Laundry Bag Mistakes You Might Be Making & How to Fix Them

Laundry bags, in all their shapes, sizes and types are rapidly spreading across Indian households. Their use is spreading in India because of several reasons. While these are facts, the unfortunate truth remains that some persons don’t really know how to use a laundry bag or even commit inadvertent mistakes that could lead up damaging this important household item.

In this article, we will study common and not-so-common laundry bag mistakes you might be committing unknowingly and ways and means to fix them. To do so, its important to first understand the types of laundry bags that’re commonly available in India from online sources.

Common Laundry Bags in India

The term ‘laundry bag’ is very vaguely used in India. Laundry bag in India generally covers all household items that’re custom made to hold clothing due for laundry or washing. The rise in usage of washing machines due to easy affordability and smaller living spaces at Indian homes has led to a surge in number of families and individuals using laundry bags.

Basically, a laundry bag can imply:

Bandbox: These were the first type of laundry bags ever used. These were used at palaces and homes of aristocracy and wealthy to store discarded or old clothing as well as those due for laundry. Tailors used them to store collars, sleeves and other material for coats, shirts, jackets and female wear.

Laundry Bag: The rise of laundromats in early 1900s across the US led to the inventio of the authentic product. Since bandboxes were hard to carry and made of thick cardboard or wood hence unfit for laundromats, the laundry bag evolved. These are literally bags of lightweight fabric with two or more handles on each side for easy carriage.

Laundry Hamper: Unlike the laundry bag or bandbox, a laundry hamper comes with compartments. These compartments enable you to sort laundry before wash. These are hard structures made of plastic or even cloth but having a frame for structure. The compartments are usually divided by a cloth or plastic flap to separate laundry.

Laundry Basket: A laundry basket differs from conventional laundry bag in many ways. A laundry basket is portable but usually has a smaller capacity.  These were made for easy portability- during travel when laundry becomes impractical for any reason. Laundry baskets also have handles but the frame is collapsible. They have handles for easier carriage.

Laundry Box: The laundry box is our modern-day version of the nearly extinct bandbox of ancient times. Modern laundry boxes can either be made of plastic and are sturdy in their own right. Alternatively, they’re made of durable fabric and often foldable to ensure they can be stored away without occupying much space. They can also be expanded or collapsed according to needs and built for heavier loads.

Laundry Kitty: Though not available in India, a laundry kitty is common in the west. These are small like pouches and usually meant to stash away used lingerie and innerwear instead of allowing it to mix with other clothing. These are used while traveling when washing innerwear may not be practical due to cold weather or lack of necessary facilities.

Having said that, the term ‘laundry bag’ in India implies laundry bags in their truest essence, laundry hampers, laundry baskets and laundry boxes. Hence, when I write about laundry bags in India, I mean all these four. Therefore, if you have a real laundry bag, laundry basket, laundry hamper or laundry box, this article is relevant for you.

Common Mistakes in Using Laundry Bags

Obviously, laundry bags don’t come free unless you’re planning on assembling one at home using discarded sheets or clothing or receive one as a gift. Mostly, you would have bought a laundry bag by spending money. Yet, our laundry bags get damaged due to reasons- most of which are within control.

Let’s walk through some such common blunders in India and how to fix these.

Overstuffing

Overstuffing is the commonest mistake everyone using any of the four types of laundry bag can commit. Here’s why: a laundry bag, regardless of its type, has a limited capacity, which is measured in liters. You might not know the capacity for some reason of choose to ignore it for convenience.

However, when any type of laundry bag, laundry hamper, laundry box or laundry basket is stuffed over capacity, it loses shape and damage begins. Such damage occurs in form of seams coming apart and handles coming off when you might attempt lifting. These seams split further apart in just a few days when you begin refilling the laundry bag. As a result, the bag tears, the frame snaps or zippers lose integrity and your laundry bag becomes useless.

Tip: Know the capacity and always stuff your laundry bag below capacity.

Rummaging

Another very common blunder- rummaging. In simplest words it means we search a laundry bag- regardless of its type- to retrieve some clothing either to separate laundry or find an object such as purse or wallet, ATM card or even jewelry.

In most cases, such rummaging is vigorous and reckless, with scant respect to materials that make the laundry bag. This leads to seams coming apart due to pressure, frames bending or even snapping while zippers get compromised.

Rummaging causes more damage than we might even guess. Fingernails can rip the fabric. Vigorous hand movements inside the bag can bend or snap the metal or plastic frame, causing it too collapse. Opening the laundry bag in hurry leads to destruction of the zipper which we seldom get fixed again, exposing unwashed clothing and its odors. It gives an overall shabby look to the household.

Tip: Always take out clothing gently and one piece at a time instead of vigorous rummaging.

