Murshid Ahmed

Our furry friends bring plenty of snuggles home, but they also bring plenty of dirt and smelly odours, especially in their bedding. Your dog enjoys sleeping on clean sheets as much as you do! Pet bedding is usually bulky and thick, so cleaning them can be challenging. But with the help of our laundromat facilities and this handy guide on washing pet bedding, you’ll have your little buddy’s bed clean in no time.

Remove as Much Pet Hair as Possible First

If you put your pet bedding straight into the wash without giving it a brush down first, you’ll end up with a hairy washing machine and pet bedding still covered in fur. The best way to remove hair from bedding is to grab a lint roller and a bit of elbow grease and get brushing. If there’s a lot of hair, the vacuum can come into play also. Whether you brush, vacuum, or rigorously shake it off, you want to remove as much hair as possible.

Take Any Padding Out of the Bedding

We all love spoiling our pets, so chances are their bedding is wonderfully plush and full of padding. This padding keeps your four-legged friend cosy but makes washing pet bedding a nightmare. If the stuffing is removable, you’ll want to whip that out before washing as it can retain a huge amount of water.

Pre-Treat Any Stains

If mud inevitably finds its way onto your dog whenever it goes outside, chances are its bedding will have a few stains that need pre-treating. You can use any stain remover just as you usually would. Don’t worry about the chemicals harming your pet, as they will wash off during the cleaning process.

Head Down to the Laundromat

With everything prepared, head to your local Liquid Laundromats to wash your pet’s bedding. Due to its size, pet bedding often can’t be cleaned in your home washer, which is why our facilities have large-scale machines built specifically for pet items.

It’s always best to wash pet bedding on a warm cycle, as this will give you the best chance of removing any particularly funky odours. However, be sure to check the care label first!

You’ll also want to choose a pet-friendly washing powder, as some common chemicals in detergents may harm your pets. Look for pet detergent that dissolves pet hair to ensure the bedding comes out fur-free.

Dry According to the Care Label

You can put most pet bedding in the tumble dryer on a gentle setting for easy drying. However, you’ll want to check the care label first, which may require air drying instead. If that’s the case, place the bedding in a sunny spot and let nature work its magic.

Get Your Pet’s Bedding Up to Snuff

Give your precious pet the sleep it deserves by swinging by our Queenstown laundromat or any of our other locations across New Zealand. Washing pet bedding has never been easier with Liquid Laundromats.

Faded jeans may be in, but in most cases, clothes fading is less than ideal. If you’re the type who ignores the care label and tosses dirty laundry in the wash with a cup of detergent and calls it a day, your clothing is probably suffering. That red shirt won’t stay red for long, and that black dress will soon be a dull grey. But don’t worry; all is not lost! You don’t have to be a washing wizard to prevent clothes from fading; follow these laundry tips, and your favourite top may be saved.

Read the Care Label!

For the love of all that is washable, read the care label! This tag is meant to do more than make you itch; it has invaluable washing instructions to ensure your clothing lives a long and colourful life.

These instructions may tell you to only wash in cold water, use a gentle cycle, or clean with like colours. Don’t forget to check the drying instructions, too – they may call for air drying only. Follow whatever the care label says, and you can avoid washing disasters.

Keep it Cold

If you must wash all your clothes in one load because you’ve run out of time or coins in your pocket for the laundromat machine, then keep it cold. Warm water has a habit of breaking down the fibres of your clothing, which can cause fading, whereas cold washes are far gentler on the fabric.

Don’t Go Overboard on the Washing Settings

If your clothes aren’t overly dirty, don’t choose the heavy wash setting just to make sure they get “extra clean.” All you’re doing is exposing your laundry to further wear and tear, making your clothes fade much faster.

Skip the Dryer as Much as Possible

The dryer is a tempting convenience to avoid if you want to prevent your clothing from fading. While over-drying is bad for all laundry, it is especially harmful to bright and dark colours. The agitation of tumble drying makes the surface of clothing fibres rough, making the colour appear faded.

Turn Your Washing Inside Out

Turning your clothing inside out before washing is a neat trick you can use to avoid fading. Doing so protects the outer fibres from wearing down during the wash cycle while the inner fibres take the brunt of the damage, but it’s no big deal if the inside of your shirt is a little faded.

Save Your Favourite Jumper with These Laundry Tips

Keep your favourite red jumper from becoming salmon pink with these tips to prevent clothes from fading. While it may take a little extra effort, you’ll save plenty of heartbreak and avoid ruining your favourite shirt.

If your wardrobe is empty and the drawers are bare, head down to our Campbelltown laundromat and tackle that pile of dirty laundry in one fell swoop. With locations across New Zealand and Australia, you’re never too far from your local Liquid Laundromats.

So, you’ve finally decided on an outfit to wear, only to discover that fresh just-washed fragrance has been replaced with an old musty odour. If your washed clothes smell just as bad coming out of the closet as they did going into the washing machine, it may be time to re-evaluate your laundry habits.

