ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Up To 70 Percent Of The Dirt On Your Clothes Could Be Invisible

Up To 70 Percent Of The Dirt On Your Clothes Could Be Invisible

Turns out we've all been doing some important laundry stuff wrong, according to experts.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Laundry. We all know it, we all hate it. Most of us are useless at it too. That's why the folks behind Ariel and Lenor are here to tell us how to do it all a little better. Cleaning is for life, not just for lockdown, so here's their hacks on how to make a molehill out of your mountain of washing.

What goes in first, the pod, or the clothes?

Turns out that water goes into the bottom of the drum and then rises to the top, so if you put your pod into the drum first, it will avoid it getting sandwiched between clothes or float on top of everything. Putting it in after your clothes is like the laundry equivalent of putting the milk in the tea first or putting your shoes on before your socks? So make sure you put the Pod in first!

This is where you need your Lenor In-wash Scent Boosters too: chuck them in together with your Pod in to ensure that your washing stays fresh for longer: simply fire a cap full in with a regular wash and you can have that freshly-washed feel for weeks after they come out. While we're loading, you might want to take note of a wee hack to avoid over stocking your machine: if you imagine that there's space for a tennis ball to go in with your load, then you've not over-filled it.

Did you know: Up to 70% of dirt on your clothes could be invisible

There's one more thing that we need to talk about. It's something that we don't want to accept, because it's completely gross, but it is real and you know it's there. 70% of dirt on your clothes is not visible to the naked eye and most of it in fact comes from our own body, including sweat, body grease and skin flakes - eugh!. The main culprits in this regard are the towels and bedsheets, and if you're wondering how often you need to wash them, the answer is simple: more than you think. At least once a week, which is almost certainly more frequently than you currently are. And remember to always use a detergent that delivers a deep clean for your garments such as Ariel Pods. Just remember that, even if you can't see it, it's still there and it's still gross. And, of course, remember to chuck your Lenor In-wash Scent Boosters in with your towels and sheets to keep them fresh for longer. Few things can top the feeling of slipping into laundered sheets, and when that becomes a highlight of your week, you can finally call yourself a proper full blown Saturday night in, stopping at three pints, Heartbeat-watching, adult.

Have you heard of a dryer sheet?

Once you've washed your gear, you'll need to dry it, and here's one hack that will blow your mind. If you live in the UK, you'll appreciate that our climate is hardly compatible with drying your clothes properly: but if you chuck a towel in with your clothes when they go for a tumble, it'll attract all the water from your other bits and dry them faster and more thoroughly.

What's more, using a dryer sheet in a tumble dryer ensures long-lasting freshness that withstands the heat of the dryer, as well as reducing creasing (which, obviously, reduces the amount of ironing you need to do. Ironing is by far the worst of all household tasks, worse than cleaning bogs and fishing bits out of the bottom of your dishwasher combined).

Dryer sheets go way further than just the tumble dryer, too. They have a huge number of alternative uses for freshness throughout the house - try popping one in your clothes drawers or suitcases stored away to keep that musky odour from developing, or even stick one in your dirty washing basket to stop gym clothes from stinking out your room, or even stick them in your shoes as a deodorizer.

There's plenty more where those tips came from, and we trust that the folks who make Ariel, Lenor, Bold, Fairy Non-Bio and Daz washing products know how to make the most out of a washing machine. You can check out their Joy of Clean Instagram page here, to get even more excellent tips on how to be even better at, you know, being a grown up.



Featured Image Credit: