A compartment in your washing machine often goes unused, but it can be the key to saving money and unnecessary trips.
What kind of function is it? A detail of washing machines that is becoming increasingly unknown these days is the pre-wash. It ensures that stubborn stains disappear from clothing. We will explain what it means and why you should know about it in order to save money.
Why do I get tips for my laundry on MeinMMO? It won’t become a regular occurrence for us to write about the mysteries of modern washing technology. But when we think about things that have a decisive influence on our leisure time and everyday life, washing machines should quickly spring to mind.
At the beginning of the 20th century, women in particular had to spend a lot of time and energy doing the laundry by hand (via Planet-Wissen). The forerunners of modern washing machines fundamentally changed this across society within just a few decades.
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The enemy of the stubborn stain
What is prewash? This is a wash cycle that soaks the clothes. Modern washing machines use lukewarm water (around 30 degrees Celsius) in which universal or color detergent is dissolved (see manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging).
Meanwhile, the drum rotates slowly until the prewash is finished after about 20 to 30 minutes and the main wash cycle begins.
Where does the detergent for the prewash go? You probably have three compartments on your machine, one of which is labeled with an Arabic 1 or a Roman I. This is the compartment for the prewash.
Why can I save money with this? Of course, the pre-wash itself costs extra water, electricity and detergent, but it may get stubborn stains out. Otherwise, you may have to take them to a laundromat – and that will definitely cost more. According to the Association of Energy Consumers, you will have to pay around 25 euros more per year for regular pre-washes, depending on your electricity and water tariff.
Why has pre-washing gone out of fashion? Just think for a moment about how long you wear clothes on average before they end up in the washing machine. Most items probably only last a few days – if that long at all. Things used to be a little different, as dirt had much longer to settle into the fabric and harden.
As mentioned above, the effort involved in washing by hand was enormous. In addition, far more people were confronted with all kinds of dirt in their everyday working lives. But even today, fabrics can become soiled and can only be removed with a pre-wash.
Should I pre-wash everything as a precaution? No, not at all. Some types of clothing/materials should not be pre-washed in a machine at all, but by hand. This is of course also possible due to the low water temperatures. Simply massage the clothing gently in a tub with water and detergent, leave it for an hour and then fill the drum with the wet clothing.
Consider the pre-wash in the machine as your special weapon against the worst stains, but only use it when you are absolutely sure that it will not cause more damage than it fixes.
And if you are interested in mysteries that take place far away from Earth in alien solar systems, we have a special tip for you: Researchers are currently faced with a puzzle that shows the limits of earthly physics research. Every hour we receive a signal from space that shouldn’t actually exist.