The Japanese method of washing clothes that almost no one wears and lasts twice as long.
Washing clothes seems like a simple task: put everything together, add detergent “by eye”, press a button and that’s it. But if your black jeans turn gray, your whites turn yellow, the towels are rough, and your workout clothes smell weird even though they’re “clean,” it’s not bad luck. It’s the result of small mistakes repeated over and over again.
In many Japanese homes, washing is treated as a system: simple, neat, and consistent. It does not require expensive products or a special washing machine. It just requires understanding what damages clothes… and correct it with concrete steps.
Why Your Clothes Are Ruined So Fast
Most garments are not “worn out” by use, but by washing: friction, excess detergent, incorrect temperatures, overcrowded loads, mixed fabrics, and poorly treated stains.
The Japanese method seeks three things:
- Reduce friction and bumps between garments
- Avoid chemical residues that harden fabrics and fix odors
- Wash with intention: every garment gets the treatment it needs
Step 1: Separate well (not just whites and colors)
Separating by color is just the beginning. The system works when you also separate by dirt level, weight and fabric type.
1) Separate by dirt level: “very dirty”, “normal” and “barely used”
This changes everything. Dirt and bad odor are transferred.
- Very dirty: gym socks, dirty clothes, heavy sweaty clothes
- Normal: everyday clothes
- Barely worn: garments that just need to be “freshened”
2) Separate by weight: heavy with heavy, delicate with delicate
Towels and jeans pound everything else inside the drum.
- Heavy: jeans, towels, thick sheets
- Delicate: thin blouses, underwear, lace garments, soft fabrics
3) Separate lint-releasing cotton
White fluff on black clothes? It is usually cotton.
- Wash separate black/synthetic cottons to avoid stuck lint.
4) The new darks, only the first 3 washes
A new black jean can loosen dye and stain other garments. At first, he goes alone.
Step 2: Prepare Clothes Before Washing
This step is the one that extends the life of the garments the most.
Turn everything that has color inside out
The outside is what you see. By flipping it, you protect the color and avoid wear and tear.
Closes zippers, fastens buttons and ties laces
An open zipper can snag fabrics, tear fibers, and mistreat other garments.
Use mesh bags (net bags)
They are a “silent trick” that reduces damage.
- Underwear in a
- Delicate blouses in another
- Sweaters in another
They protect against friction, deformations and snags.
Step 3: Treat stains without ruining them
The common mistake is to use hot water for everything. In many stains, that fixes them.
Protein stains (sweat, blood, food)
- Always cold water
- Baking soda paste + water, apply 30 minutes and then wash normal
Oil, oil, or makeup
- Neutral soap (stick) dry on dry
- Rub the stain, leave for 15 minutes and then wash
Coffee, wine or fruit
- Mix white vinegar + water (half and half)
- Soak, wait a while and wash
Dirt or mud
- Let dry first
- Brush and then apply direct detergent
The golden rule: act fast.
Step 4: The “right” wash (where most fail)
Don’t fill the washing machine to the top
The ideal load is maximum 3/4. Clothes need room to move and rinse.
Quick test: If you can’t move your fist between clothes easily, there’s too much.
Cold water for almost everything
Hot water shrinks, fades and damages elastic fibers.
- Cold or barely warm: 80% of the clothes
- Warm – only if very dirty
- Hot: only for white towels or sheets that you want to disinfect
Use less detergent (yes, less)
The excess leaves residue stuck to the fabric, causing:
- Rigidity
- Opacity
- “Weird” smells after washing
Use half of what is recommended and evaluate for a month.
Learn 4 programs and you’re done
- Delicate (30 min): underwear, thin tops (cold water)
- Normal (45–60 min): most of your clothes
- Heavy (90 min): towels, sheets, jeans very dirty
- Fast (15–30 min): barely worn, refreshed
Step 5: The Two Cheap Ingredients That Change Everything
Bicarbonate: goes at the beginning of the wash
Add 1/2 cup directly to the drum with the clothes (along with the detergent).
It helps to:
- Enhance detergent
- Eliminate real odors
- Cleaning deeper without damaging fabrics
For clothes with a strong smell:
- Soak 30 minutes in cold water with 1 cup of baking soda and then normal cycle.
White vinegar: goes in the rinse
Never mix it with baking soda at the same time.
- Put 1/2 cup in the compartment where the fabric softener would go.
It helps to:
- Remove detergent residue
- Smooth Naturally
- Reduce static
- Neutralize odors (no odor remains)
Step 6: Smart Drying (The Forgotten Part)
- Take out the clothes as soon as the cycle is finished (you avoid bacteria and musty smell).
- Shake each garment before hanging: reduces wrinkles and regains shape.
- T-shirts: hang them from below, not from the shoulders (they do not deform).
- Sweaters: they dry flat so they don’t stretch.
- If you use a dryer: light load, low temperature, and take out when it is a little humid to finish in the air.
Bonus: natural tricks that are also used a lot
- Sol: natural bleach for white garments (controlled exposure).
- Salt: I soak 1 hour in cold water with 1/2 cup to set color on new fading garments.
- Monthly cleaning of the washing machine: empty cycle with hot water + 2 cups of vinegar + 1/2 cup of baking soda (helps avoid mold and bad odors).
- Leave the washing machine door open between washes to dry inside.
Final Tips and Recommendations
- Have 3 baskets: very dirty / normal / barely used. It changes your habit effortlessly.
- If your clothes come out “hard” or smell funny, it’s almost always excess detergent and poor rinsing.
- Mesh bags: use them as a rule, not as an exception, especially with delicates.
- Wash less: Jeans and sweaters don’t need to be washed after every use (if there’s no real dirt).
- If your skin is irritated, try reducing detergent and using vinegar in the rinse: many times the problem is the residue.
The Japanese method is not magic: it is order, care and two simple ingredients used at the right time. Separating better, avoiding friction, using less detergent, choosing cold water and rinsing well can make your clothes last twice as long, preserve colors, smell really clean and save you much more than you imagine.
👉 Follow our page, like 👍, and share this post. Every click can make a difference—perhaps saving your own life or that of a loved one.