What to do if you forgot to empty the pockets before loading the laundry machine

Pockets are like little treasure caves. While finding some banknotes in a jacket you have not worn in a while is always a pleasant surprise, finding them after emptying the laundry machine is quite the opposite. At moments like these pockets seem like black holes. And although we were all taught to empty the pockets before turning the laundry machine on, accidents happen sometimes. We are here to help you save the day after an unwelcomed item stayed hidden in the pocket through the washing cycle.
 

Tissues

If you opened your laundry machine only to be surprised by a bunch of small white pieces covering your clothes, you have just washed a paper tissue with them. In this case shake each individual item of clothing so that white pieces fall off. Let your clothes dry and shake them again once they are dried completely. If white pieces are still on them use a lint roller or tape to remove the remaining parts. And do not forget about cleaning the machine as well. Remove white pieces from the inside of the machine with a soft cloth and clean the filter. Run the machine on self-clean program and clean the filter again once the cycle is done. Luckily Hisense laundry machines are quiet, energy and water efficient, meaning that running the cleaning cycles will not hurt your pocket.

Wallets, cards, and money

If you washed your wallet the first thing to do is to remove everything that was in it, lay them out separately and let them dry. There should not be any problems with coins, but its probably the more valuable banknotes you are freaking out about. Thanks to the material they are made of, banknotes should also remain intact, so lay them out and let them air-dry in a place where a breeze from an open window will not fly them away. If your banknotes are damaged however, take them to the bank where they can replace them. When it comes to cards most of them are waterproof and made to withstand detergents, but the temperature will be an issue with them though. You might need to replace them if they were washed on temperatures above 57°C, since they can start to melt.

When it comes to the wallet itself, it depends on materials and the cycle it went through. If it looks fine, empty it, and let it air-dry. But if your wallet is made from leather, it will need some extra attention. Firstly, remove as much water as you can with a soft towel. You should not use high temperatures so keep hair dryers and radiators away and let it air-dry in a closed position. If, however the material still feels or looks effected by the laundry machine, try to restore with a bit of leather conditioner.

Jewelry

To properly wash our hands, we should always remove jewelry before washing them. Unfortunately, this can lead to putting your rings and bracelets into your pocket and forgetting about them until it is too late, and they have already been washed with the laundry. If your jewelry is made of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, titanium, stainless steel, plastic, or glass it should be fine, on the other hand items made of metals that oxidize might not come out looking the way they did.

Remember to always check and empty your pockets before washing. And yes, we know, wishful thinking, but after reading this maybe you’ll remember to check for the next couple of times. Hopefully enough, to get us out of the cold season.