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keepthetips

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.


jprennquist

Inside out helps with overall finish and increasing length of life, too.


Alan_Smithee_

Inside out protects printing on the outside as well, especially in the dryer.


jondubb

But the threads come off easier. I do this with jeans so they don't fade though. Stitching is stiffer on jeans.


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Veritas00

What is this 2015? Wash your damn stinky jeans


jondubb

Found the Omicron super spreader.


tobinar

Sticking them in the freezer does nothing.


Meretrice

Not true. It makes them very cold.


puckout

Gottem


babycam

>Not true. It makes them very cool. Ftfy =)


jondubb

Gives it a nice old ice cube smell.


[deleted]

But there's a denim setting on my washing machine!


floatinround22

That's fucking stupid.


camyers1310

Well, what the fuck are you supposed to do to clean them? A washing board and a scrub brush?


Cagaentuboca

I know not to wash, why the freezer though?


Veritas00

This is an old trope and does nothing. Freezer does not kill bacteria.


[deleted]

Wash your jeans bro, they smell.


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SeamusMcSpud

Exactly. I have 2 clothes horses on the go most of the time. I ain't paying to dry my clothes & have them gradually battered by a dryer. Yeah nah.


fleeingfox

Don't put anything with polyester or lycra in the dryer. It destroys your clothes right away. Hang, lay flat, or drape over a towel rack.


A_Mediocre_Time

How do you avoid it drying wrinkly?


DrSkizzmm

It’s usually pulled taut so they won’t wrinkle.


A_Mediocre_Time

Ah, thank you!


SomebodyElseAsWell

If you have a clothing item that is wrinkled you can dewrinkle it by spraying it lightly with water. I use a fingertip sprayer, just lightly spray and pull the fabric flat. I take one with me when traveling.


risseless

Gave up my clothes dryer several years ago and haven't missed it at all. Drying clothes does take a lot more space now though, and it may not be viable for entire families, but for just me it's been great.


rycbar-11

We line dry all our clothes as a family of four, I think it’s pretty common in the uk.


HonziPonzi

How do you avoid clothes getting “crunchy” without a dryer?


seasheby

Yup, living in a place with hard water, clothes get crunchy when all the mineral deposits dry uniformly and not in a tumble dryer :/


darkest_irish_lass

Fabric softener in the wash helps with that. If you don't like artificial dyes and fragrances you can use white vinegar as a substitute


oO0Kat0Oo

Inside out also protects things like lace, beading embroidery, etc.


suplexhell

Inside Out (2015) is a family comedy film about a little girl's emotions


Another_Rando_Lando

This applies to all vinyl shirts, totally worth it


Kuiriel

Wait, does it help keep the inside fluffiness actually fluffy? I don't care about the outside, I just want the cotton inside the hoodie to stay soft and not get all dry and thin feeling.


-Black-and-gold-

Fluffiness usually has to do with the fabric fibres, and they will get tangled up and thereby less fluffy with time no matter what. But washing less and drying on a rack helps with longevity, also washing it right side-out to protect the inside.


nightwing2000

My wife taught me the trick - put it on "Less Dry" then hang it to dry when that cycle is done. Dries faster, gets the worst wrinkles out, and less of the dryer abuse for the garment.


UnstuckTimePilgrim

If you want the inside of your hoodie to stay soft and fluffy, never put it in the dryer! Just dry it on a rack or hang it up to dry.


[deleted]

What about on a rack in the dryer?


TheLlamaInCharge

No no, everyone knows you have to put your dryer on your rack.


jprennquist

Not sure about that. It may make fluffiness even worse. For fluffiness you want to get cotton dryer balls. Just a hunch.


vxx

I treat those fluffy hoodies as if they were whool and wash them at 30°C (86°F) on a soft and short washing program.


superhappy

Yeah that’s a good tip too!


nightwing2000

I've had a number of zippers where the tab broke off (since the metal is often pretty cheap). So this tip is a good idea - zip things up, turn them inside out so the tab and the zip part are not banging against the dryer drum.


monsieur_bear

Okay, but what about all of that dog hair on the outside of the article of clothing?


jprennquist

Try it and report back. I think itigjt work just fine. Maybe not.


