Although laundry may seem like an essential task every household deals with, it must be understood. Nobody just throws the basket into the washer. Instead, there is a whole process to it. I’m sure we’ve all had some laundry accidents that resulted in losing one of your favourite shirts or dresses. This is why you need to know the ins and outs of laundry before taking responsibility for washing your family’s clothes. This laundry guide article will go through everything there is to know about doing laundry, from separating the clothes to buying the proper detergent to the drying process.
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Sorting Your Laundry
First and foremost, you must sort your laundry. There are a few sorting methods, and one method may be more practical for your needs than the other.
The first method of sorting is according to colour shades. Dark dyes are prone to ruining lighter-toned fabrics, so it’s essential to separate your laundry by colour: dark shades in one load and lighter tones in another.
The following method of sorting is according to fabric weight. To protect your lighter, more delicate garments, separate heavy fabrics from lighter ones. For example, towels and blankets should be washed and dried separately from garments like dresses or skirts.
Fabric type is an additional sorting method. Here, we are referring to different fabrics such as cotton, linen, satin, etc. Make sure to wash jeans or any garment with zippers and buttons in a different load than lingerie or knitwear. The buttons and zippers can damage the more delicate fabrics.
Dirtier items are an obvious sorting method. The dirtier the item, the more rigorous washing necessary. Additionally, they must often be pre-treated before being placed into the washer. Wash dirtier clothes separately on a more extended and tougher cycle.
How to Pre-treat? Laundry Guide
Clothes with tough stains will not get clean in the washing machine. They need to be pre-treated beforehand. What is the logic of pre-treating? It sounds funny that there is a need to pre-treat clothes before throwing them in the wash. Doesn’t the wash do all the work for you? Well, yes, partly it does, but pre-treating loosens up the stained areas of the garments, which makes the stain easier to wash away.
There are many ways to treat stained clothes, but two of the most common methods are pouring liquid detergent such as Tide or Persil onto the stain and soaking the garment in a mixture of liquid detergent and water.
Using The Right Amount of Detergent
A common mistake is adding more detergent than necessary. Detergent dosing is critical for perfectly clean clothes. A few factors determine the amount of detergent that needs to be used. Some of the factors include the size and soil level of your laundry load, the water in your country or region, and the type of detergent you’re using.
Determine the Load Size of Your Washing Machine
The amount of clothes you can fit in your washing machine depends on its size. Pay attention to the load size of your washer to get the best results without wasting time and energy. There is a simple rule of thumb for load size, learn how to find out if you have too much in your wahser: Simply place your hand against the inner wall of your washing machine. If your hand fits comfortably, you can start the load. If you feel there’s more space, add more clothes, and lastly, if your hand doesn’t fit, take some clothes out.
Selecting the Wash Cycle – Laundry Guide
The easiest way to determine the wash cycle for clothes is to refer to the laundry care symbols on your garments. The laundry detergent you use is not the only factor that affects the results of your clothes after being washed; the speed of the washing machine, water temperature and cycle also affect the results. Once you’ve sorted your clothes based on colour or fabric type, check the chart below to decipher which speed and temperature you should set your washer on.
| Cycle | Use | How it Cleans |
| Cotton | Removes dirt and stains on durable fabric such as towels, cotton underwear, socks, cotton pajamas etc. | Rigorous washing High-speed cycle Adjustable temp |
| Delicate | Gentle cleaning for items such as lingerie, silk, wool etc. | Low gentle wash Gentle spin cycle |
| Synthetics | Everyday wash for synthetic garments such as blended and synthetic fabrics like polyester, jeans and jumpers. | Medium wash Low spin cycle Warm to cool temp |
| Quick Wash | Everyday washing quickly done. Not for delicate clothes. | Short wash cycle High speed spin |
| Hand Wash | Gentle hand washing mimick cycle. | Low speed cycle Low spin |
Throughout this laundry guide we’ve reviewed how to do laundry and properly wash clothes, we have to master how to dry them as well. The process of drying your clothes is just as important as washing them. The first rule of drying is to remove the clothes from the washer soon after the cycle has finished. Leaving clothes inside the washing machine can lead to musty and mouldy smells.
The next step is checking the labels of the garments. Many garments need to be hang-dried and cannot withstand a tumble dryer. When placing clothes into the dryer, make sure not to overstuff it. This can lead to uneven drying. Leaving enough space in the dryer gives room for the clothes to tumble and dry properly.
Closing Thoughts – Laundry Guide
This Laundry guide article discussed everything one needs to know about washing clothes, from separating them according to colour or fabric type to pre-treating them, selecting the proper wash cycle, and drying them properly. Being a laundry pro does not happen within days; it takes practice, trial and effort and some deep dives into laundry guide. Sometimes, you will put a garment in the washer only to receive a different version of it once the cycle is finished.
In this guide, we aim to steer you away from those mistakes. We hope you can refer to this article for a reference on your next laundry day. By following the steps we mentioned in this article, we can guarantee your clothes will come out cleaner than ever.
What is the correct order of doing laundry?
The order of doing laundry as we’ve discussed in our laundry guide is to sort the clothes, pre-treat them, load the washer, add detergent, select the right cycle and lastly remove and dry them.
What are the 7 steps of laundry?
The 7 steps of doing laundry goes as follows.
Sort the clothes, Pre-treat, load the washer, add detergent, select the cycle, remove and dry them, and lastly fold and put away.
