Last week I washed a dress of my daughters that had a little fabric tie around the waist. I’m soooo upset that I forgot to put this dress in a mesh bag because, guess what. Yep, the tie shredded at the end, having gotten snagged on something else. Grrr.
I’ve been using mesh laundry bags since college. I don’t know who suggested them to me and only used to use them for lingerie. But now, with a household of laundry to do, I own many bags and at times there are many bags mixed in with the wash. I strongly recommend the ones with a zipper, not a tie/draw string. Or the tie may end up like my daughters dress tie or around the pant legs of a couple pairs of jeans.
Here are items a mesh bag is a MUST if you want to keep your items looking like new:
Delicate Fabrics. I use a mesh bag for tops and T-shirts that may nick or pull easily if they come into contact with buttons or zippers or anything else mixed in with the wash.
Lingerie. As mentioned, these items should always be placed in laundry bags when washing. It helps maintain their shape, straps don’t get stretched and hooks do not get caught on other items.
Bathing Suits. I don’t dry our bathing suits so heat doesn’t break down the elasticity. Placing our suits in a mesh bag makes it easy for me to separate them from the items I intend to throw into the dryer. Saves A LOT of aggravation and time.
Socks. My kids are 6 and 8 and in the summer their little ankle socks are a pain to keep track of. I load them into the mesh bag and throw the whole thing in the washer then the dryer. Not only when I pull all our items out of the dryer do I not have random socks flying everywhere, but I also easily find the match when I match and fold them last.
Sweaters. Yes, many sweaters say “Dry Clean Only” or “Hand Wash”. Mostly I will dry clean the items that need dry cleaned but I will be honest. I’ve NEVER hand washed a sweater. If I’m familiar with the brand and fabric of my sweater (usually thin cardigans or a drapey pull over), I will throw it in a bag and wash gently with other items before laying it flat to dry.
I’m a bit impatient so I’m tempted to load up the wash but when using the laundry bags, make sure they have plenty of room to slosh around in the washer AND that the bags aren’t too full. Otherwise, they won’t have the room to move around and get clean.
Have you used mesh laundry bags? What items do you throw in yours?
– S.O.
