Doing laundry can be fun for some individuals and not so fun for others. It all depends on the way they do it.
If you find laundry unexciting, you might tend to do different things between laundry cycles. Things like watching movies or making your favorite dish in the kitchen are pretty common because you need to really while the time away.
It’s important to find out, though, how long clothing can be left in the washer because you might forget that laundry is lying in the washer.
How Long Can I Leave Clothing in The Washer?
It’s not unusual to wonder how long you can leave clothes in a washer or dryer. Especially when they have to do important things in between and don’t remember to come back for their laundry.
Ideally, you can leave your clothing in your washing machine for up to 12 hours. It’s kind of like an unspoken rule.
However, this could greatly affect the fabric of your clothing, especially if you leave your clothing with water in the washer. I wouldn’t recommend leaving your clothing in the washer for that time, it’s best to wash them shortly after placing them in the washer.
Is it Ideal To Leave My Clothing In The Washer?
One reason why your laundry might not be durable or probably has got really bad smells could be because you leave them too long in your washing machine.
Although you could leave your laundry in your washer for that amount of time, you shouldn’t do this regularly.
Doing that might result in your clothing becoming bad and also very moldy especially when water is involved.
Detergent residues and other laundry additives like fabric softeners may even be deposited on your clothing.
Also, your washer can even develop serious nasty odors and become malfunctioned from this.
What Happens When I Leave Clothing In The Washer?
Leaving your clothing in the washer may have significant effects on your clothing, according to some experts on laundry care.
Here’s what can happen to your clothing when you leave them in the washer.
- Your laundry develops mold
If you leave your clothing in the washer for a long time, by the time you remember and return for it, certain fungi called mold has pretty much developed on them.
Mold on your clothing is really bad as it gives off a nasty smell and makes them messier than they were before you put them in the washer.
It’s not an ideal situation if you’re all about leading clean and healthy lives with good-smelling clothing.
- Your clothing may degenerate
When you want to do your laundry, you put it in the washer and add detergents, fabric softeners, and other laundry additives. Practically, that’s all good because it’s the conventional way for machine washing.
Now when you leave your clothing with these chemicals to sit for such a long time, it’s not good for your clothing fabric.
It leaves deposits and other chemicals that can be harmful to your clothing over time and is pretty much dangerous to you too.
- Moldy smells in your washer
For individuals who love doing laundry, it’s normal to use the washer regularly depending on the size of their laundry load.
Now, think about repeating cycles of laundry without cleaning your washer coupled with damp clothing being left for a long time within it.
Damp and dark areas like the interior of your washer are spaces where mold and mildew thrive the most.
It gives your washer musty smells that can rub off on your laundry and give them stains.
You wouldn’t want that for your clothes.
- It can result in health concerns
Leaving your clothing for a long time in your washer causes mold to develop on them after about 12 hours. This can be pretty nasty for individuals with sensitive skin and allergy conditions.
Of course, breathing in the spores of the mold would cause respiratory issues for people living with conditions like asthma and also for toddlers and elderly folks with compromised immune systems.
You wouldn’t want to try it too especially if you’ve got dermal irritation issues. There are just so many concerns to take into consideration.
Is It Possible To Leave Clothing in The Washer Overnight?
Of course, it’s possible to leave your clothing in the washer overnight. But it would be greater if you do not do this every time so as not to make it a habit.
Probably it’s that time you doze off after a tiring day and just have to do the laundry. Then you wake up at night only to realize that your clothing has been in the washer.
You might worry if it has got some nasty smells but do not fret. All you just have to do is rewash the clothing and either air-dry or tumble-dry them.