Discover our favourite laundry hacks for keeping your clothes smelling fresh, from tips for storing clothes to unexpected cleaning products you should bring to the self-service laundromat.

How to Get That Funky Smell Out of Your Dirty Laundry

Rethink Your Washing Powder Habits

While detergent is a key ingredient to keeping your clothes smelling fresh, too much of a good thing can be bad. Overloading washing power is a common mistake many of us are guilty of, which can lead to residue remaining on clean clothes and creating a funky odour.

On the other hand, too little washing power could mean your clothes aren’t being cleaned properly. Luckily most washing powders come with a handy measuring cup; all you need to do is follow that guide correctly.

Use Baking Soda to Remove Musty Smells

Baking soda is a handy trick that will help remove odours from clothing. If you have a particularly potent set of workout clothes, soak them in cold water with a cup of baking soda. The baking soda helps break down the enzymes trapped inside the fabric responsible for creating the odour. Remember to do a spot test beforehand to ensure the baking soda won’t harm the items in any way.

Use White Vinegar to Eliminate Damp Odour

Vinegar is an excellent natural deodoriser that keeps clothes smelling fresh. Add a cupful of white vinegar to your next load, along with your usual washing powder, and that’s that. Don’t worry; your clothes won’t come out smelling like pickled onions; the vinegar smell will dissipate as they dry.

How to Keep Your Closet Smelling Fresh

Add Fragrant Objects to Your Closet

If you’re one of the millions who start their day with a coffee, you’ve already got the secret to fresh-smelling clothes sitting in your kitchen cupboard. Poke some holes in a container of coffee grounds and leave it in your closet. The fragrance will disperse throughout your wardrobe and remove any unpleasant smells.

If coffee isn’t your thing, you can do the same with bars of soap. When warm, soap releases a sweet scent into the space making your clothing and closet much more fragrant and keeping old musty odours at bay.

Switch to Wooden Hangers

If your clothes tend to acquire a damp or mouldy smell when hanging for too long, it may be a moisture issue. Consider switching to wooden hangers, as wood naturally absorbs moisture in the air to prevent dampness.

Keep Your Clothes Looking and Smelling Fresh

Don’t make your outfit decision any harder than it has to be; keep your clothes smelling fresh during and after you’ve washed them with these laundry hacks. Don’t believe us? Put these tips to the test at our Papamoa laundromat or any of our other locations and experience laundry the Liquid way.

Rainy days inevitably lead to muddy stains. Thanks to the temperamental weather we have down under, getting muddy is part of the norm when you work outside or have kids and pets, but that doesn’t mean your wardrobe is doomed!

Removing mud stains is a dirty business, but somebody has to do it. Here we’ll show you what you need to do during your next trip to the self-service laundromat to pull your clothes back from the brink of a muddy demise.

Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Mud Stains

Let the Mud Dry

When removing mud stains, you must forget everything you were taught about doing laundry. We’re always told to act fast with stains, but when it comes to mud, there’s no rush. Mud stains are much easier to manage when they have been allowed to dry. If you blot or rub fresh dirt, it will do nothing but smear across even more of the clothing, driving it deeper into the fabric. The golden rule of mud removal is to let it harden.

Scrape Dried Mud Off

Once the mud has dried, shake off the larger clumps. For more settled-in dirt, gently scrape it off with a butter knife or the edge of a spoon, being careful not to over-scrape and damage the material. It’s crucial to remove as much dirt as possible during this step, so whip out those archaeological skills and start delicately unearthing that clean top from under those mud stains.

Apply Detergent and Rub

With the dried dirt removed, it’s time to apply some liquid detergent to the stained area. Let the detergent sit for 15 minutes before using a toothbrush to lightly rub the stain from both sides of the fabric. The detergent will loosen any mud that has dug deep into the fibres. Avoid soaking the entire garment, as the dirt will dissolve and permeate the clothing.

Wash and Dry

You can now settle back into your regular laundry routine and wash the mud-stained clothing, remembering to read the care label instructions. Consider using an oxygen bleach for best results, as it is generally safer for colours and may lighten the stain. Only dry the item after all traces of the stain have been removed.

Tips for Removing Mud Stain Odours

Removing mud stains isn’t just a visual thing; the smell of caked-on mud can be unbearable. To remove mud odours from clothing, mix equal portions of water and vinegar into a spray bottle, then apply directly to the stained area. You may notice a strong vinegar smell even after it has dried, but don’t worry; it will quickly fade after washing.

Manage Mud Stains with Liquid Laundromats

The mud-stained aftermath of a raining ruby match is enough to make anyone shudder, but with our handy guide on removing mud stains, you’ll have that uniform looking brand new.

If you or your kids have battled with a puddle and come off second-best, head down to our Blacktown laundromat to remove those pesky mud stains. With locations across New Zealand and Australia, Liquid Laundromats is always here to help with any of your washing needs.