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5 things you should never put in the washing machine

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Washing clothes is akin to washing dishes. It’s not fun and most of us don’t enjoy it. If given the option, we would rather skip it altogether. When it comes to doing laundry, a washing machine can be a life saver. All you have to do is sought, separate and wash right? Technically yes but it’s not always that straight forward.

Should the wrong fabrics mix you will have a new set of clothes. Even worse, should a foreign object find its way you will end up with a damaged machine which is another unnecessary cost that wasn’t planned for.

To be on the safe side, it helps to know what should and shouldn’t be put into the washing machine. Here are five things that should never find their way into the machine.

Coins and keys

It is easy to forget to empty your pockets when doing laundry and those coins and keys can end up in the machine for a swim. They might seem harmless but the damage could be irreparable should they shatter the glass of front-loading washer for example. Keys on the other hand can scratch the inside of the machine and damage the drum making it very expensive to repair.

Too much detergent

Most people think that the more the detergent the cleaner the clothes. But it is quite the contrary. Detergent residue can build up in the washer and clothes resulting in not completely rinsed clothes, a bad odor coming from the machine and eventually it will break down.

Excessive laundry

As much as it reduces workload of washing once, overloading can lead to damage of the bearings and suspension. You will not only damage the machine but also your clothes will not be clean and this will force you to do them over again. This is because when the clothes are filled to the brim there is no wiggle room for the laundry to move around and get washed.

Bras and lingerie

It is easier to just put everything in the machine and forget about it. Too bad you cannot. Bras and lingerie have hooks and under wires that can attach to themselves or other clothes and cause tears and rips. Should they get caught in the drum they will damage the machine.

Flammable stains

Turns out there are certain stains you can’t wash in the washing machine because they can cause a fire or explosion. Examples of these include gasoline, cooking oil, motor vehicle oils, paint thinners and alcohol. Use a solvent based stain remover and let it sit for a few minutes then machine wash it alone or hand wash it.

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