The Beyond Easy Way To Save Your Favorite Hoodie's Strings From Tangling In The Wash

Hooded sweatshirts are a staple in most wardrobes, whether they're worn for athletic purposes or to achieve a casual cool vibe. While they're effortless to wear, the drawstrings are not always the easiest to keep untangled or even from coming out of the hood altogether when washed in a machine. Fortunately, it's easy enough to stop this mishap from occurring. In fact, the way to prevent wayward and tangled drawstrings is so obvious that you'll probably kick yourself for not thinking of it long ago — simply tie them in a bow before putting them in the washing machine.

Hooded sweatshirts join the legion of certain clothing items that need an extra step or two to preserve them in the washer and/or dryer. For example, you probably already know to separate whites and colors in the laundry to avoid spillover dye. Similarly, delicates like bras should have their hooks fastened and be placed in zipper mesh laundry bags. All of these steps protect the garments in question, as well as anything else they're taking a tumble with. The unfortunate truth is that the drawstrings common to so many hooded sweatshirts can get all twisted up in a hurry, doing damage to themselves and other bits of clothing in the process. Fortunately, it's incredibly easy to avoid this dilemma altogether using a skill you likely mastered in Kindergarten.

Clothing items with drawstrings are at greater risk of getting damaged than other pieces because the strings can get pulled partially or all the way out when they get wrapped around and tangled on other items. Washing machines with agitators also pose a significant risk because the string can get caught up in that component. This could cause damage not only to the hoodie but also to the agitator! 

Avoid the problem altogether by tying the laces in a secure bow when sorting laundry. This works for hooded sweatshirts, as well as anything else with a drawstring, like pajama bottoms, track pants, and so on. Before putting the item(s) in the dryer, make sure the drawstring is still tied. That two-second task is literally all it takes to preserve hoodies and their strings!

If a drawstring does get inadvertently sucked into the hooded sweatshirt, use a straw to thread it back through. Simply staple the drawstring into one end of a flexible drinking straw. Then put the straw into one drawstring hole and pass it all the way through until it emerges from the other one, bringing the drawstring with it. Take out the staple and be sure to tie the strings up in the future to avoid having to repeat this unnecessary process.