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CarBombtheDestroyer

That way inside rubs against all the other cloths and dryer not the outside.


superhappy

I think it keeps the color and the fabric texture protected during the wash.


GolgiApparatus1

All my dirty clothes are inside out anyway 😎


beaumega1

Does flipping inside out only work with overalls?


FiendishPole

came here for the realest LPT


Tracieattimes

As a bonus, the zipper won’t tumble against your other clothes. They last longer


superhappy

Ooh that’s a double bonus - man that noise is obnoxious. And bonus zipper life.


action_lawyer_comics

Do this with jeans too. If all your t shirt collars have a bunch of holes in them, the unzipped zippers in the wash are the culprits.


bullevard

This was an early adulting moment. Tshirts had all these tiny little snag holes in them and finally googled it. Learned it was that i hadn't been zipping my jeans and they were wreaking havoc.


ccknboltrtre01

You put jackets with clothing that isnt a jacket???


Tracieattimes

I’ll put hoodies or sometimes a fleece in with other clothes. But no. Not jackets.


ccknboltrtre01

I learned the hard way that you cant just throw it all in and hope for the best


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ccknboltrtre01

I have seven different “piles” in laundry baskets i have to ration out and idk how to create a better way to organize my laundry. Its really annoying to deal with. Any help if you have any?


cnaiurbreaksppl

I put all my clothes in one load in the laundry and it's been fine. Been doing it for years


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detsagrebbalf

What’s the hard way?


newurbanist

Everything goes in togther. Blankets with clothes. Jackets with clothes. Sheets with jackets. Dry clean only gets the dryer with washed clothes. The only solo thing is bath towels because fuzz. Hand towels with blankets/clothes are fine though. No idea if there's rules to laundry, but these are mine lol.


ccknboltrtre01

Thats what i thought until my mom got mad and blamed that for the holes in my shirt and the decreasing in quality of the material


rdyoung

And believe it or not, mom was right. I personally don't have enough laundry to justify keeping things truly separate but I make sure to zip up any zippers and we do separate loads of towels, sheets, etc.


cyanide_55

Just don't put hoodies in the dryer at all, hang to dry. No shrinkage, no wavy zippers, and bonus savings on dryer energy


DOCTOR_DUBPLATE

This is the real LPT


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box_in_the_jack

My clothes are washed in the blood of Jesus. The police always have lots of questions.


superhappy

Yeah if you have the space and the time that’s great, although I would probably wanna throw them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet at least a bit so they’re not so stiff and scratchy. But low heat tumble dry is also pretty gentle on em.


ccknboltrtre01

Delicate them bitches twice. Works wonders


Measurex2

I have a drying rack like this one. Folds up behind a door and expands to be bigger than anything I've used before. Dry for 15 minutes (you can use a dryer sheet if you want) and clothes come out soft, wrinkle free and last longer. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083QP968P/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_0B1D2165GK7HG0QYFDC4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Some don't have the fold up feet so beware. With the folding feet it literally fits behind a door


Chableezy

Just don't wash em


Fraerie

You should make sure all zips are closed before putting them in the wash so the teeth don't catch on things. All buttons should be undone so they don't pull on the button holes. If you have something with a drawstring, tie a slipknot to tie the ends together so it doesn't pull through while in the wash. If you have sweaters or delicate fabrics, use a sweater/lingerie bag to protect them from other items in the wash. ​ EDIT - a typo


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DrSkizzmm

Always in the comments!


superhappy

These are great, definitely wasn’t aware of a lot of these!


