What is a laundry bag and why should you buy one?

Laundry bag - a product made of perforated fabric or mesh, into which things are placed before being loaded into an automatic washing machine.

The device protects clothes and shoes from abrasion on the inner surface of the drum, prevents deformation of bulky items, damage to delicate fabrics and decorative finishes.

Let's take a closer look at what it is - a bag for washing clothes in a washing machine, why it is needed, where it can be purchased at what price.

Why you need it: practical benefits

The reason for the popularity of the accessory for washing is not only in the safety of the linen and gentle washing.

Reasons to use washing bag:

1. Delicate fabrics of dresses, tights, blouses, underwear are maximally protected from mechanical stress, tangling, stretching, do not come into contact with other clothes.

   The risk of damage to the delicate surface with buttons, fasteners, hooks is minimal.

2. Small items of clothing (belts, scarves, pants, socks) do not stick to the walls of the drum, do not jam into the corners of bed linen or sleeves.

   Thus, things are better washed and rinsed, and they can be easily removed from the car.

3. Expensive linen made of silk, lace, embroidered or decorated with rhinestones does not lose its appearance. Details made of foam rubber (push-up) and elements of volumetric cut retain their shape.
4. Cords, ribbons on clothing, and bra underwires will usually easily penetrate the drums. About half of all washing machine breakdowns occur for this reason. The laundry bag eliminates this possibility.
5. Large items (coats, down jackets, jackets), trimmed with synthetic fur, many fasteners and buttons, in a laundry bag retain the appearance of fabric and accessories.

Over time, the hard elements of the fasteners leave small scratches inside the drum, deform the surface, which leads to subsequent damage to the linen or the mechanism itself.

The shoes, hitting the walls, not only deform and rub, but also disable the shock absorption system of the washing machine. The unit begins to hum and "knock" during operation. Volumetric shoe washing nets reduce wear on the mechanism.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are many arguments for handling things using grids:

• delicate washing of laundry that does not tolerate high temperatures;
• preservation of the shape of things, the quality of fittings, the integrity of fabrics;
• taking care of shoes, jackets, coats without the need to take them to dry cleaning;
• knitted, woolen, viscose fabrics are not covered with pellets during washing;
• the ability to clean surfaces that were previously processed only manually;
• extending the life of the washing machine.

But the device also has negative sides:

• the need to have a whole line of bags of different sizes and shapes for washing the entire wardrobe;
• the presence of open parts on the fasteners of the mesh, which can damage other clothes;
• poor quality of washing and rinsing things with the wrong selection of the bag.

Kinds

There are a lot of different covers for linen on sale, you can navigate in this variety by several parameters:

1. Material quality... Laundry bags are made of synthetic fabrics that are resistant to moisture, dirt, and chemical attack. Polyester or nylon is used in production. Both materials have similar characteristics. Nylon is softer and is often used in smaller lingerie models.
2. Fabric structure... Bags can be mesh or porous fabric with holes. The larger the cells, the better the penetration of water. The smaller the holes, the more gently the fabrics are stretched.
3. The form. The nets can be flat envelopes, bulk bags or containers with a fixed shape: cylindrical, spherical, cubic. Skeleton models are flexible and retain their volume using special elastic inserts.
4. The size. Covers for washing can be of different sizes: from compact models for one bra to large ones, under a coat or down jacket. The capacity is determined by the length and width of the bag marked on the package. For large nets, indicate the amount of loaded laundry in kilograms.
5. The type of items to be cleaned... There are separate models for bras, frame nets for shoes (including sneaker), loose bags for linen or curtains. Each type of cover is effective when used as intended.

The choice of bags for washing on sale should be based on the ratio of price and quality. Such a product is not an expensive one, and its high cost in some brands is not justified by anything other than a big name.

