7 Laundry Tips Everyone Should Know, According to a 4th-Generation Dry Cleaner

Including one thing most people do wrong.

Laundry is a weekly chore you’ve probably been doing for years, but you may be surprised at how much you don’t know about this seemingly straightforward task. Zach Pozniak, a fourth-generation dry cleaner in New York City, has people rapt with his game-changing laundry pro tips—to the tune of nearly 1 million people across TikTok and Instagram. He’s also about to launch a brand new book on the topic, aptly named The Laundry Book . We got a chance to ask Zach all about his best laundry tips so you can take your washing and drying game to the next level.

Meet Our Expert

• Zach Pozniak , a fourth-generation dry cleaner in New York City, and content creator behind @Jeeves_NY on TikTok and Instagram

Stick to Cold Water Most of the Time

We often associate hot water with improved sanitation, but Pozniak says to cool it on the steamy water—literally. In fact, he says washing the majority of clothes in cold water is his biggest laundry tip.

“There are so many benefits: Your clothes will last longer, you'll use less energy and thus be more sustainable and save money on your electric or gas, your clothes will fade less, and your clothes will shrink less,” he says. Hot water should be reserved only for very deep cleans, and sanitary washes for very soiled or very stinky garments and linens.

Never Tumble Dry Stained Fabric

When trying to work a stubborn stain out of fabric, one of the worst things you can do is run it through the dryer before the stain’s completely removed. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake people make when doing laundry and once the deed is done, it’s often too late.

“Contrary to popular belief, hot water does not set stains but hot air does,” Pozniak warns. “Make sure to inspect a garment with a stain before drying. If it remains, try repeating the stain removal process or try more aggressive treatments.”

Pre-Treat Your Stains

Speaking of stains, Pozniak is a strong believer in pre-treating any problem spots before tossing the garment or linen into the washing bin. “Pretreating stains right away will go a very long way—the sooner you act the better!” he says. “Plus, using targeted methods, you’ll get better cleaning results and hopefully save some money on using excessive amounts of detergent.”

Related: The 10 Best Laundry Stain Removers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Use Less Detergent

On that note… Raise your hand if you’ve ever added your laundry detergent without measuring it out . Doing this often leads to dumping in too much, which wastes product and potentially gums up your machine. Pozniak says, “Water is doing 80% of the cleaning; detergent is there to lend an extra hand. When you use too much, you basically cause a ‘stain traffic jam.’” Always read the label on the packaging for dosage amounts.

Skip the Fabric Softener on Certain Fabrics

Ah, the age-old debate of whether or not you need to use a fabric softener . This laundry product can come in handy sometimes, but Pozniak says you don’t definitely shouldn’t use it on certain fabrics, including gym clothes, synthetic fabrics, towels, undergarments, and bedding.

“All of these items' main function is to absorb sweat,” he explains. “By adding fabric softener you'll clog the fibers making them less absorbent. Fabric softener should only be used for things like tee shirts if you really want to use it.”

Air Dry Your Synthetic Fabrics

When transferring garments from the washing machine to the dryer, remove any synthetic fabrics and let them air dry on a clothesline or by laying flat, Pozniak says. He explains, “Synthetics dry super fast and they hate heat, so air drying will make them last longer.” This includes polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex, and rayon.

Read Your Tag Labels

Garment tags are there for a reason; they provide a game plan for your fabrics to ensure they last a long time. And if the tag does say “dry clean only,” you should follow those orders. “If a garment is of high value, very important to you, sentimental, or just something you need extra help with, bring it to your local dry cleaner,” Pozniak says. “Us dry cleaners have access to many types of cleaning methods and are a valuable resource.”

Related: 11 Ways You're Damaging Your Washer and Dryer Every Time You Do Laundry

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