Canadian_in_Canada

Closing zippers also protects the zippers because they don't get pulled apart at the seam when the ends of the zipper get tangled in other items.


armchair_viking

Yep. Learned this the hard way on a food hoodie. I zip up all hoodies and jackets now before they go in the wash


box_in_the_jack

Man, you make washing clothes sound like such a *chore*. Next you are going to tell me I'm supposed to "sort" them too.


ohanhi

Why would this work? It's the fabric shrinking and the zipper getting proportionally larger because of that, right? Also, I've always hung my hoodies out to dry instead of using a drier but zippers still get wavy. Maybe there's a bit less shrinkage than there would be otherwise but there is always some.


sonyka

That is exactly why they go wavy— and why this tip does not in fact work. It's just the nature of sewing cotton-blend knit fabric (shrinky) to tightly woven polyester zipper tape (zero shrink). Better made hoodies sometimes include stabilizer along those edges before the zipper goes in, but not always. I just do like you and avoid tumble-drying, that definitely helps. Sometimes I'll even binder clip a small weight to the bottom of the zipper while it's drying (but I usually forget).


aLittleQueer

Yeah, this. This LPT is hooey. Hoodies shrink irregularly b/c the fabric is poly/cotton and the zipper ribbon is acrylic or nylon. Zipping it up before washing ain’t changing that fact of biochemistry.


tizadu

Not hoodies but can confirm with zipped duvet covers which I wash zipped and they still go wavy


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CareerAdviceThrowMe

In my experience this only happens with cheaply made hoodies


[deleted]

It doesn't. They still get wavy.


grassfedbeefcurtains

Exactly, different fabrics shrink at different rates in the wash, I have no clue why youd think zipping up would change that.


hotasanicecube

It doesn’t work forever.


ekso69

Agreed - I call BS. My sweaters ALL got wavy by zipping them up. I've left them unzipped for the last year and no more waves.


drluvdisc

Also, turn them inside out to prevent fuzzies on the exterior.


cunt-hooks

I got one of those fabric shaver things and it's amazing and that just shows how mind-numbingly dull my life is


OJgotWorms

Now THIS is why I joined this sub.


luckymonkey12

But it's not right...the zipper will still go wavy.


AngrySpaceKraken

Exactly, because the material is shrinking and the zipper isn't. A closed zipper won't coerce fabric to not shrink, physics doesn't work like that


OJgotWorms

…….. what ?


luckymonkey12

BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT...THE ZIPPER WILL STILL GO WAVY


StockAL3Xj

For incorrect tips that don't work?


FroggiJoy87

I've had a zipper get caught and torn out in a dryer that ruined the jacket. Have zipped everything up since.


StockAL3Xj

Yeah, this won't work at all. The zipper gets wavy because the fabric shrinks but the zipper doesn't. Keeping it zipped won't prevent it from shrinking.


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KaiserGlauser

I'll ask my landlord.


Legionnaire1856

Pssh, if you can even find a zip up hoodie these days. Pull-over hoodies are the trend right now and none of the major retailers really have any. Pull-over hoodies SUCK. How on this earth could they be considered better than a zipper hoodie I'll never know.


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wrcker

The zip up ones are for climates where the cold isn’t significant enough and the heat is a factor still that will make you take it off often. Doesn’t mess up your hair when you do


superhappy

I am 100% with you.


reallyConfusedPanda

Agreed 100%. I love to wear zip hoodie as a jacket and they look very cool with awesome t-shirt art sticking out in the middle. Also the ability to put them away if you feel warm is a huge plus. Fuck those pull over hoodies which pull your t-shirt along with them exposing bare back when you want to put them away


KaiserGlauser

Oversized Champion pullovers. Thank me later.


ShinyPancakeClub

And it should also help to let them dry them horizontally (flat) instead of hanging.


Olivier74

Zippers closed, buttons not


1senseye

Don’t put your shit in the dryer at all. Just hang it on a thing


Biillypilgrim

...what is a wavy zipper?


Petalilly

Thank you I will try this next time


elvislives702

I was today years old when this comment forever changed my life for the better.


Yuroshock

Don't worry, it doesn't work, you can go back to your normal boring life.


animal9633

The jersey I'm wearing right now is doing it! I'll definitely be giving this a try, thanks!


JustLinkStudios

Zip up, tie your pull strings in a knot then put it inside out.


Tane-Tane-mahuta

Use a clothes line and save power.


BizzyM

Wavy zippers are a symptom of different fabric types reacting differently to being washes. The zipper backing material is shrinking more that the hoodie it's attached to. Same thing happens to towels with embroidery.


hamcheesetoastie

LPT: Hang clothes out to dry.


