There are a surprising number of common mistakes people make when doing Laundry. We reveal the eight biggest Laundry errors, and share tips for how you can not only get your clothes clean, but also save water and electricity.

#1 Incorrect loading

You can overfill or underfill your washing machine; neither is ideal.

Do you have too much laundry  in the drum, it tangles too much and prevents water from circulating properly, or from reaching all areas. The laundry may not get clean.

A half-full washing machine , on the other hand, wastes energy, water, and detergent.

When loading your washing machine, follow this rule of thumb:

A clenched fist should still fit into the drum above the laundry at all times. 

There are exceptions here too: for delicates or wool, the drum should be filled no more than halfway so the clothes don’t rub against each other too hard.

#2 Using too much detergent

Anyone who thinks too much detergent isn’t a problem is wrong. More detergent doesn’t mean cleaner laundry; on the contrary, too much detergent leads to…

• the laundry may not be rinsed properly, so dirt and grease particles get stuck, which start to smell over time.
• detergent residue left on clothes. This can damage not just your clothes, but also your skin.
• Your water consumption increases. If there’s too much foam in the drum, the washing machine will pump more water in.
• You spend more money: The more detergent you need, the sooner you’ll have to buy new.

#3 Using too little detergent

If you use too little detergent, the opposite is true. Your laundry won’t get clean, which also means it will not only smell bad, but will stay dirty.

Additionally, limescale will build up on your clothes faster, causing them to wear out quicker.

Tips:

• Determine Water hardness: The harder the water, the more detergent you need.
• Laundry Detergent Sheets from bluuuse: The strips are pre-measured and perfect for your laundry.

#4 Using the wrong wash program

Nowadays, washing machines have countless different wash programs and combinations: you can choose the program, temperature, and spin speed yourself.

If you use the wrong program for your clothes, they can fade, shrink, or be damaged.

To avoid that: Check the care label! This usually tells you everything you need to know about caring for your garment. Also check your washing machine’s manual: it will tell you which wash program is suitable for what. 

Generally:

• Bedding and terry cloth: 60 degrees - or with the bluu silvertrooperalso at 40 degrees
• Normally soiled clothes: 30 to 40 degrees, depending on the label
• Delicates, wool, and silk: 30 degrees

Tip: If the label says 30 degrees, the laundry is only suitable for that temperature, not the 40-degree program instead. This small difference can be crucial.

#5 Using pre-wash

Useful in the past, mostly unnecessary now: your washing machine works perfectly fine without a pre-wash program for normally soiled clothes.

If your clothes are very heavily soiled, using bluu stain soapor baking soda is still better, and won’t waste unnecessary energy and water. You can skip the pre-wash.

#6 Not cleaning your washing machine

Just like your clothes, your washing machine needs care. You have to clean it regularly.

If you don’t, the following can happen:

• Germs and bacteria can build up
• Limescale can build up
• The machine and freshly washed laundry will smell musty
• The machine’s lifespan decreases

The easiest way to descale your washing machine is with our bluu calcbuster, in this blog you’ll learn more. 

#7 Using the quick wash program

Chances are, your washing machine also has a quick wash program. To make it fast, the washing machine needs much more water and energy to get the laundry clean.

Therefore: only use the quick wash program when you really have to.

#8 Using the dryer

Sure, a dryer is super convenient: load the clothes, turn it on, take them out.

But: The dryer is usually one of the biggest energy hogs in your home. And it stresses your clothes unnecessarily. 

Hang your laundry up instead, especially in summer (if it’s sunny and dry), it will dry in no time.

Tip: If you still prefer to use the dryer, don’t wait between cycles. If the dryer is already running hot from the last load, it will use less energy for the next one.

When you need it to be fast, our bluu balls reduces energy use and drying time by up to 25%. Plus, your laundry will be softer and fluffier.