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Whether
you have a family of six or you live alone, there is one task that's completely
unavoidable ~ the laundry! So what's the best way to tackle that
insurmountable pile of down and dirties?
Why take it step by step of course.
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 #1 Sort - Separate your whites from
colors. Wash bright colors that will fade separately from darker ones. Keep
heavily soiled items like work and garden clothes away from your delicates.
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#2 Pre-Treating - For stubborn stains like
wine or makeup, pre-treat with a liquid detergent, or stain fighting
formula. Work through the fabric and soak in warm water for 20 minutes.
Wash as usual.
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#3 Water Temperature - As a general rule
the dirtier the hotter. For whites and colors that won't bleed or fade hot
water is great. For delicates and bright colors keep it cool. If you have
doubts about any particular fabric, use the warm cycle.
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#4 Detergents - When using powder, add the
detergent first while the water fills to avoid caking and residue on your
clothes. One advantage to liquid is that you can pour directly on stains.
But you will find that using the liquid is more expensive per load.
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#5 Drying - Lay or hang dry your delicates
or use the gentle, low heat cycle. Whenever you dry something make sure to
read the manufacturer's tags carefully and fold right away.
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Depending on where you do your laundry will ultimately affect
how you do your laundry. And if you don’t have the luxury of having a
washer and dryer at home - then you probably will have to fight the crowds
at a more public facility. But if you take a little extra time to prepare -
you will save time and energy in the long run.
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Here
are a few extra tips:
· To avoid the weekend rush do a few loads during the week.
· Make sure the lint trap is clean - it will make drying a whole lot
faster.
· If the only available dryer has finished clothes in it, consider folding
the load and setting it on top of the dryer. You’ll be doing someone else a
favor, and getting an empty dryer!
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