Laundry Basics: A Few Tips for Clothing Care

by Sherry Holetzky | More from this Blogger

02 Mar 2007 08:40 AM

Laundry doesn't have to be difficult, and while it can be time consuming especially if you let it pile up, these tips will help you get it done -and done right- in less time.

Sort Your Clothes

Line up separate laundry baskets or containers and just learn to start sorting clothing as you take it off. Not only do you need to separate colors and whites, darks and lights, you also need to separate delicates from tougher fabrics. It makes sense to separate lightly and heavily soiled items as well. Another thing to keep in mind is separating items that produce a lot of lint, such as socks or towels. Don't wash these items with shirts and things that will collect lint and develop "pilling."

Check the Label

Also, check the manufacturer's instructions on the label or tag before laundering clothing and follow those directions for best results. Some tags will have symbols, while others will spell out the proper procedures in detail. Visit TextileAffairs.com to examine their page of common laundry symbols and their meanings.

Treat those Stains

The longer you leave a stain without treating it the less likely you are to be able to remove it completely. It's worth a little time and effort to treat stains to avoid replacing clothing. For oily stains, you'll need a grease releaser. Apply and let it set before washing. For stains that are deeply embedded into fibers, rinse with cold water, apply stain remover, and allow to sit. Gently blot with clean, damp, soft rag, but do not rub and damage fibers. Continue rinsing in cold water.

After washing in the machine, make sure the stain is gone before placing garment in dryer. In fact, it's always better to allow treated items to dry naturally to ensure that the stain has been removed, so the heat of the dryer doesn't set the stain permanently if isn't completely gone.

Related:

More Laundry Tips

Top Five Tips for Fresh, Clean Towels

Learn more about Sherry Holetzky

Sherry Holetzky is a work at home mom and freelance writer. Married to her best friend, Sherry and her husband are raising their family in a quiet rural setting in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.

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