Have you always relied on your mother or partner to do your washing, but now find yourself on your own? That was me a few decades ago. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that there’s more to it than just bunging everything into the washing machine. In order that you’re a little wiser, here are ten tips to help beginners do their laundry without ruining their clothes.
My First Laundry Lesson
My first visit to the self-service laundry after leaving home was a disaster.
It left most of my whites a sort of marbled gray, my sweaters were just about big enough to fit G.I. Joe, and the coffee stain on my new beige trousers was still as prominent as it had been before I squeezed it into the machine.
Doubting myself, I mentioned this mishap to an older, divorced friend. He told me I should have sorted my washing according to color and fabric, and that I’d overloaded the machine, which I’d done to save money. Of course, the amount I saved was negligible compared to the cost of replacing my ruined clothes.
I’ve learned a lot since then. In fact, I’ve become something of a laundry expert. So, let me share my knowledge in order that you don’t make the same mistakes.
How to Do Laundry Properly for Beginners
Ten tips to help beginners launder clothes without ruining them.
1. Sort Your Laundry
Sort your washing into four categories—light, colored, delicate fabrics, and heavily soiled.
And separate any new items that are not colorfast; you can take it for granted that natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and wool will “bleed” their dye. The same is true of nylon and rayon.
Sort According to Color
Light (which includes white, pale, and pastel) and colored laundry need different detergents. To help prevent fading, washing powders formulated for colored textiles don’t contain bleaching agents.
Sort According to Fabric
Delicate fabrics like silk and wool need a gentler wash cycle and lower temperature. Heavily soiled fabrics may require a higher temperature and additional cleaning agents, like bleach.
Remember, too, that terry cloth and some natural fabrics like linen, cotton, and wool, may produce lint. This will attach itself to other textiles, particularly corduroy and nylon.
Bleaching Agents for White and Colored Laundry
If using bleach, note that chlorine based products are only suitable for white textiles. So-called “all fabric bleach” is for all textiles and colors.
Pay Attention to the Care Tab
The “care tab” in garments is there to help you sort your laundry and is invaluable for beginners.
Among other things, it tells you at which temperature to wash and dry garments and what sort of cycle they need. For example, most delicate fabrics shouldn’t be spun and may need to be dried flat. This is especially true of wool sweaters.
If the care tab is missing and you’re uncertain, opt for a lower temperature and gentler cycle.
By the way, I always read the care tab before buying new clothes; apart from my “dry-clean only” suits, I need garments that are convenient to launder.
Washing New and Heavily Soiled Items
As previously mentioned, separate dark and brightly colored clothes if they are new since the color may “bleed.” This is always the case with denim.
Separate work clothes too, especially those covered in grease, mud, paint, or similar. You don’t want them coming into contact with less soiled items.
Keep Microfibers Away From Fabric Conditioner
Fabric conditioner or softener is never necessary (and makes a man smell mothered), but don’t add it if there are microfibers in the machine. It will cause them to lose their absorbency, rendering them useless.
However, if you replace fabric softener with white spirit vinegar, the functionality of toweling fabrics and microfibers will increase. Don’t worry about the smell; it dissipates during drying.
As a side note, both vinegar and baking soda will eliminate heavy odors.
2. Roll Down Sleeves
This is something beginners to laundry always overlook.
Cuffs are particularly prone to soiling and won’t become clean unless sleeves are rolled down.
If shirt cuffs and collars are very soiled, scrub them with a brush and old-fashioned laundry soap before putting them in the machine. This, by the way, is an effective pre- or spot treatment for all heavy soiling and some stains.
Alternatively, use a special laundry stick, which you’ll find at most drugstores. Cadie and Magic Wand are popular brands in the United States.
3. Fasten Buttons, Zippers, and Velcro
Always fasten buttons, zippers, and similar devices before washing. This prevents them being torn off during the wash cycle or other items being damaged by them.
Fasten Velcro, too, in order that it doesn’t catch onto other fabrics.
4. Check that Pockets Are Empty
It’s not only beginners who make this mistake—even the most seasoned laundry experts forget pockets.
A forgotten tissue will shred during the wash cycle and leave a confounded mess. Worse still, a pen left in a shirt pocket could permanently change the color of your clothes.
5. Turn Colored Items Inside Out
This is a laundry tip many beginners may already have encountered; but it doesn’t only apply to jeans.
To help prevent fading, turn all colored clothing and printed t-shirts inside out before washing.
6. Use Laundry Nets (also Called Mesh Laundry Bags)
Prevent damage by placing delicate items like silk shirts and wool sweaters into laundry nets before throwing them in the washing machine.
Laundry nets are also recommended for cuddly toys and sneakers, and will keep socks and other small items from going astray, as so often happens in the washing machine.
If you don’t own a laundry net, use a zipped pillowcase instead.
Source: Pexels7. Make Sure the Washing Machine Is Properly Loaded
The drum needs to be at least half full but not overloaded.
Why You Shouldn’t Overload
During rotation, fabrics need to rub together to aid cleaning. Overloading not only prevents proper rubbing, it also disables washing powder from dissolving, which will then stick to your laundry even after several rinses.
As a result, your clothes will come out of the machine smelling fresh but still soiled and full of undissolved detergent.
A liquid product won’t solve the problem, by the way.
You’ve overloaded if there isn’t enough space to fit your fist between the laundry and the washing machine door.
Why You Shouldn’t Underload
Underloading is similarly a bad idea: too few clothes in the drum also means too little rubbing action to get them clean.
8. Use the Correct Amount of Washing Detergent
Find out how hard or soft the water in your area is.
You’ll need more detergent for hard water and less for soft. Consider a water conditioner if you’re in a hard water area—in the long term, it may prove more economical than using more detergent.
9. Reduce Laundry Costs With Lower Temperatures
Today’s detergents are designed to wash efficiently at lower temperatures, which can reduce your electricity bill and prolong the life of your clothes.
If you wash at 60 C instead of 95 C, you’ll save 30 percent energy. Washing at 40 C or less instead of 60 C will save 50 percent.
10. Keep Your Washing Machine Clean and Fresh
This is something beginners never think of: if you don’t keep your machine smelling fresh, your laundry won’t smell good, either.
To prevent mildew and mustiness, let the machine dry after each use by leaving the powder compartment and door or lid open. To get rid of unpleasant odors, run a hot, empty cycle with a cup of white spirit vinegar or baking soda.
Rinse the powder compartment regularly with hot water, and remove detergent and fabric conditioner residue from hard-to-reach places using a toothbrush.
Source: PexelsA Word on Drying Your Laundry
You can air dry your laundry by hanging it on a rack or out on a line, which will make it smell fresh and, if the sun is shining, whiten whites. But I like to tumble dry.
I prefer it because nothing needs ironing afterward, even if I do press my shirts to give them a crisper appearance.
To achieve the no-iron benefit, you’ll need to take your clothes out of the dryer the moment the cycle is finished and fold or hang them immediately. If you’re no good at folding, use hangers for shirts and trousers—this is what I do.
As with washing, always read the care tab before deciding on a drying cycle, and remember that the fewer clothes you place in the dryer, the quicker they’ll dry. Just make sure they’ve been properly spun, and don’t overfill the machine.
To speed up the process, use wool laundry balls, which keep the clothing separated. Making dryer sheets redundant, these also prevent static buildup and enhance the no-iron advantage.
© 2024, J. Richardson. All rights reserved.
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