Washers and Dryers: 6 Laundry Tips on How to Care for Your Winter Clothes

Genier's Appliances
2019-01-18T13:30:00-05:00

Care for your winter sweaters by using the gentle cycle and cold water setting on your washers and dryers.

Okanagan residents know all about sweater weather. We are usually swathed in our winter woolies by the time the first snowflake falls. From merino wool long underwear to fleece outerwear, our laundry machines need to be able to handle both gentle and heavy winter clothing. Use these 6 laundry tips on how to best clean and care for your winter clothing, and learn which washers and dryers work the best to handle the load.

1. Use the cold water setting

As we tend to run most of our home appliances more in winter, it helps to find ways where we can save on electricity. One way to make sure your bill is a little less when the temperature dips is to wash your winter clothes in cold water.

According to GE appliances’ 6 Reasons to Cold-Water Wash — And 3 Not To, cold water is not only safe for most types of clothing, it also helps prevent clothes from shrinking or fading and also helps reduce wrinkles.

2. Read the care label

When it comes to washing your winter coat, it’s important to first find out if the outer fabric is washable. Read the care label inside the coat to see what it recommends. If washing a down-filled jacket, it’s important to use a gentle cleaner such as Grangers or Nikwax. It’s also important to use a front load washer on a gentle cycle. Use a second rinse cycle if possible. Place your washed jacket in your dryer on low heat with a washing ball or some tennis balls to prevent it from bunching up and make sure it’s completely dry before you use it.

3. Look for washers with a deep water wash cycle

Avoid the frustration of trying to fit all those bulky clothes into your washing machine. Clean your winter clothes all in one load with Maytag appliances’ Large Capacity Washer with Deep Water Wash Cycle. This cool, mean cleaning machine has a 3.6 cu. ft. capacity, which is said to have enough space to clean 18 towels at once. The washer also has 11 cycles, including Powerwash™, which offers a deeper clean and is built to attack tough stains.

4. Don’t be scared to machine wash your woolies

Many of us worry about washing our hand-knit sweaters and those darned wool socks in the washer however, many machines offer a hand-wash or wool cycle that is designed to mimic the gentle action of hand washing and has a slower spin cycle. Amana appliances’ Top-Load Washer with Handwash Cycle has the added feature of a porcelain wash basket, which prevents your clothes from snagging.

5. Avoid fabric softeners

While there are special detergents for cleaning delicates such as wool, it’s recommended that you don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets on certain fabrics. That’s because most fabric softeners add a water-repellent coating to the fibers in clothing, which can prevent them from wicking away moisture. Avoid using fabric softeners with:

Fleece

Nylon

Polyester

Acrylic

Rayon

Wool

Bamboo

6. Proper maintenance is key

Wet clothes in winter can be a nightmare. If your clothes are still coming out soggy after spending significant time in the dryer, it may be time to get your machine serviced. Not only does Genier’s offer the best brands in new appliances, we can also give you tips and refer you to repair specialists that can get just about any appliance working again.

Look to Genier’s for big savings with our promotions and manufacturer special offers. You can save up to 20 percent on select Maytag appliances and up to $500 on select Whirlpool appliances. Visit our Vernon store for details.