Zachary Pozniak is a fourth-generation dry cleaner from New York who is also a laundry “influencer” (@jeeves_ny on Instagram and TikTok) with more than 1.5 million followers.
We asked him to cut through all the noise and bewildering array of products available in the laundry aisle in the shops to tell readers how they should wash and care for their clothes.
“The biggest waste of money that I see when it comes to how people do their laundry is that they use way too much laundry detergent. You only need to be using two to four tablespoons of liquid detergent per load. No need to fill a whole cap full,” Pozniak says.
“As a general rule of thumb I use one tablespoon of liquid detergent for refresh loads, two tablespoons for most loads and three to four tablespoons for soiled or large loads.”
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Treating and washing clothes:
- First I separate my clothes by colour and then weight. While you can buy colour catchers, which claim to prevent your clothes from being dyed in the wash, their actual ability to do this is limited
- Then I pretreat any stains
- I wash most of my clothes on cold, on a short express cycle, with a liquid detergent and a rinse product, such as a laundry sanitiser
- I always inspect my clothes before tumble drying them.
Pozniak uses liquid laundry detergent, rather than the pods, and likes the detergents that Ariel and Persil make.
If a bad smell persists after washing, Pozniak advises washing the item again on a longer cycle with a higher temperature and, in addition to using laundry detergent, using a laundry sanitiser.
He would never use scent-boosters when washing clothes as he says they are “only perfume”. He uses dryer balls rather than dryer sheets in the tumble dryer.
Tumble drying:
- Always check the care instructions before tumble drying anything
- Most cotton items such as T-shirts, bed sheets and towels can be tumble dried
- Polyester fabrics and blends are usually safe to tumble dry
- Jeans and other denim items can be tumble dried, but it is best to do them on a low heat to prevent shrinkage
- Fleece blankets and microfibre clothes can be tumble dried, but a low heat setting is recommended.
Don’t tumble dry:
- Delicates
- Gym clothes, as they can loose elasticity
- Anything with feathers
- Suede and leather
- Acrylic garments as these can stretch out and tend to hold on to odours
- Anything that is pleated or has pleats as it can loose its shape and structure
- Items that have been embellished with sequins, beads, glass or rhinestones
- Items with non-removable hardware
- Garments that say spot clean only.
Extending the life of clothes:
Coats: Winter coats rarely need to be cleaned. Check the label to see how it should be cleaned; they may be a good option for a dry cleaner.
Jeans: Washing them in cold water will minimise colour loss.
Underwear: Wash in hot sanitising cycles to ensure they are kept germ-free.
Jumpers and knits: Need to be dried flat to prevent shrinkage. Animal fibres need to be hand washed with a product designed for protein fibres.
Silks: Like knits they need to be handwashed with a product designed for protein fibres.
Towels and sheets: Clean regularly in cold water and deep-clean every once in a while with an oxygen bleach soak followed by a hot sanitising cycle.
“Most people think they are way dirtier than they actually are, and cold water cleans will provide a solid clean. Cold water paired with modern machines and products will do an amazing job on your clothing,” Pozniak says.
Getting rid of stains:
When dealing with stains avoid putting the garment in the tumble dryer as heat can set the stain.
Red wine:
- If the stain is fresh then rinse it with cold water to dilute the wine
- Then soak the stain in a concentrated cleaning vinegar – you’ll need a vinegar that is 15 to 45 per cent – for at least an hour
- If you only have cooking vinegar then you may need to repeat the soaking process
- Then wash the garment according to its care label instructions
- If the stain is still there, soak and wash it again.
Tomato sauce:
- Wipe away any excess tomato sauce from the fabric
- Rinse the area with cold water to remove as much of the stain as you can
- Mix equal parts warm water and white vinegar then add a few drops of dish soap to the mixture
- Work the solution into the stained area and let it sit for at least 15 minutes
- If that doesn’t work then apply a stain remover that contains amylase as that will help break down the sugars in the tomato. Leave the stain remover for an hour
- Wash the garment according to care label instructions
- If after the wash the stain is still visible then soak the fabric in hot water with powdered oxygen bleach and then wash again.
Make-up:
- Mascara: Gently blot the area with rubbing alcohol (also known as surgical spirit). Don’t rub it as that could spread the stain. Apply a stain remover and let it sit for 15 minutes. Wash the item with a quality detergent such as Persil or Ariel. If the stain has not come out then repeat the treatment
- Foundation: Put a towel behind the affected area and then pour micellar water over the stain. Use a round plastic utensil to work the stain out of the fabric. Do this until the stain goes away and then wash the item. If the stain persists then put the item in water overnight with powdered oxygen bleach
- Lipstick: Put a towel behind the stain and apply liquid laundry detergent, work it into the stain and blot it with a paper towel. Then wash the garment according to the care label
- Hand sanitiser can sometimes be effective for removing make-up stains because of its high alcohol content. Put it on the stain, scrub it in, then wash as normal.
Ink:
Ink can be a particularly difficult stain to remove, but this method has been shown to work for various ink types.
- Soak the item overnight or for 12 hours in a mixture of equal parts water and rubbing alcohol and a few drops of washing-up liquid
- Scrub the area with water and more washing-up liquid
- Wash as normal
- For stubborn stains you might want to soak the garment in hot water and oxygen bleach before putting it in the washing machine.
Coffee:
- With a coffee stain time is of the essence as the sooner you treat it the better chance you have of completely removing it
- If you are out and about the best thing you can do is get some paper towels and place one behind the stain and dab the front side of the stain with soap and washing up liquid. Your body heat will help to quickly dry the affected area
- Rinse the item with cold water
- Dab or pour cleaning or cooking vinegar on the stain and let it sit for about 20 minutes
- If this doesn’t seem to be working then soak the garment in a mixture of vinegar and water before washing
- Wash the item as the care label instructs
- If the stain is still there after the wash, spray it with hydrogen peroxide and let it air dry or soak it overnight in hot water with oxygen bleach before washing again.
Gum:
- For thicker fabrics put your item in the freezer for a few hours as it will then become brittle and easier to dry off
- For most fabrics you can apply acetone or a high-proof grain alcohol to the stain area
- Then use a gentle scraping action to remove the bulk of the gum
- When the gum has been removed clean the area with a suitable fabric cleaner to remove any residue
- If you are dealing with leather then you should treat the leather with a leather conditioner to keep the material hydrated and protected.
Oil:
- Mix a small amount of washing-up liquid with warm water and gently rub it into the stain
- Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes
- Wash the item as per the care instructions
- Repeat these steps if it doesn’t come out the first time.
Old stains:
- For old dried stains put a bit of washing-up liquid on to the stain and rub it in gently
- Next mix more washing-up liquid with warm water and work that into the stain
- Then add a little laundry detergent directly on to the stain
- Wash the item.
Zachary Pozniak is chief operating officer of Jeeves New York and co-author with his father of The Laundry Book.
Earlier this year he launched asknyjeeves.com, an artificial intelligence (AI) laundry assistant trained to answer any and all laundry-related questions.
