The Beginner's Guide to Laundry Light colors, dark colors, hot water, cold water…

 

 

Moms have this uncanny knack for knowing just about everything. Take laundry, for instance. They can take one glance at a dirty shirt and tell you right away, "don't put that in hot water, or it'll shrink." They've developed an instinct about such things, and if you're not experienced in laundry, it leaves you scratching your head and wondering.

There's one reason they know all this stuff. It's experience. They've washed hundreds of loads of laundry—maybe thousands or even millions!—and they have learned the hard way about what works and what doesn't.

 

If you're a beginner at laundry, it's confusing. Here's a dozen suggestions to help prevent pink

underwear and high-water jeans:

 

 

 

1. Don't over-fill the washer. This causes wrinkling and poor cleaning.
2. When in doubt, use cold water. The worst thing that could happen is that the clothes won't get quite as clean. But they won't fade, shrink or fall apart.
3. Whites and brights stay brilliant with warmer water. If you're a cold-water user, try warm water every third wash or so, just to keep the colors from fading.
4. Check all pockets before washing. Gum, tissue, pens and other non-clothing items can ruin a perfectly good load of laundry.
5. Sort by color (light in one pile, dark in another) and then by weight (long drying time and short drying time). If you can't manage four loads, divide by color only.
6. Remove accessories like belts, pins and jewelry. They can snag the material.
7. Extremely strong colors should be washed separately or with similar colors until you know if they'll fade. Red, black and purple are notorious.
8. Fasten bras and other hooks. They can tear and twist other clothing.
9. Turn knits and fade-ables inside out before washing. This preserves the testure and color. Use cool water and a gentle cycle.
10. Stains not out? Pretreat and wash again. Drying sets in stains, so rewash before drying.
11. Pretreat. Get a stick or bottle of stain treatment and keep it where you undress. Treat messes ASAP for best results.
12. In general, light colors respond well to hotter water. Delicate materials and darker colors go in cooler water. High heat and long drying times lead to shrinking. Find a nice, all-purpose setting on the washer and stick with it. Dryers do well on 'perma press' or some other general setting, as well.