In brief: The most common laundry mistakes are overloading the machine, choosing the wrong temperature and sorting clothes incorrectly. They lead to poor cleaning results, higher energy consumption and premature wear of textiles. Avoid these mistakes by following care labels, filling the drum to only two-thirds and using the right amount of detergent.
How to Wash Laundry Properly: Avoid Common Mistakes
Clean laundry involves more than pressing a button. Incorrect handling costs money and energy and can ruin your clothes. We show you how to avoid common mistakes and achieve better results with smart laundry tips.
How do I sort laundry correctly?
The preparation determines the result. Do not throw everything together into the drum.
First, sort by colour. White items and light pastel shades can be washed together. Wash bright colours and darks separately. New coloured clothing may run. Wash it on its own the first time.
The second factor is temperature. Lightly soiled everyday laundry can be washed at 30°C or 40°C. Items such as towels and bed linen need 60°C. Pay attention to the care symbols on the label.
Third, consider the type of fabric. Delicates such as silk or wool need a gentle cycle. Hard-wearing jeans or towels can withstand a stronger spin cycle. Rough items such as rugs can damage delicate fibres.
Expert tip
Before washing, apply a little gall soap or pre-wash spray to heavily soiled areas such as collars or sleeve cuffs. This helps dissolve grease and dirt during the pre-wash cycle.
Correct sorting extends the life of your clothes and your laundry baskets. Use different baskets or compartments for whites, colours and darks.
What is the right temperature?
Modern detergents are already effective at low temperatures. Higher temperatures do not automatically mean cleaner laundry.
Choose 30°C for lightly soiled everyday clothing. This saves up to 60 percent energy compared with a 60°C cycle. For normally soiled coloured laundry, 40°C is the standard. Use the Eco programme, which is more energy-efficient but takes longer.
Wash towels, bed linen, underwear and tea towels at 60°C. This temperature reliably removes germs and bacteria. A 90°C wash is only necessary for infectious illnesses in the household or heavily soiled workwear.
Important note
Never mix chlorine bleach with other cleaning products or acidic substances such as vinegar. Toxic chlorine gas can form. Use bleach separately and rinse the machine thoroughly afterwards.
Wash delicates such as wool or silk on special programmes at a maximum of 30°C. Look for the wool symbol or hand-wash symbol. Similar rules apply to cosy children's bed linen made from soft materials.
The greatest energy savings come from generally lowering the washing temperature by 10 to 20 degrees. Modern colour and all-purpose detergents are optimised for low temperatures.
How do I dose detergent correctly?
More detergent does not mean cleaner laundry. It can damage your clothes, your machine and the environment.
The dosage depends on three factors: the water hardness in your area, how soiled the laundry is and the drum load. Ask your water supplier about the water hardness or measure it with test strips.
Use the measuring cup or cap supplied with the detergent. The scale usually shows the amount for lightly, normally and heavily soiled laundry with medium-hard water and a full drum. For a half load, halve the amount.
Powder is suitable for heavier soiling and higher temperatures. Liquid detergent dissolves well even in cold water and is ideal for coloured laundry and low temperatures. Laundry pods or capsules are convenient but often more expensive.
How to dose correctly:
- Check the water hardness (soft, medium, hard).
- Assess the level of soiling (light, normal, heavy).
- Estimate the drum load (half, normal, full load).
- Read the dosage instructions on the packaging for this combination.
Why is loading the machine so important?
An overfilled or underfilled drum leads to poor results and increased wear.
Only fill the machine to around two-thirds. This gives the laundry room to tumble and be rinsed properly. An overfilled drum cleans unevenly. The laundry becomes badly creased and the machine mechanism is overloaded.
Underloading is also problematic. The laundry bangs unnecessarily against the drum walls. This causes increased wear to both textiles and the machine. You also use a lot of water and energy for a small amount of laundry.
