Five Simple Laundry Steps That Make Clothes Last Longer

If you are fed up with pulling misshapen T-shirts, dull jeans or worn-out blouses from the wash, it is easy to blame the washing machine. In reality, your clothes’ fate is decided in the minutes beforehand. Five straightforward actions, taking barely longer than reaching for the detergent, can almost double the life of your wardrobe - while also leaving laundry smoother and cleaner.

The invisible armour: turn clothes inside out before washing

The most important step starts at the laundry basket: turn garments inside out. It may sound insignificant, but it makes a huge difference in the day-to-day life of the drum. Inside the machine, everything rubs together, hits the drum and becomes tangled.

“Anyone who consistently washes T-shirts, jumpers and trousers inside out protects the visible outer surface with a thin protective shield.”

The delicate side - the part other people see - then mostly rubs against itself rather than zips, buttons or the metal drum. This reduces visible abrasion, small bobbles and roughened patches.

This tip is particularly valuable for:

• T-shirts with large prints or logos
• Tops featuring sequins, embroidery or appliqué details
• Fine knitwear, blouse fabrics and anything that can quickly look ‘old’

Prints and lettering in particular can soon crack or fade when they constantly scrape directly against the drum. Turned inside out, they lose colour and texture far more slowly. You may not notice a difference after two or three washes - but you will after a year.

Fasten buttons, zip up zips: small details with a big impact

The second mistake is one nearly everyone makes: putting clothes into the machine with buttons undone and zips partly open. This is how much of the damage that only becomes noticeable later is caused.

Why fastening buttons protects fabric

Open button plackets readily catch on other items. They then pull at seams, distort collars and, in the worst cases, tear buttons off.

Fastening every button before washing helps to stabilise the fabric. The shirt or blouse keeps its shape, while the seams are put under less strain. This is especially worthwhile for:

• Blouses and business shirts
• Cardigans with button plackets
• Garments with narrow cuffs or small buttons

Zips are little traps inside the drum

During the spin cycle, open zips act like tiny pincers: they snag delicate fabrics, pull threads or leave deep creases. Even on jeans, the teeth can practically ‘bite’ other items.

“Always pull zips fully closed - otherwise every item with a zip behaves like a little fabric destroyer.”

Closed zips move more smoothly through the drum, catch less often and leave fewer creases. Taking a moment to ‘secure’ jackets, hoodies, jeans and pillowcases before washing prevents plenty of frustrating damage afterwards.

The biggest troublemaker: full pockets can ruin an entire load

Hardly any household escapes the classic disaster: a paper tissue left in a trouser pocket, followed by black jeans emerging covered in white fluff. It is irritating, but that is only the least harmful outcome.

Trouser pockets can contain:

• Tickets, receipts and scraps of paper
• Coins, screws and hair clips
• Chewing gum, sweet wrappers or lip balm sticks
• Small tech items such as in-ear headphones

Paper spreads through the whole drum like confetti. Sticky residue clings to fabrics, and often to the rubber seal too. Small hard objects bang against the drum, potentially damaging the glass door and plastic parts and, in extreme cases, even blocking the pump.

“Anyone who completely empties every pocket protects not only their clothes, but the machine itself.”

The best approach is to make it routine. Before laundry goes into the basket, quickly feel every pocket. Once it becomes a habit, you will not have to think about flying tissue fluff later.

Jeans and dark colours: keeping colour rich for longer

Jeans are regarded as hard-wearing, yet denim is particularly vulnerable to friction and excessive stress. Pale lines at the knees, faded thighs and dull colour are often seen as ordinary wear. In fact, washing incorrectly accelerates this effect considerably.

The simplest protection is to always wash jeans inside out. Their heavily used outer surface then has less direct contact with the drum and other textiles. Pale friction marks form more slowly, and the surface remains more even.

There is another benefit, too: less colour loss. The outer colour has less intense contact with detergent and friction in the water. With new dark jeans, this also lowers the risk of them ‘colouring’ other garments.

For items with intense colours, these points are worth considering as well:

• Choose low temperatures (30°C is usually quite sufficient)
• Use colour detergent rather than biological detergent for coloured laundry
• Do not pack the drum too tightly, so everything can move freely

The hand rule: why overfilling makes laundry creased

Putting too much laundry in the drum is the surest route to creased, poorly washed clothes. If the machine can barely turn, it works more like a press than a washing system.

“Remember: your hand must still fit comfortably above the laundry in the drum. If it does not, there is too much inside.”

This rule of thumb leaves enough space in the drum. Items can unfold, water reaches every fibre and detergent dissolves more effectively. During spinning, clothes do not stick to the wall as one solid mass but are spun properly clean.

The result:

• Fewer creases, especially in blouses, shirts and bed linen
• Cleaner washing results even at low temperatures
• Less strain on seams and less twisting

Bulky items such as duvets, towels and hoodies take up a great deal of space. Overloading the machine does not save a wash cycle; it merely creates more ironing and fabrics that age faster.

Make these five steps a routine - the long-term benefits

The five actions sound unremarkable: turn clothes inside out, fasten buttons, close zips, empty pockets and load the drum correctly. Together, they take no more than an extra minute. Even so, they make a noticeable difference to your wardrobe.

Anyone who wears quality items - business shirts, branded jeans or favourite dresses - saves money over time. Fabrics pill less, seams remain stronger and prints stay fresh-looking for longer. Even inexpensive fast-fashion pieces remain wearable for longer instead of ending up in the bin after only a few washes.

Practical extras for laundry that lasts even longer

Alongside these five habits, a few additional measures can help extend the life of your clothes:

• Wash clothes only when they are genuinely dirty, rather than after every brief wear
• Use gentle programmes for delicate fabrics
• Use less detergent than stated on the packet when the water is soft
• Use laundry bags for bras, fine knitwear or lace underwear

A great deal of damage is caused by excess chemicals and friction, rather than dirt. Fabrics need a break, just like skin and hair. Choosing to air clothes rather than constantly washing them extends their life even further.

Ultimately, every small habit pays off: less waste, fewer replacement purchases, a more dependable wardrobe - and a far more relaxed feeling when the drum opens after the spin cycle.