8 Things You Should Always Wash in a Mesh Laundry Bag
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I’m a big proponent of mesh laundry bags. I keep multiple in various sizes stored in my laundry room and seldom is a load done without a mesh bag tumbling around the washer drum. I use them to protect my clothes and make my life easier when doing laundry—and believe they’re a laundry essential. In fact, some items should always be washed in a mesh laundry bag. So, stock up on a few of these, and use them every time you put the below items through the wash. Once you start using them, you’ll wonder how you ever did laundry without them.
Be sure you’re using the right size bag for the items you’re washing and don’t overfill the bag. There should be room for water and detergent to circulate freely to clean the clothes. When the wash cycle is finished, most items should be removed from the mesh bag and hung or laid flat to air dry. Allow the mesh bag to air dry, too.
Bras
Bras are made from fabrics like lace, silk, and satin weaves that can get snags easily from zippers and rough fabrics like denim. While hand-washing is ideal, using the gentle cycle and placing the bras in a mesh bag is nearly as safe. Be sure to close all hooks and fasteners to prevent the bra from snagging the mesh bag!
Bonus: If you have an underwire that manages to escape a bra, it will be caught in the mesh bag rather than damaging the drum of the washer or getting caught in the drain pump.
Socks and Tights
A mesh bag does double duty when it comes to hosiery. Placing tights and silky socks in a mesh bag helps prevent snags and keeps them from tangling up in other laundry. It also keeps all types of socks together. I wash all of my socks in a mesh bag so I won’t have to suffer the lone sock mystery. While I hang tights and some socks to air-dry, cotton socks get tossed in the dryer still in the mesh bag.
Embellished Items
Whether the embellishment is sequins, beading, studs, or embroidery, you don’t want to ruin the look of a garment if the decorations fall off or get pulled out of shape. After you’ve pretreated any visible stains, turn the item inside out (most body soil is on the inside), and put in only one garment per mesh bag before using the gentle cycle.
Silk Items
Silk clothes have that luxurious sheen from long fibers floating over the surface. To prevent snags, always use a mesh laundry bag when washing silk pillowcases, garments, and scarves in a washer.
Activewear
Yoga pants, sports bras, swimwear, tank tops, and running shorts are made from high-performance materials that other clothes or rough spots in a washer drum can snag. A mesh bag also prevents stretching and protects elasticity if activewear gets tangled in the washer with other clothes.
Lingerie
Lingerie and other delicate, lightweight clothing can be damaged by other clothing especially if you don’t sort laundry and wash everything together. If you still have a washer with a center agitator, lingerie can get twisted and pulled around in the washer drum. Slip any lingerie or silky fabrics in a mesh laundry bag to protect them from snags, pulls, tears, or stretching.
Loosely Woven or Knitted Clothing
A knit shirt is strong enough to face the inside of a washing machine alone. But a loosely knit sweater should be placed in a mesh bag to prevent possible snags and pulls. The same applies to woven fabrics that have a loose weave or threads, unless you want your ripped jeans to rip even more.
Baby Clothes
Baby clothes, especially socks, are tiny and can get lost easily in a washer. Not only is that frustrating, but they can cause clogs in the drain lines and pump that can be costly to repair. Pretreat stains and sort the laundry by socks, bibs, and onesies for ease in folding and putting away the items.
If you have kids in the house, a mesh bag is also great for washing plastic building bricks, baby toys, and even washable stuffed animals in the washing machine.
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