How to make clothes last longer by washing them right

Wear starts in the machine

Pilling, faded color and fabric that thins out too soon have a lot to do with how clothes are washed and dried. Hot water, long cycles, friction and high dryer heat all speed up the breakdown of fibers.

Read also: How to get rid of washing machine odor for good and How to store food to last longer in the pantry.

What the study measured

Researchers published a study in PLOS ONE using real loads of dirty laundry from consumers. Switching from a long, hot cycle to a quick, cold one reduced the microfibers shed by the fabrics, a sign of less wear, and also reduced color fading, with no major loss of cleaning on everyday loads.

Source: Lant et al., Microfiber release from real soiled consumer laundry, PLOS ONE, 2020.

What to do in practice

• Use cold water and short cycles for lightly soiled clothes.
• Do not overload the washer: packed clothes rub against each other more.
• Turn dark and printed items inside out.
• Use a cold-water or HE detergent if you have a high-efficiency machine.
• Save long, hot cycles for towels, bedding and heavily soiled items.

The dryer is where a lot of the damage happens

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends not over-drying your clothes and using the dryer's moisture sensor when it has one, which shuts the machine off once clothes are dry. Over-drying wastes energy and adds wear and tear. Drying heavy towels separately from light shirts helps, since the light items are ready sooner.

That lint in the dryer filter is fiber coming off your clothes. Cleaning the lint screen after every load improves air flow and, according to the agency, helps prevent fires. The same guide notes that switching from hot to warm water can cut a load's energy use in half, and hanging clothes on a rack or line skips the dryer entirely.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver: Laundry.

Less detergent, not more

Extra detergent does not make clothes cleaner. It can stay trapped in the fibers, leave fabric stiff and build up inside the machine. Follow the dose on the label for the load size and soil level.

Read the care label too: it tells you the maximum temperature, whether the item can go in the dryer and whether it needs hand washing. Following it is the easiest way to avoid shrinking and stretching. See also how to get rid of washing machine odor.