Here’s a helpful list of dos and don’ts to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the basic laundry rules:
DO sort lights and darks
It is very tempting to stuff all your clothes into the washing machine and do the laundry in one big load. But you’d likely end up with lots of pink whites or faded clothes. Sort your clothes into lights and darks and run at least two loads. This will save you from the headache of color fading, discoloration etc. after washes and only takes an extra five minutes when you put the second load in. An easy way is to have two hampers so that your clothes are automatically sorted when you toss them in.
DO soak before washing
Soaking stained clothes before washing ensures that they will be cleaned properly. Just put the clothes in a tub with some warm water and detergent for around 15-30 minutes minimum. Do check on colors, though, to avoid any bleeding and ruining; maybe soak them separately.
DO be aware of the temperature
For maximum stain removal and cleaning, whites should be washed in hot water and all other loads in warm water. Delicate clothes, on the other hand, should be washed in cold water only to avoid ruining their shape.
DO a quick bleeding test
If you’re afraid a certain item color might bleed, simply dab a cotton swab soaked in water and detergent on an inner seam of the garment in question and see if any dye comes off. If it does, then you’re better off washing it separately, hand washing it or getting it dry cleaned.
DON’T overload the machine
Avoid cramming all your clothes into the machine. Your clothes might not get washed properly, even if you save time on doing a load. The sorting we recommend above should help with this too.
DON’T leave things in your pockets
And as you empty them, don’t forget to pull up zippers, and close any snaps, hooks, and Velcro. Buttons, on the other hands, should remain unfastened to avoid stressing them.
DON’T abuse your dryer
The more clothes you put in the dryer, the longer they will take to dry. So you don’t save any time if you do this.
DON’T leave your clothes in the machine or dryer
Remove the clothes from the machine or dryer as soon as the cycle is complete. If you leave clothes in the machine for long, colors of clothes might transfer to each other. The damp environment can also become a breeding ground for mold spores and bacteria. If left for too long in the dryer, they might end up being too wrinkly.
Keeping these in mind can make doing laundry less of a hassle than it already is.