Unfolded Clothing

Sounds familiar? Nobody cares to fold used clothing before laundry. The common tendency is to dump clothing on furniture such as beds and chairs or hang on walls where hooks are available.

This sacrosanct tradition extends to laundry bags of all kinds, as well. We simply dump unwashed clothes- be it a dainty panties and bra or an entire sofa cover, recklessly into a laundry bag. By doing so, we’re not maintaining integrity of the laundry bag’s shape. Being made of fabric, the laundry bag will develop ugly bulges and dents across its surface. The common tendency here is to dump clothing instead of placing carefully after folding.

This damages a laundry bag for many reasons. The uneven bulges and dents cause seams to come apart. Bulges are more prone to attracting atmospheric dust. The fabric also stands compromised since it’s forced to stretch, unless it’s an elastic blend. By merely dumping unfolded clothes, you can cause an imbalance in the laundry bag and its frame could snap, if it has one. And you would surely have damaged the zipper while trying to find space to stuff more and find its lid isn’t closing.

Tip: Always fold all clothing or laundry items before placing them in your laundry bag.

Bathrooms & Washing Machines

Most households and individuals actually carry a laundry bag to the bathroom- for manual wash or machine wash, or place them very close to washing machines for laundry. That’s what seems normal because after all, laundry bags are supposed to make life easier and laundry, convenient. We simply carry them to the location, often handling them rough and sometimes causing handles to come apart or frames to damage.

True, but when you place a laundry bag of any type near or even inside a bathroom or in some cases kitchen or other location to wash, you’re exposing them to several elements. These elements include bleach, powerful detergents, stain removers, waters, disinfectants and often, a heady cocktail of these. The result or damage can be expected: stains due to water, discoloration caused by bleach and stain removers and, acrid odor of disinfectants.

Tip: Place the laundry bag away from bathroom or washing machine when laundering.

Harsh Sunlight

Countless families expose their laundry bags of all types to harsh sunlight. They place a laundry bag or laundry hamper, laundry basket or laundry box near window or in balconies or sometimes of the roof of the dwelling.

This occurs due to the myth that strong sunlight can eliminate microbes and help the stored unwashed clothing lose moisture and dry before going into a washer or bucket. That such placing can prevent odors from seeping into living space or at least, minimize the intensity

Placing your laundry bag in harsh sunlight doesn’t help unwashed clothing in any way, except maybe superficial drying- which is unhealthy in the first place. Harsh sunlight has strong Ultraviolet-A, Ultraviolet-B and Infrared rays, notorious for harmful effects on human skin and delicate fabrics. These rays omnipresent in harsh sunlight cause your laundry bag fabric to fade. Over some time, fabric fatigue creeps in, causing tears in the laundry bag.

Tip: Never expose your laundry bag to direct sunlight.

Dumping Moist Clothes

Clothes moistened by sweat or body fluids, water of any other liquid will surely damage your precious laundry bag, regardless of its type or make. In some cases, people outright dump wet clothes in a laundry bag to prevent embarrassment or merely to prevent leaks around the house.

This horrendous practice severely damages your laundry bag and often, beyond repairs. We dump partly or fully wet clothing with good intentions such as preventing odors and maintaining hygiene.

This mistake occurs because often, laundry bags are marketed by terming their fabric as waterproof or water-resistant. Moisture laden clothes or wet clothing and other objects will damage any fabric and eventually, the laundry bag. Vapor will corrode any metallic frames and liquids of any type will seep and stain the fabric.

Unfortunately, such damage is usually invisible to common eyes and you wouldn’t notice anything till your laundry bag falls apart due to stains or other damage, especially when it’s too late.

Tip: Always dry clothing, even if they’re sweaty before placing in a laundry bag.

Sharp Objects in Clothing

All good quality laundry bags are made of durable material. That means, they can absorb easily, reasonable wear and tear as well as rough use over a period of time. However, all laundry bags aren’t indestructible or above destruction.

One of the commonest mistakes in using laundry bags comes from the most unexpected source: sharp objects. Understandably, you’re not placing knives, daggers, swords, scissors, blades or scalpels in a laundry bag or any of its variants. So where do sharp objects enter the laundry bag?

Underwire bras or those with hooks, cloth belts with metal buckles, studs and rivets on denims or jeans, decorative metal or glass or plastic spikes on clothing, metal zippers and labels, sharp plastic tags and labels as well as Velcro straps all can be considered as sharp objects.

And fabric used for laundry bags can be severely damaged if you’re not careful while placing clothing with such sharp objects. Worse, sometimes we forget hairclips, hairbands or even jewelry in clothing and drop them in laundry bags.

Tip: Assess beforehand whether clothing or accessories with sharp edges can damage your laundry bag.

