1. Fasten

One of the tips for washing your clothes that you should follow is to fasten garments before laundering. This should prevent zips and buttons from getting caught in other garments and damaging them. It's also helpful to turn garments inside out before washing, as this will help avoid fading. Also do any repairs, such as fixing loose buttons or holes in seams, before you wash the items and make them worse.

2. Correct Temp

You should also choose the correct temperature to launder your garments. Pick the lowest possible temperature, as washing on a setting that's too high can damage clothing. Look at the care labels first. Some experts advise washing on a cold water setting unless clothing is very dirty - a cold wash wouldn't be suitable for sports gear, for example!

3. Laundry Bag

Mesh bags for delicate laundry are inexpensive and will extend the life of your clothing. Use one for pantyhose, underwear and any items made of delicate fabrics that don't need to be hand-washed. This is also a great way to ensure that socks stay paired and don't disappear into the washing machine void!

4. Hand Wash

You might be able to get away with washing some items labelled 'hand wash.' Use your common sense; manufacturers sometime label items as 'hand wash only' as a precaution. Silk, pure wool sweaters, and expensive lingerie should be hand-washed. It's often recommended that underwire bras should always be washed by hand, as the wires may come loose if machine washed.

5. Don't Launder Too Frequently

Obviously you don't want to wear a garment for days on end. But before you toss an item into the laundry basket after a brief wear, think if you can wear it again before laundering. Frequent washing is bad for clothes and naturally will make them wear out more quickly.

6. Treat Stains Straight Away

If you spill something on your clothes, treat the stain straight away. If you're not at home, dab the item with a damp cloth to try to remove as much as possible. If you get blood on a garment, soak it in cold water as soon as possible. Soaking in warm or hot water or washing the garment without soaking will make the blood impossible to remove.

7. Dryer

Do you really need to dry your laundry in a dryer? Wherever possible, dry it outside on a line. A dryer will make your clothes wear out faster as the movement of the machine causes friction. Drying your clothes naturally will also save you money and is better for the environment!

You might think that laundry is simply a question of throwing everything into the machine, but paying attention to these issues will extend the life of your clothes. This will not only save you money, but avoid the need to throw away so many clothes (a great deal of material ends up rotting in landfill). Have you ever had any laundry disasters?