Monday, May 20, 2013

Laundry 101: How to not dye your underwear pink





So Confession time:  My mom did all my laundry. Until I started college! I had to learn fast. Thankfully, I read both the instructions on the detergent and washing machine. Once I was at college, I was shocked at the amount of people who knew even less than I did.  So, if you don’t know how to do laundry, or how to do it properly and efficiently, allow me to give you a crash course. If you have been doing laundry on your own for awhile, hopefully you can still pick up a few tips and tricks.

Step One: Sorting Laundry
In ideal situations, you should separate your clothes into the following categories
·        Colors- that red polo shirt or bright blue skirt go here
·        Whites- Most socks, some underwear, white undershirts etc
·        Darks- Black tanks, Dark wash jeans, black dress socks etc
·        Delicates- thin material shirts, bras, certain underwear, lace items
·        Linens/Towels- Self explanatory
When sorting multicolored items, go with whatever category the main color falls in. The only exception to this rule is whites, if you are planning on bleaching them. If you are planning on using bleach, sort white/other color clothes with the colors.
TIP: During this step be sure to check your pockets. Remove tissues, receipts, money (!). Remove any belts, broaches/pins and separate socks. Also zip any zippers and button any buttons, this keeps them from snagging on other articles of clothing and possibly damaging them. Anything with added beading/gemstones or screen printing (like t-shirts) should be turned inside out to prevent damage.
Once you have your piles sorted, it’s time to do laundry.
BUT WAIT:  You use a coin laundry and money and/or time is short?
You can mix loads in a pinch by washing everything on COLD/COLD and a short cycle.  Avoid washing terrycloth towels/washcloths and anything “fuzzy” with darks and/or knits. Trust me, it is lint disaster.

Step Two: Loading and Selecting Cycles
Okay now is the time to wash your clothes.  The machine has 154 different settings! What do I do?
 No worries, it is easy.
Colors/Brights-Wash in Cold cycle with Spin.  If you have brightly colored NEW/Never been Washed items, I recommend you wash these separately or at least give them a good soak/rinse in the tub or sink to expel some of the remaining dye (This is what can cause formerly white underwear to now be Barbie pink, red is notorious for this).
Whites – if all clothing, chose warm with a longer spin cycle if possible. Only add bleach in the recommended amount and according to the individual machines directions. If 100% cotton or the items fit just “right”, you may want to wash on Cold to prevent shrinkage.
Darks- If mostly jeans and other durable/easy care types clothes, wash in cold and on a longer cycle. If Permanent press dress clothes ( like suits/dresses) a shorter cycle is best to prevent wrinkles.
Delicates- Cold and on Delicate. Lacy / skimpy underwear and bras should be put into a mesh laundry bag to prevent them being discharged with the water and to prevent the bra straps from getting tangled around other clothing/agitator. Use a mild detergent. HINT: putting socks (separated, of course) in the mesh bag keeps them together and prevents the Laundry Gremlins from making off with the odd sock!
Linens/Towels- Wash on Hot and add bleach if 100% white; especially, during cold/flu season , as the hot temps kill more germies.
Add Detergent according to directions on the bottle/box
TIP: My Husband and I have very sensitive skin and several of the best selling brands of detergent break us out. We use white vinegar as a bleach alternative and use baking soda as detergent. They work great, for us.  The vinegar leaves no smell behind. Those of you without your personal machines, I recommend using commercial products:  also, original Dawn (BLUE) works well as a detergent, just a small squirt cleans a whole load. Use your best judgment. I’m not compensated for saying that. It just works for us.
Step Three:
BUZZZZ- Once the Laundry has kicked off, it’s time to dry! Sometimes the spin cycle sounds like a rocket about to take off, this is normal, and it will not blow up.
I promise.
Step Four:
Most clothes can be dried on a Normal/ Medium Heat cycle, with no ill effects. The only exception is linens/towels. These should be dried on high heat. Always clean out the dryer’s Lint Trap BEFORE and AFTER each load, especially on shared machines. It can cause fires at the worse and can take MUCH longer to get your clothes dry at best, costing you time and money. After doing a load of towels and linens, my husband refers to it as a “Wool Blanket”, because the lint is so thick.
 Do NOT put Bras in the dryer. It will mess them up; especially, if they have underwire or any padding.  If you are concerned about shrinking an item, try “air dry” or hang it up to dry overnight instead of using the dryer. This is what I do for delicate shirts/sweaters, all bras and anything with embellishments. A closet with the door partially open or a shower stall work great. Make sure no one showers while they are in there, though!
A word about comforters- Most regular size washing machines are not made to accommodate full size comforters or larger.  When washing them:  wash them by themselves, make sure they fit completely in the barrel of the washer without “overhanging”. I had a former roommate who caught her brand new comforter on fire (smoke and scorching!) because she did not do this.  Same goes when drying. When in doubt, go to a laundromat and use the industrial size ones, they should only need to be washed about 2x a year.  I suggest several smaller blankets, instead of one huge comforter, if you can, as it makes laundry easier as well as making the crazy weather (like here in Ohio) easier to manage.
Have any questions or other tips to make this chore, well not such a chore?
Leave them in the comments!

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