7 Tips for Perfecting the Art of Doing Your Laundry | Many people dread doing the laundry because it consumes a lot of time and energy. Still, it remains a necessary task, as everyone needs to be able to wear clean and fresh-smelling clothes every day. If you need to deal with your dirty clothes by yourself for the first time, don’t fret. While washing clothes is traditionally a laborious process, it isn’t as complex as it looks. For one, you have access to tools and cleaners that are designed to simplify the washing process. In addition to that, you can also pick up a few practical tips that will allow you to complete the task with minimal time and effort. Here are some of these pro tips:
Get a Good Washing Machine
With a good washing machine at your disposal, you can easily take care of all your dirty clothes. Selecting the right model among many washing machines for sale can be a challenge, but you can get around this by identifying exactly what you need. How many kilos of clothes do you typically need to wash in a week or so? Do you want a model with a washer-dryer combo or a fully automatic one? Make sure that the model you buy has features that are suited to your needs. Also, consider your budget and go with a machine that offers the greatest bang for your buck.
Sort Out the Items for Washing
You may have been told to separate colored clothing from whites, but this is just the beginning. If you really want to become more efficient at doing the laundry, you can also group together items by size and by type. Underwear, socks, and other small or delicate items are best placed in a separate mesh bag to ensure that they don’t get lost or damaged. It’s also a good idea to wash sheets and pillowcases in a separate batch rather than mixing them up with regular clothing.
Prep the Clothes Before Chucking Them in the Wash
Right before you finally place the dirty laundry in the washing machine, make sure that they won’t get damaged during the washing process. Unfasten any buttons so as not to strain the threads and buttonholes, for example. However, do keep zippers pulled up to prevent its sharp teeth from snagging on other clothing and ripping them. Also, remember to empty out pockets and to secure any loose ribbons or drawstrings by knotting them. At the same time, it is recommended to turn delicate items inside-out to prevent wearing down the fabric.
Spot-Clean Visible or Stubborn Stains
There are stains and dirt that a washing machine can’t easily remove, no matter how high-tech the unit may be. You need to apply a bit of elbow grease and spot-clean tough stains that are visible to the naked eye before putting the item in the washing machine with the other dirty clothes. You can use bleach or a special detergent and scrub the area with a brush if needed, but be careful not to damage the fabric. Always address a stain as soon as possible to prevent dirt and color from settling in more tenaciously.
Load the Clothes First Before the Detergent
Experts recommend that you place the soiled clothes in the wash first, followed by water, and then with the necessary amount of detergent. If you are using bleach to maintain your whites, though, you may fill up the tub with water first, add bleach, then place the clothes inside, and then add the detergent. This is to ensure that the detergent is distributed evenly and does its job better. It is also a precaution against having detergent come into contact directly with the clothes, which may sometimes cause an adverse reaction and lead to discoloration and damage.
Read the Care Label
In line with the previous tip, always check the recommended washing method for different types of clothing. There are apparel that are not suitable for hand or machine washing and thus would require more specialized dry cleaning or professional laundry services. If you want perfectly washed clothes, you need to pay attention to the washing and care instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Give the Dryer a Break
You might be tempted to simply toss all your laundry into the dryer to complete the process. However, be careful as there are certain items that can be damaged or shrunk when thrown into the dryer. It’s a good idea to let your clothes hang dry on the clothesline instead. This will not only help you cut down on energy, but it will also let you preserve the shape of delicate, stretchy items as well.
Washing your clothes properly and carefully can be a daunting task at first, but you’ll get better at it eventually. With a bit of practice and discipline, you’ll be able to adopt these tips and make them a part of your laundry process. This, in turn, will help you save time and effort as well as allow you to preserve the look and feel of the clothes you wear every day.
