It doesn’t matter if your washing machine is front-loading or top-loading, if it is also a dryer or if you have the latest model: there are mistakes that are frequent and that you are probably making too.

In this article, we list the 10 most frequent mistakes we make when doing laundry.

These mistakes can give us terrible results: laundry that is less clean than expected, smelly, creased or even ruined forever. In addition to listing mistakes, we also suggest tricks to prevent and avoid them.

1. Don’t split your laundry

It can happen, due to lack of time or ignorance, to put a collection of different fabrics in the washing machine. A widespread practice that ruins and ages our favorite clothes. Lint and fabric balls are just the very first and most obvious signs that you’re not splitting up the laundry.

In addition to dividing your laundry according to fabrics and colors, also remember to read the labels and follow the instructions to the letter.

2. Don’t treat stains before washing clothes

It can happen to stain the laundry with products that are difficult to remove. A clear example is grease stains. This type of stain should be pre-treated before washing the laundry in the washing machine.

Among the most difficult stains to remove are sweat stains, which form on white laundry and become practically permanent. To remove these stains, pre-treat them with baking soda and vinegar.

3. Overloading the washing machine

It happens more often than you can imagine. On the one hand, it is believed that the more you fill the washing machine, the more water and electricity you save. Washing machines are classified according to the maximum weight they can bear for each wash cycle. Read the instructions and follow them.

4. Putting the wrong amount of detergent

You may have found residues of detergent among your clothes after doing your laundry: a sign that you have used too much. Do not overdo it with the amount of detergent: putting too much can even have the opposite effect.