Many experts have advised people to take clothes out of the washing machine and dry them as soon as possible. This not only helps to keep the clothes smelling fresh but also prevents the formation of harmful bacteria on the garments. Therefore, if you accidentally forget and leave your clothes in the washing machine for too long, you should pay attention to some measures to deal with it afterwards.
Leaving laundry in the washing machine for too long can easily lead to the formation of harmful bacteria.
What will happen if you forget clothes in the washing machine for too long?
If you accidentally leave clothes in the washing machine for more than 8 hours, the clothes will start to have a musty smell due to the accumulation of bacteria and mold. When this happens, it is difficult to remove this unpleasant odor even with drying or sun drying. At this point, you have to put the clothes back in the machine and wash them again to get rid of the smell.
In addition, before taking the clothes out of the washing machine and being unable to determine how long you have soaked them in it, you should smell them to see if the clothes have a musty smell or not and take action in time.
The minimum time to leave clothes in the washing machine
There is no specific advice stating the exact time that clothes can be left in the washing machine. However, you should only leave clothes in the machine for 8 to 12 hours. This is a safe period of time and helps the clothes maintain their fragrance.
After that period of time, the clothes will start to develop a smell, which is a sign of mold growth.
You should only leave clothes in the washing machine for 8 to 12 hours.
Can clothes be left in the washing machine overnight?
Leaving clothes in the washing machine for more than 12 hours is not recommended, and leaving clothes overnight in the machine is the same. However, you can still wash clothes normally at night if you immediately take them out to dry afterwards.
Compared to using a dryer, drying clothes on a clothesline avoids damaging the fabric fibers. The reason is that when drying, the clothes will be reversed, rubbing against each other and the washing machine drum, causing the fabric fibers to break.
Some harmful effects of leaving clothes in the washing machine for too long
Mold appearing on clothes is the most noticeable thing when people leave clothes in the washing machine for too long. This type of mold will form a thin layer of black, gray, or sometimes slightly yellowish dust on the clothes and fabric.
Mold tends to spread mainly on clothing made of cotton, linen, and silk. They not only cause an unpleasant odor in clothes but can also damage the fabric and cause some skin diseases.
Moreover, mold can also damage the washing machine space, including the dryer. When you put clothes in the washing machine, they will pass on the mold to clothes that do not have mold.
These types of mold can also be harmful to human health if inhaled too many times. In particular, people with respiratory diseases such as asthma should not continue to be exposed to them.
According to VTC
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