Additional advice
For small loads, use your machine's economy or 1/2-load programme, if available. It reduces water and energy consumption. Alternatively, collect laundry until you have a normal load.
A well-organised household uses practical helpers such as the or stylish storage solutions such as the
, or . This allows you to collect laundry efficiently until an optimal load is ready for the machine.
How do I care for my washing machine?
A clean machine washes hygienically and efficiently. Neglecting its care leads to unpleasant odours and germs.
Leave the door and detergent drawer open after every wash cycle. This allows the seal and interior to dry completely and prevents mould from forming. Wipe the rubber door seal regularly. Lint, hair and residual water collect there.
Clean the machine every four to eight weeks. Use a special washing machine cleaner or household remedies such as citric acid (for descaling) or baking soda (against odours). Run the cleaning programme or a short programme at 60°C without laundry.
Don't forget the lint filter. It is usually located behind a flap at the bottom of the front panel. Switch off the machine and place a container underneath, as residual water will drain out. Clean the filter under running water.
One third of all washing machine faults are caused by inadequate care, particularly limescale-covered heating elements and blocked pumps. Regular cleaning and occasional descaling significantly extend the machine's service life.
Which mistakes can damage special fabrics?
Not all fabrics can handle standard programmes. Special care helps preserve their quality.
Wool and silk: Use only wool or delicate wash programmes with a special detergent. Spin at the lowest setting or not at all. Place wet items in a towel and gently press out the water. Never wring them out.
Performance and sportswear: Wash these items at 30°C or 40°C with liquid colour detergent. Fabric softener and bleach can clog the breathable membranes. This reduces their performance. Dry them flat or in the air, not in the tumble dryer.
Bed linen and towels: Hygiene is important here. Wash them at 60°C. This preserves the absorbency of towels. For attractive bed linen with beautiful designs or bed linen available for immediate delivery, use a bleach-free heavy-duty detergent to protect the colours.
Jeans: Always wash jeans inside out. This protects the colour. Use cold water or a maximum temperature of 30°C. This helps prevent fading and shrinkage. Air-dry them.
These tips help you avoid the most common pitfalls. Your laundry will be cleaner, your textiles will last longer and you will save energy. The right helpers, such as a set of
make the job easier. Pay attention to care labels and consider the needs of different fabrics.
Frequently asked questions
- What temperature should you wash towels at?
- Towels and bath mats are most hygienically washed at 60°C. This temperature reliably kills germs and bacteria, removes dead skin cells and dissolves oils from the fibres. For pure cotton towels, 60°C is ideal. For blended fabrics or coloured towels, 40°C with a bleach-free heavy-duty detergent may be sufficient.
- How should I sort laundry before washing?
- Sort laundry according to three main criteria: colour (white, coloured, dark), temperature (delicate, normal, hot wash) and fabric type (delicate, hard-wearing). Separate heavily soiled items from lightly soiled laundry. Wash new, brightly coloured items separately. This sorting prevents colours from running and ensures the wash programme is ideally suited to the fibres.
- How often should you clean your washing machine?
- Clean your washing machine every one to two months. Run an empty cycle at 60-90°C with a special washing machine cleaner or household remedies such as citric acid. Wipe the rubber seals and door rim dry after every wash cycle and leave the drum and detergent drawer open so moisture can escape.
- Can you use too much detergent?
- Yes, too much detergent can cause problems. It does not rinse out properly, leaves residue on the laundry and can cause skin irritation. Overdosing also harms the environment and can eventually clog the machine. Always measure detergent according to water hardness, level of soiling and drum load. A measuring cup can help.
- Is fabric softener necessary?
- Fabric softener is not necessary; it is purely a matter of comfort. It makes textiles softer, reduces creasing and adds fragrance. It is unsuitable for performance clothing, towels (as it reduces their absorbency) and baby clothes. Alternatives include adding a splash of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment (it provides mild descaling) or using dryer balls to loosen the fibres.
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