Did you know your washing machine can take the hassle out of washing more than just your clothes?
But there are some tricks to getting unusual items clean — without damage.
Refresh doonas, blankets and pillows
Ash Iredale is a content producer for consumer advocacy group Choice and has thrown hundreds of items in the wash in the course of testing and researching products.
He says many people don't realise that doonas, blankets and pillows can be thrown in the wash and that it's a really good idea to clean them regularly to get rid of dust mites.
"Provided you have a big enough washing machine.
"It's [mostly] going to be a down or synthetic filling, so the setting you want to use is a fairly gentle, cool setting and that should work just fine.
"A lot of washing machines actually come with a doona setting or program now, which is specifically designed for that.
A regular detergent should be fine but if your doonas and blankets have a wash label that specifies what kind of detergent, then Ash says to follow those instructions.
When it comes to blankets and doonas that contain wool, use a woollen or handwash program with cold water.
"You may want to use a wool wash instead of a regular detergent to be super safe," Ash says.
The key to keeping your items soft and fluffy after a tumble in the machine is how you dry them.
"Lie your doona out flat and somewhere not in direct sun, so it can dry gently and not have weird shapes or lumps from hanging the wrong way," he says.
Laying them out on a large clothes horse or table is ideal.
The pillows we bury our faces in every night could probably also do with more attention.
"It's actually quite important that we wash our pillows more often than we do, again because of the whole issue with dust mites," he says.
Regular pillows can go in the wash like doonas, but for latex and memory foam it's not advisable and you're better off using a removable pillow protector that you can wash instead.
Clean beloved toys
Soft toys can easily go in the washing machine, as they are essentially just fabric and stuffing.
When it comes to plastic toys like Lego, if you can stand the noise of them clanking in the drum, then they could also go through the machine in a wash bag, but it's not your best option, especially with larger plastic toys.
"Where you might be better off with Lego is the dishwasher. We advise putting them in a bag in the dishwasher, and that will clean and sterilise them," Ash says.
A garment or netting bag is fine, it just needs to stop them flying around.
Just a note that Lego themselves don't recommend this method and Ash says you might find that "repeated washing strips the paint off (eyes on the figurines, for example)" so if you are going to try this, maybe don't overdo it.
Car set covers, pram covers and carriers
When it comes to kids' items like car seat covers, pram covers and carriers and all the other items likely to be covered in food or vomit at some point, it's definitely a good idea to throw them in the wash regularly.
Just don't wash car seat harnesses or straps in the washing machine. According to Choice, it could damage the fabric, meaning it might not work properly in the event of a collision. For these, follow manufacturer's instructions.
Outdoor gear can come indoors for cleaning
"I've done a lot of canyoning and caving and abseiling in my time and one of the things that is really important is to keep your ropes and your gear clean," Ash says.
"One of the best ways to clean rope is to chain it up, make it into a loose weave and then popping it into a top loading washing machine.
"Top loading is best because ropes can be quite heavy and they are going to clank around and make a horrible noise in your front loading washing machine.
"You want a lot of water when you are cleaning it, to sluice everything out, and top loaders use a lot more water than front loaders."
You can also throw things like backpacks in the wash, as well as outdoor items, but beware anything that has a buckle or sharp metal attachments, and clip them together, or put the whole thing in a wash bag if you have to.
"Things with buckles and sharp edges — best-case scenario they can make a horrible noise during the wash, but worst case they can actually do some damage to your washing machine on the drum or the seals," he says.
And always check pockets for loose coins and car keys. You're risking more than having to spend hundreds replacing that electronic key — you could also accidentally destroy the machine.
"What can also happen is those keys or coins can somehow make their way between the two drums and punch a hole in the outer drum of the washing machine, which pretty much writes it off.
"While the inner drum of your washing machine is pretty much guaranteed to be stainless steel, in a lot of them the outer drum is plastic, so it's not as robust as you might think."
Are you over-cleaning?
Choice's research has found that clothes typically get just as clean with a fraction of the recommended amount of detergent.
"About 1/4 to 1/3 of a scoop will work really well for your general laundry and your doonas and blankets, and our suspicion is that the detergent manufacturers recommend you use more than that to make you buy more," Ash says.
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