Some housewives regularly encounter a problem: when washing in the duvet cover, laundry gets clogged. Let's try to figure out why this happens and are there any methods that can help avoid such incidents.
Why is the linen inside the duvet cover?
There is no magic in that pillowcases and sheets are inside the duvet cover. This phenomenon has a completely material basis. Rather, a few basics:
- Firstly, it all depends on the design of the drum and the washing system. If the water inside the machine splashes very actively, vortices and jets arise, which immediately pick up lighter things and move them in different planes. It is impossible to do the same with the duvet cover: it is too heavy. But one part of it - a slot - still turns out to be water "in the teeth." Waves separate two layers of fabric, and everything that happens next is quite natural - small towels, pillowcases and sheets fall into the "open mouth" of the duvet cover. Then the tank makes a turn, the “jaws” are closed, and the duvet cover “swallows” everything that is inside it.
- Secondly, the fabric of which the duvet cover is made matters. More slippery materials (for example, silk, polyester) are not so susceptible to water turbulence. Natural, and even heavy cloths - linen, cotton - with a high degree of probability will absorb everything that is nearby. Fun fact: if you put two duvet covers in the drum, one of which is thin silk and the other is thick and cotton, then by the end of the wash the first will be inside the second.
Effect on the washing process
This is not to say that getting other things inside the duvet cover somehow affects the quality of the wash. Powders and gels dissolve in water, and the fabrics from which the linen is sewn have good water permeability. A normal cycle lasting 40-60 minutes is enough to remove all kinds of contaminants from matter.
Problems can arise in two cases:
- when things have stubborn stains - to get rid of them, linen should be soaked in special solutions with bleaches, solvents or enzymes;
- if a person who uses bedding is prone to allergic reactions. The fact is that the denser the crumpled linen, the worse the microparticles of washing powder are rinsed out of it. The solution may be the use of hypoallergenic drugs, which if they remain between the fibers of the tissue, they still will not cause harm to health.
Solution to the problem
Most often, housewives resort to radical measures - they sew up a “mouth” duvet cover. It is effective, but impractical - if you have to wash several sets of linen, then it will take about an hour to get together with a needle in your hands. But then you still need to open the threads to fill the blanket.
A faster way involves the use of stationery gum. The side of the duvet cover, on which the slot is located, is folded with an accordion and rewound in several girths. This is faster than sewing, but there is a risk that during washing the gum will burst and get stuck in the drain hose or create a blockage in the sewer. If this happens, you will have to disassemble and clean the machine yourself or call the wizard (of course, not for free).
There are safe methods:
- Sew buttons with eyelets to the slot or stitch the zipper. This design helps out not only during washing - it also does not allow the blanket to slip out of its “clothes” when a person actively turns over in a dream.
- Buy special bags for washing - they are made of the thinnest, but strong mesh, which allows water to pass through well, but prevents the duvet cover from absorbing the rest of the drum.
Summarizing the above, it can be argued that the washing machine is to blame for “eating” things. So you can avoid such situations even at the stage of choosing this home helper - just ask your friends what models of “washing machines” they use and whether they have to observe the effect of the “hungry duvet cover”. However, if you are not planning to purchase new equipment yet, it is enough to improve the bedding itself by attaching fasteners to the slots.