Laundry Tips for Tip Top Results

Laundry-whether, you work full time outside the home or stay-at-home, laundry is a part of necessary chores. How you launder your clothes makes a difference in how long the clothes last, how nice they look when we wear them, and how well you enjoy your home.

Laundry Collection

Collect soiled clothes in a bathroom or bedroom hamper. Don't throw damp towels and washcloths in with the other laundry. Hang them to dry in the bathroom until you are ready to begin washing them to prevent mold and mildew that can ruin clothes. Separate delicates and fine dress clothes from work clothes and soiled athletic clothing. Rinse chlorine from swimsuits in a sink or bathtub and hang to dry. Don't wash swimsuits with other laundry.

Sorting the Laundry

• Type.  Start sorting clothes by the type of care needed.  Read clothing labels and sort into groups by necessary water temperature-those that must be machine-washed in hot, warm, or cold water. Set aside those to be dry-cleaned or hand washed.

• Color.  Next, sort the clothes and items by color. Even though jeans may be past fading, you should not wash them with linens or whites. Divide the laundry into all white, mostly white, medium and then dark colors.
• Degree.  Further sort clothes by the degree of dirtiness. Separate out any items that are extra-dirty, like soiled socks that were worn in a muddy place, work clothes with grease, and dishcloths that might also be greasy. Washing your child's dirty crusted jeans with other pairs may spread the stains and soiling leaving a whole load of dingy clothes. Stains may travel from one article to another that is more receptive a fabric and less forgiving. In addition, dirtier clothes require detergents that are more stringent and often need bleaching which causes unnecessary wear and possible fading to less dirty items.
• Features. Sort the laundry again for potential fraying, linting, damage-causing buckles, sequins, bead and embroidery work or lace. Be certain that you wash items that might cause damage to other articles separately.

Washer Types and Soap

Washers are changing every year. From washboard to wringers, top loaders to front loaders-laundering has come a long way. Now, we are seeing some amazing changes in washing machines. There are machines that use very little water and new types that clean with steam. Some clean with silver oxide plates inside the machine that draw dirt and stain from fabric without soap and water! There are even machines that both wash and dry.

Most washers do not need as much detergent as the soap packages advise. Front loaders certainly use smaller amounts. Most use one third of the full cup once used by homemakers. These "green" washers use 40% less water and 30% less detergent. They require a low-sudsing detergent as well. Use a powdered detergent in softer waters and a liquid if your water is hard. The harder your water the more detergent you may find you need.

Pretreating Stains

Check garments carefully for items left in the pockets- a crayon, ink pen, pocket knife, Kleenex, etc. Some can ruin the clothes or even the whole load of laundry. Some can do irreparable damage to your machine.

Look for stains. Pretreat stains by soaking in cold water or spraying with a commercial stain remover allowing five minutes at least for the stain to soak and then washing. Detergents and hot water will set stains (make them permanent) in garments aren't pretreated.

If the pieces are colorfast and need whitening or stain removal, add chlorine bleach to the wash water. This will also deodorize and sanitize the laundry. Too much bleaching can cause the fabric to become weak. Bluing is a less hostile whitener. Be certain that you add bluing or non-chlorine all-fabric bleaches when the washer has plenty of water so the bluing will dissolve well and not leave blue streaks on the clothing. Borax also will help whiten laundry, remove stains and deodorize. It is especially good for soaking diapers. Use ½ cup per bucket of soap water and add ½ cup more to your machine's wash cycle.

Fabric softeners

You can add liquid fabric softeners to the rinse cycle or in disposable sheet form to the dryer. Dryer sheets help reduce static electricity that builds up during drying and gives your clothes a fresh scent.

Water Temperatures

• Use cold water, 80ºF or lower, when you wash delicate fabrics or fabrics with bright colors that might run or fade.
• Use warm water, 90º to 100º F, for dark colors, bright colored fabrics that are colorfast and for permanent press garments. Most everyday laundry can be safely washed in warm water.
• Hot water, 130 º F or higher, for whites, pastels and light prints, dishtowels, bath towels, sheets and other linens, work clothes that are heavily soiled or greasy, sports, play clothes, diapers and clothes needing disinfecting.

Drying Clothes

Clothes should be loaded into the dryer sparsely enough to allow them to tumble freely. Overcrowding takes longer to get dry and causes clothes to dry with wrinkles. A full load while wet should only fill about one third of the dryer.

Temperatures for Drying

Set the temperature according to the type of fabric. You should dry delicates for shorter periods and at lower temperatures. The permanent press cycle is a medium heat cycle that cools down and tumbles at the end, allowing you to remove garments promptly and avoid wrinkling. You should use a no-heat cycle to dry items that are plastic like shower curtains or diaper covers, or any fabric with pile. These items might also be line dried.

Sheets, quilts, blankets, rugs and other heavy fabric items can benefit from line drying.

Equipment

• Special drying racks help air circulate around sweaters and other garments whose labels instruct you to "lay flat to dry."
• A folding table is a great help. Fold towels, sheets, and other items as soon as they are dry. This will keep your laundry room tidy and help you stay of top of the job.  
• A hanging rack is helpful in a laundry room. Hang clothes on hangers as you take them from the dryer.
• A shelf above the washer and dryer for detergents and other additives
• Cabinets for supplies
• Rack for ironing board and iron
• A soaking and rinsing sink can help with the job too.

Laundry can be overwhelming. Getting organized and learning the basics can save you time and effort and keep your washables looking nice longer.