November 2021

One of the great things about Erie Station Village is that each of our apartments and townhomes comes with a washer and dryer. Occasionally, we share tips to help make doing the laundry easier for you and ensure your washer and dryer run well. Not everything you might wash comes with a care label, and some items shouldn’t go in your washing machine. Doing so can damage them or damage your machine. In this blog post, we will detail ten things to never put in the washing machine.

1. Embellished garments
   Take a step back, and don’t throw that glittery top in the washing machine you wore last weekend. You’ll want to hand wash it so the embellishments won’t fall off. Also, washing your clothes in hot water can harm the adhesive used for embellishments and result in a damaged garment.
2. Fluffy throw blankets
   We all love a fluffy throw blanket, but beware that most throw blankets are dry clean only! Yes, we said it, dry clean only. Throwing the blanket in the washing machine may cause the blanket to shrink and lose some of its fluffiness. For small stains, try spot cleaning.
3. Items covered in pet hair
   Pets are great, but what we don’t like is the hair they leave behind. Use a lint roller to remove as much pet hair as possible before throwing your pet-covered clothing item into the washing machine. You don’t want pet hair on your other clothes, or worse, in the pipes. If you don’t have a lint roller handy, try placing the piece of clothing in the dryer so that the lint trap can capture the hair.
4. Memory foam pillows
   Memory foam pillows should not be put in the wash. The spin cycle can be too harsh and will leave your pillow in shreds. We recommend handwashing your pillow with lukewarm water, a gentle detergent, and a good rinse.
5. All-natural fabrics
   Before you throw that sweater in the wash, make sure you check to see what type of fabric it is. Did you know that certain types of fabrics should not be washed? Natural fabrics, such as wool, cashmere, velvet, silk, leather, and suede, are unsuitable for the washing machine. It would be best to either spot clean the stain or take the clothing item to the dry cleaners.
6. Bras
   In general, bras should be hand-washed and hung dry. Washing bras in the washing machine can cause the bra to lose its shape and cause rips and tears.
7. Leather sneakers
   We all have that pair of sneakers that could use a good cleaning. You can get those dirty sneakers clean by spot cleaning the non-leather part or bringing them to a professional cleaner specializing in leather care.
8. Suits
   As a rule, you should never wash your suits in the washing machine. You can use a steamer to de-wrinkle between wears, but the safest option is to take it to the cleaner.
9. Swimsuits
   It is best to handwash swimsuits to ensure that they keep their bright color and shape. Remember always to hang dry your swimsuit! You can also use baking soda to clean your suit.
10. Excessive detergent
    In the case of detergent, more is not always better. Too much detergent can ruin your clothes by leaving soapy residue on them. It is recommended never to use more than the amount recommended on the package label for the size of a load.

Follow these tips to keep your washing machine damage-free and your clothes looking good.