There is a first time for everything, and when you buy any new clothing there will be a first time for washing it. And no matter what kind of washing machine you have, it pays to think ahead before you wash those new items for the first time.
The first thing to do is to read the label on the item you have bought. There might be separate washing instructions for it as well if it is a specialist item, so pay careful attention to these. It is tempting to simply wash it however you like but those instructions are there for a reason so make sure you stick to whatever they say.
You will usually find a temperature on the item which tells you what temperature it should be washed at as well. You can try a lower temperature than this if you like, but you should not try a higher one as this can lead to shrinking.
Next, think about the type of item you are washing. If it is very delicate you may want to consider putting it in a washing bag rather than simply putting it straight in the machine. This will help to keep it safe. This is also good for smaller items – for example if you have bought a lot of new underwear you can put it all in the bag together. This will only apply if all the underwear can safely be washed together of course.
And this brings us to the next point to consider. If you have a brightly coloured item or something that is dark, you should wash it on its own to begin with as it will be inclined to lose its colour on the first couple of washes. Have a look at your washing machine settings at this point to see whether you can use a more gentle setting. This might pay dividends if you are washing an item for the first time.
You can see that it isn’t enough simply to wash an item how you would normally when you first buy it. The more care and attention you pay to it for the first time, the more successful that initial wash will be. After all you don’t want to spoil the item you have now, and you don’t want to spoil any existing clothing you have either by washing them with something new.