You’re A Total Laundry Pro If You’ve Never Committed These 9 Basic Mistakes

Okay, you probably know you need to separate the dark-coloured clothes from the light ones, and the delicates in a separate mesh bag. But here's something most people overlook: Sorting by fabric! Washing towels with anything synthetic, for example, will result in pilled clothes like this:

Not cool. Also, avoid washing stretchable items in the same load as any fleece-lined clothing if you don't want lint to be permanently embedded in your workout gear.

Dark clothes, like jeans for example, lose their rich colour much quicker when washed too often. If there are no visible stains and you just wanna get rid of those pesky bacteria, here's what you do: Tuck them into a Ziploc bag and stick them in the freezer for a bit.

If washing is inevitable, make sure to turn them inside out and wash in a cold water cycle only. Whatever you do, never, ever, EVER stick them in the dryer; always air-dry.

And that's how you get your dark clothes to stay that way ;)

There are 3 main reasons why this is a complete no-no:
- Your clothes won't be as clean as they should be.
- Creases EVERYWHERE.
- Stray clothes that end up outside the tub during the cycle will be damaged and may cause the machine to be too.

A smaller load allows for the soap to distribute more evenly, making it much easier for the machine to clean off dirt from all the clothes.

If you have way too much load than a standard machine can handle, look out for machines that can accommodate your laundry load. Hitachi's large capacity range can hold up to 24kg, and are big enough to wash 120 shirts at one go!

Ironically enough, swimsuits weren't made to be washed in washing machines. Not even if you put them in a mesh bag and turn on the cold water cycle. Just, no. Washing them in the machine will damage the fabric, and we're pretty sure you wouldn't want this to happen to you the next time you take a dip in the pool:

Here's what to do instead: Rinse your suit with cold water after you get out of the pool. If there's a lingering chlorine scent, add some mild soap and then rinse. To dry it, lay it on a clean towel, roll it up and squeeze. Leave it flat to dry. Never dump it in the dryer.

Do you dump in a lot of soap in the hopes that it'll make your clothes cleaner? As it turns out, it doesn't quite work that way. Putting in too much detergent results causes excess suds, and you'll end up with trapped dirt that just won't get clean. To avoid that, look out for the recommended amount on the detergent packaging before starting a load.

For added measure to get clothes as clean as possible, check out Hitachi's Ultra Stream Wash feature that circulates twice as much water for a more powerful, even wash. The Powered Inverter ensures you use up less energy and water too!

Softeners generally leave a coating on wet clothes, and this layer reduces a towel's absorbency when it's wet (which kinda defeats the whole purpose of towels...). Skip the softener when you're washing towels, guys!

You can't bleach stretchy clothes, so if you're using bleach on your white socks, underwear, tights, jeggings or swimwear, STAHP. Firstly, bleach eats elastic. Secondly, bleaching anything with spandex will turn it yellowish, which is kinda the opposite effect of what you're looking for.

The cold setting is a crowd favourite because it's the safe choice: it doesn't shrink your clothes or make colours run. However, it's not exactly the best way to get dirt and odours out. Pay attention to the clothes label and select the right temperature to suit the particular load. Warmer waters = cleaner clothes!

Hey, just because it washes clothes doesn't mean it doesn't need some washing of its own as well! Washing machines generally tend to build up quite the collection of leftover detergent, softener, dirt, and dead skin cells so at least once a year, run an empty hot cycle with vinegar and baking soda. Give it a little scrub too!

Alternatively, you could opt for machines that are equipped to clean itself, like Hitachi's Auto Self Clean feature. The machine automatically cleans itself during every wash, so that you don't have to ;)

Hitachi's range of washers come equipped with all that you need for the perfect clean! Besides the nifty features mentioned above, these eco-friendly machines provide up to 32% savings on electricity and 22% on water. Browse through the complete collection here!