In the world of laundry, everyone loves a good shortcut. But did you know that some of those clever laundry "hacks" floating around could be secret saboteurs to your washing machine? That's right – while they promise to make laundry day easier, some of these popular tricks might actually harm your trusty machines.
From unconventional cleaning agents to darkening hacks, you’d be surprised how much damage some of these laundry trends can do to your laundry appliances. So, before you go ahead and try the latest trend you saw on TikTok, see which harmful “hacks” you should avoid!
1. Dish Soap as a Detergent Substitute
Swapping out your regular laundry detergent for dish soap might seem like a clever hack, especially when you're in a pinch. However, this swap is more risky than resourceful for your washing machine. Dish soap is designed for handwashing dishes, not for the mechanics of a washing machine, and this difference can lead to trouble.
Dish soap creates excessive suds for washing machine, which can seep into areas like the mechanical parts and electrical components! This overflow can lead to mechanical issues, like straining the pump motor, which is very costly to fix! So, if you’re low on detergent, you might want to skip the dish soap.
Pro Tip:
Always stick to detergent that are made for your washer! And if you have a high-efficiency washer, you’ll need detergent made for that type of washer.
2. Coffee or Tea for Darkening Clothes
You might have heard about using coffee or tea to revive the color of dark clothes. While this sounds like a nifty trick, it's a recipe for trouble in your washing machine. While coffee and tea contain strong pigments that can indeed temporarily darken fabrics, but they can also stain your washer machine. These stains are really tough to remove!
Moreover, the residue from coffee or tea can build up over time, potentially damaging the internal components of your machine! It can also dye your clothes inconsistently, fade over time, or cause mold growth in your machine!
3. The Aspirin Myth
Using aspirin to whiten clothes is one of those laundry hacks that sounds too good to be true – because it is. The myth goes that aspirin's acetylsalicylic acid can break down stains and brighten whites. However, the process requires an impractical amount of aspirin (talk about expensive), and the results are often lackluster.
Not to mention, aspirin doesn’t dissolve well in washing machine water, especially at lower temperature, which can lead to buildup in parts of your machine or clogs in the pipes and filters. Between the strain on your washer’s internal components and potentially clogged pipes, it’ll be a big job for appliance techs (like us!) to fix. Plus, the acid in aspiring could potentially weaken or damage certain fabric types, cause uneven whitening, or skin irritation.
Pro Tip:
Standard bleaches and other specially made detergents are more effective as a whitening agent!
4. Salt for Color Bleeding
An old laundry trick suggests adding salt to the wash to prevent color bleeding, especially for new clothes. The idea is that salt can help set the dye within the fabric. However, this method isn't as effective as many believe and can even cause issues with your washing machine.
Most modern dyes and washing machines are designed to minimize color bleeding, so adding salt is completely unnecessary. Plus, regularly using salt can lead to corrosion of the metal components, leave residue on clothes, reduce the effectiveness of the detergent, and cause water softening problems. Overall, it’s definitely not worth it!
5. Vinegar as a Disinfectant
Vinegar, particularly white vinegar, is often touted as a natural disinfectant for laundry, which is true to some extent. But vinegar isn’t as effective against certain types of bacteria and don’t meet the EPA’s standards for a disinfectant. And if used regularly in the machine, it can deteriorate rubber hoses and seals over time, which lead to leaks and other mechanical problems.
However, vinegar can be used in small dose for other purposes:
- Fabric Softener: use up to ½ cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle; to
- Remove Mildew Smells: add ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle (or the soak cycle); for
- Brightening Fabrics or Residue Removal: Add ½ cup of vinegar to the wash cycle.
Pro Tip:
Never mix vinegar and baking soda in the same wash! Their chemical reaction creates excessive foaming and adds pressure inside your machine and cancels out each other’s effectiveness!
6. Lemon Juice as a Detergent Booster
Another hack you no doubt heard is to use lemon juice as a natural detergent booster that gives your clothes a deeper clean and fresher scent. But it might not be as beneficial as the trend says. Lemon juice might help with light stains or odors but it’s not strong enough to boost the detergent’s effectiveness.
Plus, lemon juice can corrode the rubber seals and hoses on your washer, causing leaks and other costly repairs. But does that mean you should never use it? It depends. For pre-treating mild stains, it’s best to apply it directly to the stain before washing. And if you want the light fresh scent, try adding a few tablespoons to the rinse cycle (don’t forget to dilute it first!), but don’t use it too regularly!
Pro Tip:
For boosting detergent effectiveness, consider using baking soda or a commercially available laundry booster that's safe for both your clothes and your machine.
7. Aluminum Balls Instead of Dryer Sheets
Swapping out dryer sheets for aluminum balls has become a trendy tip for eco-friendly laundry. These balls are touted as a natural solution for reducing static and softening clothes, but they might not be as effective as the trend says! First and foremost, the aluminum balls don’t match up to dryer sheets when it comes to reducing static or softening fabrics — the results just aren’t as consistent!
But the second concern is that the aluminum can be harsh on fabrics, leading to snacks and wear and they can leave metallic residue that leaves marks all over your clothes and dryer. Not to mention, they make quite a racket!
Pro Tip:
If you’re keen on ditching dryer sheets, try wool dryer balls as a quieter, gentler alternative!
Laundry Hacks Debunked
As you can see, the world of laundry hacks is full of pitfalls that can do more harm than good. So, make sure to use the recommended detergents, bleachers, and any other laundry essentials and leave the hacks to cyberspace!
However, sometimes appliances need some TLC from time to time, including your laundry machines — and that’s where our service team at Dick Van Dyke Appliance World comes in. Whether you need troubleshooting or parts replaced, we have you covered; just give us a call or stop by to get started!