Is your little white dress all colored up because you thought you could throw your multi-colored festival outfit in the same drum? Are you panicking when you take a new garment out of the washing machine after washing it for the first time? Have you ever been in this kind of situation? No reason to be ashamed: it’s time to brush up on your laundry basics. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of our best tips to do your laundry.
1. How to do the wash: don’t just sort light and dark laundry!
According to Martha Stewart Living, the more you sort your laundry, the better it will come out of the washing machine. Separate heavily soiled and stained clothes from those that are less so and heavy-duty, rough fabrics- such as denim- from more delicate ones. (Turn denim inside out before washing in cold water on a gentle cycle, and dry on low heat to prevent fading).
To keep sheets from wrinkling, wash them separately rather than going through all the families at once, and add a few smaller items like underwear to the load. Donna Smallin Kuper, author of The One-Minute Cleaner, assures that these small garments keep the laundry from twisting because they have a different tumbling pattern in the dryer.
2. Never put laundry soap directly on your clothes
Believe it or not, there is a right and wrong way to load a washing machine. For the best distribution of laundry (and therefore cleaner clothes in the end), put the clothes in first, then run the water and finally add the laundry soap. And if you use bleach, put the water in first, then the clothes, then the detergent.
3. Don’t overuse the dryer
If you have time to air dry your laundry, do it. Not only will you reduce your electricity bill, but the process is much gentler on delicate clothes. Drying clothes on the clothesline helps stretchy fabrics – such as yoga pants- retain their shape. If you are still using the dryer, avoid overloading it, and don’t let the clothes run for long periods of time once they are dry. It’s also a good idea to fold or hang it up as soon as you take it out of the dryer to prevent wrinkling.
4. Don’t mix socks with other clothes
Tired of losing a sock every time you do a load? Try putting the socks in the machine first, then adding everything else. That way, they’re less likely to get caught up in other clothes, which are often responsible for their (mysterious!) disappearance.
5. Don’t leave zippers open
Open zippers can damage other clothes and scratch the door on front-loading machines. Make sure they are all closed before putting them in the machine. Open bras can also fray clothes and damage the drum of your machine. Get lingerie bags or put them in an old pillowcase to solve this problem.
6. Don’t forget to do a fade test
If you’re worried about that new red shirt you’re about to wash for the first time, give it this easy test before you cause a disaster. “Wet it in an inconspicuous area, then blot the wet area with a white cloth to see if the color “leaks.” If it does, wash that garment alone until the color stops bleeding,” we learn from Martha Stewart Living. You can also put an old white sock in the machine with this item to see if the color bleeds.
7. When cleaning the lint trap, don’t forget the filter and hose
Empty the lint filter between each use of the dryer because lint can build up in the hoses and possibly cause a fire. It is also important to clean the filter once a year with a toothbrush dipped in lye – rinse and air dry. Once a year, also detach the hose from the back of the dryer (you’ll know it’s time to do this when it takes more than an hour to dry a load of laundry), then put on a long brush and remove any lint that has accumulated.
Looking for help?
Established over 25 years ago, Distinctive Dry Cleaners are the leader in the dry cleaning industry in Australia. They are a family owned and run business that specializes in laundry services, including dry cleaning, wedding gown cleaning, curtain and drape cleaning, clothing alterations, and repairs. Their team is fully qualified and licensed to take care of your laundry needs.
Trust them for their exceptional service at competitive rates. They are based in Ivanhoe and serve all of Thornbury and Preston, and customer satisfaction is an absolute guarantee. So, what are you waiting for? Give them a call today and make all your cleaning dreams become a reality with their team of experts.
