Five Laundry Habits That Keep Clothes Looking New for Longer

Simply stuffing laundry into the machine risks more than a few creases. Fibres can suffer, colours fade sooner and buttons may come loose. The good news is that five straightforward habits before starting the machine can keep clothes looking smarter, help them hold their shape for longer and prevent them feeling so “washed out”. These tricks take hardly any time, yet can substantially extend the life of your wardrobe.

Turn laundry inside out: an invisible shield against abrasion

The first step happens before a single drop of water enters the machine: turn garments inside out. Everything continually rubs against everything else inside the drum. When the outer surface of fabrics scrapes directly against the drum and other items, visible signs of wear appear more quickly.

Turning T-shirts, blouses and jumpers inside out moves this strain to the interior. The smooth outer side has less contact with hard edges, buttons and zips on other garments. As a result, surfaces stay more even, bobbling develops more slowly and the fabric retains a “fresh” appearance for longer.

The few seconds it takes to turn a shirt inside out saves money in the long run – because fewer items need replacing.

This makes a particular difference for delicate textiles:

• prints and graphics on T-shirts
• embroidery and sequins
• fine blouse fabrics, viscose and silk blends
• knitwear that is prone to pilling

These features often make an item a favourite – but they are also especially vulnerable to direct contact with the drum. Consistently turning them inwards reduces rubbing, tears and faded designs.

Fasten buttons: keep the shape instead of stretching it out

The second habit may seem minor, but it has a major effect: fasten buttons. Unbuttoned shirts, blouses and cardigans are more likely to tangle, catch on other garments and come under tension. This can distort collars, button plackets and hems – until everything eventually hangs unevenly.

Buttoning up helps the garment keep its structure. It stays more compact and is less likely to spin wildly around the drum. This reduces the risk of:

• overstretched buttonholes
• stretched chest areas
• split seams around the placket
• torn-off buttons

The same principle applies to bedding with button fastenings. Closing the covers prevents smaller items, such as socks or underwear, from collecting inside and forming a heavy “bundle” that is not cleaned properly.

Close zips: avoid metal traps during the spin cycle

Zips are at least as important as buttons. An open zip acts like a small pair of pincers in the washing machine. Its hard teeth can catch delicate fabrics, pull threads and leave noticeable scratches.

Pulling every zip fully closed removes much of this risk. Jackets, trousers and skirts move more smoothly through the water without “biting” other items. Coarse metal zips on jeans or outdoor jackets are particularly risky, as they can act like files against fine blouses or T-shirts.

Open zips are one of the overlooked reasons behind mysterious holes in a favourite T-shirt.

One extra tip is to zip up hoodies or jackets and then turn them inside out. This protects both the fabric and the zip itself, as the zip is less likely to strike the drum directly.

Empty pockets: small items, major damage

The third routine sounds obvious, yet it can save both laundry and the machine: empty every pocket completely. Tissues, chewing gum, parking tickets, coins and screws are all easily forgotten in day-to-day life, but they can cause considerable problems in the drum.

Paper tissues break down into thousands of tiny fragments that cling to every fibre. The result is a greyish coating across the whole load, along with the extra work of removing the debris. Adhesives from chewing gum or stickers can bond with heat and create stains that are extremely difficult to remove.

Hard objects such as keys, coins and screws are even more troublesome. As well as striking the delicate drum walls, they can:

• bend zips
• damage the glass door of front-loading machines
• block the filter and pump
• lead to costly repairs

Getting into the habit of quickly checking every pair of trousers and every jacket greatly lowers this risk. Many households keep a designated spot beside the machine – a small dish for pocket finds is enough.

Jeans and dark colours: protect colour and retain their finish

Jeans are considered hard-wearing, but they can quickly lose their appearance when washed incorrectly. Common issues include pale friction marks on the thighs, knees and seat, along with an overall duller shade after several washes.

Here too, turning them inside out helps. The inside of the denim takes most of the friction, while the exterior remains less disturbed. This means fewer pale streaks and rings appear. The benefit is particularly noticeable with black and dark blue jeans.

It also lowers the likelihood of dye transferring onto other garments. Colour pigments released during washing are more likely to remain in the water around the inside of the jeans rather than directly reaching lighter laundry. New jeans should initially be washed separately or only with similarly dark items.

Jeans washed inside out from the start often still look wearable after years – rather than looking old after months.

The same habit applies to richly coloured T-shirts, sportswear and dark towels: turn them inside out, choose a detergent suitable for coloured laundry and use the lowest possible temperatures.

The hand rule in the drum: fewer creases, better cleaning

How full the machine is has a decisive impact on the condition of your laundry. For convenience, many people fill the machine right to the top. Fabrics then have very little room to move, water circulates less effectively, and everything emerges heavily creased and sometimes insufficiently clean.

The so-called hand rule offers simple guidance: once the drum is loaded, a flat hand should still fit easily between the laundry and the drum wall. If there is barely any space, the load is too large.

Leaving enough room in the drum has several advantages:

• detergent is distributed more evenly
• dirt is released from fibres more effectively
• spinning is more balanced, without harsh creases
• seams and fibres are placed under less tension

Anyone who irons regularly will notice the difference immediately: a moderately filled drum produces far fewer deep creases, especially in shirts, blouses and bedding. Many items can even be worn straight after drying without an iron if they are shaken out well and hung up smoothly.

Five routines, one major difference in everyday laundry

Together, these five steps – turning items inside out, fastening buttons, closing zips, emptying pockets and following the hand rule – form a kind of safety check before starting the washing machine. Once they become routine, they automatically protect your wardrobe with every wash.

A practical approach is to spread the individual actions across the laundry-sorting process: check pockets while collecting clothes, turn items inside out while sorting by colour, fasten buttons and zips straight away, and watch the load size when filling the drum. This avoids creating extra pressure in everyday life.

When laundry bags are worthwhile

Alongside these five habits, laundry bags offer additional protection for particularly delicate items. Underwear, lace bras, tights and thin tops should ideally go into a bag. This softens friction and stops straps or underwires from tangling or catching on the edges of the drum.

Garments with lots of metal detailing or decorative stones also benefit from a bag. At the same time, this protects the other items in the machine, which might otherwise rub against these hard elements.

Why gentler laundry care saves real money

Treating laundry carefully does not merely extend the life of your clothes. The machine itself runs more smoothly, filters clog less quickly and repairs become less likely. Fewer ruined favourite items also mean fewer replacement purchases.

At a time of rising prices and greater awareness of sustainability, it is worth paying attention to your own laundry routine. Small actions before pressing “Start” determine whether T-shirts, shirts and jeans look tired after only a few months – or continue to serve reliably for many years.