is a good alternative for
06:04that.
06:05How often should I be washing certain items of clothing?
06:08Jeans is the biggest topic of debate for sure.
06:12You don't need to wash your jeans every time, but you do need to wash them.
06:15I mean, some people say you should never wash them, and that's not something we subscribe
06:19to.
06:20If you wore them just for a short period of time, they probably don't need to be washed.
06:23But if you wore them all day or you've got stains on them, you sweated in them, those
06:27are the things that you should think about when deciding how often items should be washed.
06:32A myth that we've been busting for many years is, can I just put my jeans in the freezer
06:37and get them clean?
06:39And the answer is absolutely not.
06:41Like freezing does for your food, it slows down the growth of bacteria, but it doesn't
06:47kill bacteria.
06:48Absolute myth.
06:49Jeans should not go in the freezer.
06:51They need to be washed.
06:52Things like jackets or outerwear can withstand less washing than maybe some things that are
06:56worn closer to your body and on your skin.
06:59Keep in mind that before you're storing something away for the season, it's always best to store
07:03it clean.
07:04Next question, will washing too large a load ruin my washing machine?
07:08It may if you do that a lot.
07:10It's going to put strain on the motor, strain on various other parts of the machine.
07:14But the biggest problem with that is that your clothes are not circulating.
07:17Clothes need to circulate in that pool of water and detergent in order to get cleaned
07:22as best as they can.
07:23The tighter it is packed in there, the more it's going to rub against each other.
07:28That can be abrasive to fabrics and fibers as well.
07:31So the idea is that you want to make sure your loads tumble freely, get enough water
07:35and detergent exposed to the fabrics.
07:37Full load can reach the top, but as long as you can put your hand in the top and still
07:41have a little room for movement, you're good to go.
07:45What clothing items should I air dry?
07:47Always best, as we say with anything, to follow the care labels.
07:50It's best to keep things that are mostly spandex or elastane out of the dryer, bathing suits,
07:57bras and underwear that's got a lot of elastic in it.
08:00The heat can damage it.
08:01Even low heat is not great for elastic.
08:02So wash them in the machine for sure, but also make sure that you then air dry them.
08:07Be aware of fibers.
08:08Rayon tends to shrink in the dryer.
08:10So all rayon, or mostly made of rayon, that call for air drying.
08:14So make sure you follow that as well.
08:15Rayon can shrink and you don't want that to happen.
08:19What do those little symbols on my clothing care tags mean?
08:22The international symbols on care tags can be confusing, but they're there for instructions
08:26on how to care for a garment.
08:28So if you see a little wash tub, that's generally how to wash it.
08:31It can be machine wash, or if you see a hand inserted in it, it means it's hand washable.
08:36Triangular symbol is referencing bleach.
08:39So if you see a big X through a triangle, it means do not bleach.
08:43Lines through it mean that maybe you can use oxygen bleach, but not chlorine bleach.
08:48If you see a little towel that looks twisted with a big X through it, that means do not
08:52wring.
08:53So wringing can damage that fabric.
08:54Instead, you want to squeeze out the water.
08:55With the iron, it looks pretty much self-explanatory.
08:58One dot means low temperature, low heat.
09:00Two means medium, and three means high.
09:02The circle indicates dry cleaning.
09:04So if you see a circle with a big X through it, that means you should not dry clean this
09:07item.
09:08If you see circles with letters inside, that'll indicate what types of dry cleaning solvents
09:13are safe.
09:14So your dry cleaner probably knows that.
09:16And then there's a square.
09:17A square indicates drying.
09:19If you see a square with vertical lines, that means something should be drip dry.
09:23It's got a little curved semicircle in it that looks like a clothesline, and you can
09:28hang dry it.
09:29But the best thing to do to keep these symbols and their little associated dots and dashes
09:34straight is to download or print out a cheat sheet.
09:39Keep it handy.
09:40That way, no matter what symbol comes up on your care tag, you'll have something to reference
09:43to.
09:44Thanks for watching, and please head to goodhousekeeping.com for more washing machine and laundry tips.