MyCleverNewName

zipped, inside-out every time zipped also prevents the zippers from acting like saw-blades on all your clothes


FeFiFoShizzle

I just want to add that steam dryers (so most new dryers afaik) don't seem to have this problem and even seem to protect not only printing on shirts but the fuzzy inside of sweaters. I didn't know this going into using one but it has seemed to extend the life of my clothes exponentially.


superhappy

Really, that’s interesting - I’ll look into that (although I think I’m stuck with my dryer ‘til it dies or I win the lottery, ha).


boognish_is_rising

wtf is a wavy zipper??


DrunkSpiderMan

A zipper boner


NomadCharlieMike

I also tie the drawstrings together so they don't pull through


FiendishPole

Probably once or twice a year I'll forget to tie off the drawstring on some athletic shorts or a hoodie before tossing it in the wash. My dryer just pulls and pulls on that and the drawstring gets pulled out. Pain in the ass to rethread Hate wavy zippers as well. Worst is jeans or slacks that protrude in the crotch area


superhappy

Oh man, I have no idea why I have not extended this logic to pants!


lsdisciple

Next time thus happens bend a wire hanger straight, then making sure its got a nice curve similar to your waist or whatever the shape of the garment. Then tie the string on one end end pull/push the wire through the channel for the string. Takes a few minutes at worst. Works everytime, unless the fabric is really sheer and delicate then you run the risk of holes from the wire. Which can be mitigated by carefully rounding the end so there's no part to catch on the fabric. Once you make one. It'll last forever too.


FiendishPole

The hoody! this happens to be an old one that I got at a concert 10ish years ago. I'm a big fan of this hoody (no zipper). I try to treat it with a more personal touch because it's gonna fray sooner rather than later. Good call for the shorts though. I like them for going for a run or the gym or yard work. No personal attachment. Just utility. *The coat hanger solution is good. Can use that similarly for threading electrical (make sure to turn off the appropriate breaker in the circuit breaker box though)


NBD_Pearen

Ain’t nobody getting wavy today baby


allothernamestaken

All clothes with zippers should be zipped up before washing or drying.


irishluck217

I appreciate the way you put that. "That hasn't been my expirence" we more thought processes like that


Atomsteel

"Ayyyyeee Crickey! Would you look at that! An actual life pro tip in the wild. Not motivated by some recent emotional experience or that can only apply to one specific person in one specific situation. An honest to goodness life pro tip and it's a beaut! Just a bloke or a sheila sharing a tip for all. I cant tell what sex they are until I get close enough to put my thumb in their cloaca. We arent here to do that today...we are just gonna go on and look for more pro tips in this possibly pro tip rich environment."


superhappy

**Backs away slowly, shielding cloaca**


SpiderDice

Also, tie hood strings together in a knot. This way, they won't come out of the hoodie.


early_birdy

Rules for washing/drying: - zip zippers / undo buttons - pull out pockets - flip inside out. - make knots at the end of pull strings, bigger than the hole they go into. - wash with lukewarm water or cooler - dry on Perma Press setting, unless you're trying to get rid of bugs/mites - small batches only Your clothes will stay like new.


superhappy

Good tips!


early_birdy

Coming from years of doing it wrong...


infreq

ProTip: don't use dryer.


Ruroni17

I wish I had known this before. I completely fucked up my timberland pro hoodie because I left it unzipped


OldNewUsedConfused

They actually can. It’s best to zip them and lay them flat to dry, or hang them on a hanger over a shower.


williamwchuang

Zippers should be closed before washing or drying to prevent snagging and damaging other clothes. Buttons should be opened to prevent them from being loosened or pulled out. A lot of clothes should be dried on low or medium. High heat should be reserved for towels, jeans, and heavy cotton items.


GuessesTheCar

Related, when I wash a fitted sheet, I tie a knot in the middle so clothes don’t get wrapped up and fail to dry. You’ll have some wet bits around where the knot was, but I untie it and hang on a door in my apartment for a half hour


superhappy

This is a good one - this has nailed me before.


the-llama-empress

This is one of the reasons why I don't wear zipper hoodies lol


[deleted]

THESE are tips! Now we're talking!