Choosing the right mesh for your washing machine

Recommendations for choosing clothes covers:

1. If the mesh is equipped with a zipper, the tongue must be securely fixed with a special pad. Otherwise the element will damage other clothing in the drum.
2. A flat envelope bag is best used to wash one item. In this case, the laundry is rinsed better.
3. It is advisable to load several items into bulky bags. Such nets are versatile and suitable for washing jackets, curtains, bedspreads.
4. There are wireframe models for delicate toilet parts. Bras, underwear with underwire, corsets retain their shape well only in special cylindrical or spherical nets with stiffening ribs.
5. For dense things, choose covers with a zipper. Bags with drawstrings are suitable for soft, stretch fabrics.

Criteria for choosing shoe covers:

1. The best cover for washing shoes is a rectangular design made of mesh and semi-rigid ribs with soft seals. A garment bag can also be used, but it will not fulfill all protective functions.
2. One container is designed for 1 pair. The cover should fit the volume of the shoe. Especially carefully you should choose a mesh for washing owners of large feet.
3. The diameter of the holes should be so small as to prevent small parts from falling into the drum, slipping the laces.

You can buy nets in hardware stores, large chain department stores, and sometimes they offer similar products in public laundries.

Comparison of bags from different manufacturers:

Judging by the reviews, products costing less than 100 rubles, offered by Chinese small manufacturers, perform their functions as well as more expensive bags.

Differences are found in the service life of the mesh and the quality of the fittings.... Locks fail on average in 3–6 months. The stitches may come apart earlier. Therefore, such products are not included in the review.

Making a linen fixture with your own hands

The simplest models of covers for washing can be sewn on your own. To do this, choose the following materials:

• organza;
• mesh polyester;
• tulle cuts.

The degree of deterioration of the material directly affects the durability of the product and its reliability. Better to get a small piece of new fabric and a soft plastic toothed zipper.

Making a cover step by step:

1. A rectangle of the desired size is cut out of the selected fabric.
2. A closed zipper is attached to one of the sidewalls so that it is exactly in the middle.
3. Fold the material, symmetrically aligning the opposite side with the fastener.
4. Attach a zipper to the second side. It turns out a large ring of fabric, connected by a lock.
5. Sew small sections on the sides of the fastener, and then join the side of the bag with a line.
6. If desired, the lock dog is fixed by placing a small piece of wide elastic band on top or a square of elastic fabric folded in half.
7. The lining is trimmed around the dog, so that when the lock is fully closed, the tongue goes freely inside the "pocket".
8. The resulting bag is turned inside out. All seams and zippers are now inside the case.

It will take no more than 1 hour to make such a cover for washing. To further simplify the work and secure things from "snagging" on the parts of the lock, the tongue is removed from the dog, replacing it with a loop of thick thread.

A long cord is passed into the resulting bend without dense tips and the simplest washing attachment is ready.

How to sew a laundry bag, video instruction:

Terms of use

Tips for Using Clothes Nets:

1. A tightly packed bag will not allow the laundry to stretch well and will leave traces of detergent on the fabric when rinsing. A mesh of any size should not be filled more than ¾ of its volume.
2. Capsules with the detergent, washing powder, balls for washing are not put inside the bag.
3. Linen made of the same type of fabric is placed in one net. It is advisable to wash knitted, knitted and delicate products in different bags.
4. Colored and white items are washed separately. For black linen, use special bags with small holes.

How to wash in shoe containers:

1. When processing shoes, no other garments are added to the cover. You can put only laces in the same bag or wash without unlaced.
2. It is advisable to add a few soft things to the drum next to the shoe bag - this will further protect the washing machine from shocks.
3. Sneakers, sneakers, moccasins are washed from dirt before being placed in a container, clean the soles, remove stuck stones from them.
4. If the insoles are not glued in, they are removed and washed separately.
5. Regardless of the drum capacity, no more than two nets with shoes are placed in one tab.

Conclusion

Mesh laundry bags are a simple yet important addition to your washing machine. An inexpensive accessory can save money, get rid of unnecessary purchases and keep your favorite wardrobe items in their original form for a long time.