Your washing machine is a work horse and yet it’s one of the most commonly overlooked appliances when it comes to maintenance. Here at Armadillo, we see washer-related issues far more often than most homeowners expect and many of them caused by everyday laundry habits. The good news?
A few simple changes can help keep your clothes cleaner, eliminate odors, and extend the life of your washing machine. Here are four laundry tips we swear by.
1. White Vinegar: Nature’s Fabric Softener, Use ½ cup per load If you’re still relying on traditional fabric softener, your washer may be paying the price. Commercial softeners often leave behind a waxy residue that builds up inside the machine, hoses, and drum over time. White distilled vinegar is a simple, effective alternative:
How to use it: Add ½ cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser of your machine before or during the rinse cycle. Don’t worry, your clothes won’t smell like vinegar once dry.
💡 Less residue means fewer clogs, odors, and mechanical strain on your washer.
2. Use LESS Detergent (Yes, Really), Try half of what the label recommends More detergent does not mean cleaner clothes, especially if you have a high-efficiency (HE) washing machine. Using too much detergent can:
Most modern detergents are highly concentrated. For HE machines, using about half the recommended amount is often more than enough.
💡 Over-sudsing forces your washer to work harder, increasing wear on pumps, seals, and sensors, shortening its lifespan.
3. Funky Smells? Deodorize with Baking Soda, Add 2 tablespoons per wash
If your laundry smells less than fresh or your washer has that lingering “musty” odor, baking soda can help. Baking soda:
How to use it: Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda directly into the drum with your clothes. This is especially helpful for towels, activewear, kids’ clothes but also for front-load washers prone to odor buildup
💡 Cleaner clothes + a fresher washer = fewer long-term maintenance issues.
4. Cold or Warm Water Is Better (Most of the Time) Hot water used to be the go-to for laundry, but modern detergents are designed to clean effectively in cold or warm water. Using cooler temperatures:
When to use hot water: Reserve it for heavily soiled items, sick-day laundry, or sanitizing needs…not everyday loads.
💡For most households, cold water for regular clothes and warm water for towels or bedding is the sweet spot.
Why All This Matters for Your Washing Machine? Many washer breakdowns we see are tied to:
And these small laundry changes help your washer run more efficiently, smell cleaner, experience less wear and tear, and last longer.
Happy New Year! 🎉 As the holiday decorations have come down and routines settle back in, winter is still very much here and your HVAC system is ...
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