In a spin over the washing machine
Clothes symbols confuse most Brits
WE are getting into a right lather over the mundane task of washing our clothes, a report has revealed.
Most Brits are so baffled by washing instruction labels that thousands of pounds worth of garments are ruined.
Fewer than one in seven of us can correctly identify the six most common washing symbols.
As a result one in three simply sling clothes in the machine without checking labels.
Most of us admit to having accidentally washed items that are dry clean only.
Men tend to be more careless, with 78% always using the same washing programme. But almost half of women use just three programmes or fewer.
Yet these are not the only startling stats to come out in the wash in school uniform supplier Trutex’s survey.
Care for our clothes after they are taken out the machine also leaves a lot to be desired. Some nine in 10 people did not know some items should never go into a tumble dryer. And six out of 10 do not check the setting needed for ironing. Nearly all women learned how to wash clothes as young girls by helping their mums and know about separating whites from colours. In contrast, just 15% of men assisted their mothers. About 70% did not use a washing machine until they left home and that tended to be at a laundrette. One in six men have never used one. Matthew Easter, managing director at Trutex said knowledge of labels can save time and money. He said: “This is especially important when it comes to school uniforms which are worn five days a week and often treated very roughly and require frequent cleaning.”