WASHING clothes is something we all have to do, but how many of us are doing it correctly?
Nearly half (46 per cent) of Brits often make mistakes because they have trouble understanding the care labels on their clothes.
While a third don't know what is supposed to go in each section of the washing machine drawers, and a quarter are perplexed by which temperature setting to use for their load, according to a study by Dr. Beckmann.
In fact, a whopping £6.8billion is being wasted each year by shrinking and damaging clothes – simply because we can’t understand laundry care symbols.
The average annual bill comes to £128.99 of ruined outfits, whilst cleaning service Oxwash claims the worst-hit items are jeans, with 53 million pairs are shrunk every 12 months.
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And it seems that some Brits are only just realising what some of the washing symbols mean that are printed on labels on their clothes.
There are up to five key symbols printed on a label of every piece of clothing, but some are surprising to some Brits.
However, these are important signs to take note of as they could be harming clothes and even causing them to shrink.
Some may be quite obvious, but others can take a little more investigation to work out the true meaning.
And many people would not be able to tell what the triangle means, as it can also come in four different forms.
These include an empty triangle, a triangle with a cross through it, a triangle with CL inside and a cross through, and a triangle with two diagonal lines through it.
All of these symbols are to do with bleach.
Having an empty triangle means you can bleach the item.
But a triangle with a cross through it will mean that the item must not be bleached.
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A triangle with two diagonal lines inside of a triangle with CL inside and a cross through both mean that you should use non-chlorine bleach.
Salah Sun, Head of Product Marketing at Beko Plc UK & Ireland at Beko says: “Throwing a pile of laundry in your washing machine isn’t uncommon; we’ve all done a quick drum dash without looking to see what we’re putting inside – but this can damage your clothes.
“Everything you need to know about your clothes is on their labels.
“Knowing your symbols and clothing inside out can help you avoid laundry mishaps and keep your favourite clothes lasting longer.”
