The Surprising Thing You Shouldn’t Put in the Washing Machine

We all love the convenience of tossing our dirty clothes into the washing machine and letting it work its magic. That’s why the washing machine is there: to make laundry easier. But did you know that there are some laundry items you should never put in the washing machine?

Here’s a valuable laundry tip: clothing soiled in flammable liquids, such as gasoline or motor oil, should not enter your washing machine.

The reason you should never put clothes with flammable liquid stains directly in your washing machine is that they present a serious fire hazard. The convenience of machine washing isn’t worth the risk of a house fire.

Clothes soaked in flammable liquids are capable of combusting during the agitation of a wash cycle. This is true even with clothing items that have small oil or gas stains.

If these clothes happen to get through a wash without incident, that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. These clothes can leave flammable residue inside your washing machine that transfers to the next load, prolonging the risk of fire.

While it may go without saying, you should absolutely never put clothes stained with flammable liquids in the dryer. The risk of fire in this situation is even more severe than in your washing machine.

Keep your home safe. If you have clothes stained with flammable liquids, fully soak them in a bucket or sink with water and laundry detergent before putting them in your washer—or you can always hand-wash them.