Dragging the Laundry Bag

Yes, this is also a common laundry bag mistake. People, especially children drag it around the house playfully or to help parents when they’re washing clothes.  Laundry bags aren’t toys.  They’re a household item created for a specific purpose and with proper, suitable material, often using superior craftsmanship. Dragging one on floors, even smooth tiled ones, can cause the bottom of your laundry bag to wear and tear, rendering it useless within a few weeks.

Another damage caused by playful toddlers is the handles. Dragging heavily loaded laundry bags for any reason- including by adults- causes its bottom fabric and metal or plastic frame to get irreparably damaged. The materials used are durable and can take some level of dragging. But frequent such dragging will invariably weaken it and destroy the laundry bag. Never keep bags near toddlers and never allow it use as a plaything.

Tip: Never allow toddlers or adults to drag your laundry bag, even if it’s lightly filled.

Leaky Dyes and Colors

People nowadays love Khadi and handmade fabrics. Bedsheets and tablecloth as well as personal clothing that’s handmade or crafted according to tradition, generally bears dyes and colors that’re prone to leaks.

Handmade fabrics are usually not dyed on machines. Certain natural fibers such as jute, pineapple strands and cotton among others show high propensity of leaking dyes and colors. These leaky dyes could spread and taint other clothes too 

Storing clothes or furnishings or any fabric handmade using traditional dyes and colors will usually leak, even while dry or with the first contact with moisture such as humid air. These dyes and colors leak on the fabric of your laundry bag and can cause indelible stains. Unless your laundry bag can be washed to eliminate stains, it will remain looking worn and ugly. Therefore, be very cautious when storing color leaky fabrics.

Tip: Use laundry bags with PVC or plastic lining since these don’t absorb color.

Sand, Mud, Fertilizers

We love outdoors and picnics and maybe you own a garden too. Or, its likely that you visit gardens or parks for sports or play something at a club or have golf club membership. Sometimes, we love a day at the beach, if one’s available nearby.

Fair enough but such outdoor activities cause sand, mud and fertilizers to stick to our clothes. Regardless how much you dust, some of these elements will cling to clothing and find their way to the deepest corners and folds of your laundry bag.

These aren’t going anywhere from your laundry bag, if you place soiled clothes. On the contrary, they will get concealed in folds of the laundry bag and taint other clothes even when you’ve taken out those soiled.

Washing clothes soiled with sand, mud and fertilizers doesn’t automatically mean your laundry bag is also clean. Far from that. Such fine grains of sand, mud and fertilizer will stick to other clothes and continue doing so unless it’s manually cleared and the bag dusted from inside.

Tip: Never place mud, sand and fertilizer tainted clothes in laundry bag.

Overall Neglect

Almost everyone washes clothing stored in laundry bags but never the container- the laundry bag- itself. This is a glaring blunder. All laundry bags that have fabric in their structure, can be washed, unless specified by the manufacturer. 

And even where washing a laundry bag isn’t possible, you can always dust it and vacuum it from inside. Wiping innards of a laundry bag with wet cloth and letting it to dry helps eliminate accumulated dirt and dust and counter fungus and bacteria that may have bred within the structure.

Some laundry bags are easily washable since they’re made of materials such as polyester or polycot blend. Others have removable frames that can be installed with the fabric covering quickly. In such cases, it’s advisable to wash the laundry bag or its fabric. However, adhere strictly to wash and care instructions that come with the laundry bag and is usually titled ‘User Manual’ or in similar terms. Proper washing and care could ensure your laundry bag lasts long while providing best value for money.

Tip: Buy laundry bags or laundry baskets etc., that’re simple and easy to maintain.

Urgent Repairs

In India we see one common pattern: people don’t repair a laundry bag once it’s damaged or shows the first signs of wear and tear. These could be visible in the form of seams come apart, slight tears or scratches, bent or broken frames, sagging structure or even stains and patching. Not repairing a laundry bag is a common mistake that could have longer effects including damage to clothes or loss of the laundry bag in toto.

Often, repairs are simple and only simple stitching at home would suffice- the same way you restitch your favorite dress or shirt if it tears. A broken frame can be replaced or even be fortified, if possible, to provide the upright structure. Bent frames ca be straightened out by professionals. You can also replace or patch torn fabric structures to ensure longevity of your laundry bag.

Tip: Check for laundry bags that come from reputed companies and sometimes offer warranties.

In Conclusion

A laundry bag- regardless whether it’s a laundry basket, laundry hamper or a laundry box, is a household item that plays a vital role in our life. It helps preserve our clothes against external damages. A laundry hamper or laundry box is also a superb way to sort your clothes by assigning specific ones for each category such as office wear and home wear. As humans, it’s natural that we would make mistakes. However, also has humans, we can fix them easily.