Should you use a wash bag

Short answer: Use a laundry bag for anything with elastic, lace or hooks. The bag stops small items catching on other clothes and keeps socks from disappearing behind the drum. A bag costs little and makes the wash more predictable.

The bag protects delicate items

A hook or an open fastener can snag everything else in the machine. Lace and thin elastic, in turn, can get caught and stretched by buttons and zips in the rest of the load. In a bag they are kept apart, and both sides suffer less wear. That goes for bamboo sweat for men and women as much as for underwear.

Socks stay together

A pair of socks in a bag comes out as a pair. Small items tend to vanish between drum and seal or hide in sleeves and trouser legs. Put them in a bag and you find them all at once. It saves time when folding, and fewer odd socks end up in the drawer.

Do not fill the bag completely

An overfilled bag does not get washed properly. Water and detergent need to move freely through the fabric, and that takes space. Fill the bag no more than two thirds so the clothes can still move inside. If you have more, use two bags rather than pressing everything into one.

Close the bag properly

A bag with an open zip can empty itself during the wash, and then the protection is gone. Close it fully and tuck the zip pull under the small flap if the bag has one. Otherwise the pull itself can snag other clothes. It is a small detail that makes a difference.

What belongs in the bag

Underwear with elastic, bras with hooks, thin tops, socks and anything with lace belong in the bag. Heavier pieces like sweatshirts and trousers do fine without. If a soft knit has drawstrings, a bag can help keep them from tangling with the rest. See the bamboo sweatshirts for women.

Choose the right bag

Bags with a fine mesh suit small items and thin fabrics, because nothing can poke through the holes. A coarser mesh lets water through more easily and suits larger pieces. It is handy to have a few bags in different sizes, so you can sort clothes by type and never overfill a single bag.

Wash on the same programme

The bag does not change which programme you choose. Follow the care label of the clothes inside and pick the temperature that suits the most delicate piece. The bag protects against friction and snagging, but not against too much heat. The care label still decides.

Drying after the bag

Take the clothes out of the bag before drying. Bundled in a bag they dry slowly and unevenly, and damp pockets can start to smell. Hang socks and underwear up separately. Heavier pieces like bamboo sweat clothes dry best hanging or lying flat, depending on the care label.

Frequently asked questions

When should you use a laundry bag

For anything with elastic, lace or hooks, and for socks that otherwise go missing or end up in different piles when the load comes out of the machine.

Do clothes in a bag get just as clean

Almost. As long as the bag is not overfilled, water flows through freely and the result matches a normal wash without a bag, including for items with elastic.

How much can go in a bag

Two thirds at most. An overfilled bag stops water moving through the fabric and the clothes do not get clean, so split the load across two bags instead.