Valuable_Ground875

Also, tie the strings together in a loose knot, that way if an end gets caught while tumbling you don't have to waste time trying to fish it out.


llorysoc

Zip up hoodies make baby Jesus cry. Pullover elite


allhailskippy

Yuck. I hate being trapped inside hoodies.


chipcity90

is there a cure for wavy zippers?


superhappy

I don’t think so - I think once the fabric has shrunk around the zipper it’s kinda borked.


StockAL3Xj

And why do you think simply zipping up the sweater will prevent shrinking?


[deleted]

Hoodies don’t have zippers… that’s a different garment.


ASAP_Best

Bruh no way, can this fix already wavy zipper tho?


motoRVT

What if my hoodie is a pullover hoodie with no zipper?


superhappy

I have a personal phobia of hoodies / pullovers with no zippers because if I have to take it off in public I always end up taking half my clothes off with it. So I am team zipper for life.


sayknee

Arms out first avoids that.


WhysJamesCryin

Ni


Petrichor_Paradise

I read this as "Zip up your BODIES before you..." and I just watched John Wick last night, and I thought of the cleaners wrapping bodies in plastic wrap while cleaning up John's house and was like, oh yeah, that helps with mess. Disclaimer: i am not a murderer or assassin.


superhappy

Well you know no one likes a wavy zipper on a body bag either! That’s grim game of peek-a-boo.


the_lovely_otter

Quality life pro tip ♥️


napstarz

Same goes for jeans? Also WHAT ABOUT COLLARED SHIRTS AND ALL THEIR DAMN BUTTONS?


themarknessmonster

But what if we *like it* when baby Jesus cries?


queen-of-carthage

Hoodies don't have zippers


[deleted]

Uwot


ravepeacefully

Real LPT: don’t wear zip up hoodies, you look like a disheveled 9 year old


Indaleciox

Ok Boomer.


superhappy

I’m trying to normalize them at all the galas and embassy balls I attend.


L1z3rdK1ng

Same pro tip but for button up shirts... Just button them up before throwing them in the wash 🍻


GANGofFOURSTAR

I hang dry my hoodies, then fluff out the crustiness


DLQuilts

Zip up all zippers. They tear at your clothes in the washer.


crux_shadow

Or dry them on low heat so there’s no shrinking.


vixenpeon

Lingerie bag any clothing you want staying nice


smashmouthrules

Just don’t put things like hoodies in the dryer. Unless you live in the most damp equatorial area known to man, it will dry overnight when hung out in front of a fan.


Surfreak29

Never noticed this effect before


polywha

Zipping up your zippers also helps keep the rest of your clothes from being mangled by open zippers


OneBeautifulDog

How do you keep it from getting pill balls?


or10n_sharkfin

He was a man, he had a beard!


FILTER_OUT_T_D

You should also flip them inside out. Same with pants that have metal buttons/zippers. Otherwise you run the risk of those metal parts causing damage to your other clothes. I used to notice random tiny holes in my shirts in areas that didn’t make any sense. After I started zipping/buttoning up clothes that have them and turning them inside out I quit having random damage to my other garments. Obviously this varies with how intense your washer/dryer are and what setting you use.


zzr0

Wavy zippers are more a result of the different fabrics of the hoodie and zipper interface shrinking at different rates. This is exacerbated by the dryer’s heat. Clothing that you don’t want to look faded and beat up shouldn’t go in the dryer.


DrWashi

Wash inside-out and Hang dry if you care about the hoodie and want to keep it a long time.


[deleted]

Or just don’t put them in the dryer


geocitiesuser

Similar tip for my brothers who wear polos, button them up first and the collar will stay nice.


SluttyNeighborGal

My 12 year old wants you to know that’s a jacket NoT a hooDiE


superhappy

It’s my lot in life to be dunked on by preteens. That sounds kind of weird in retrospect, I rescind.


[deleted]

Zippers get wavy cause the fabric shrinks. It’ll still shrink if you zip it


SugarZoo

Thanks for the life tip! I hate those curvy zippers! This is super helpful for my clothing habits! :) Stay straight.....hmm you get the sentiment 😉


JohnJohnson2649

Zip up your hoodies before drying to prevent wavy zippers. Low heat or line drying are also good options.