Laundry Tips for Beginners
Doing the laundry is simple... if you have done it before, but for those who haven't really gotten the hang of doing the laundry, here are a few tips to you get started.
26/05/2020
It's hard to think that there might be a right way and a wrong way to do laundry, but until you have had clothes change colour in the washing machine, or that your white laundry is no longer white, you will never know the right way to do laundry. While it's easy for some if you're new at doing the laundry for yourself, we offer some tips to help you along.
Doing the laundry should be a simple household task. All you need is to segregate your whites from coloured clothes, load them on the washer, add some washing powder and fabric softener and switch on the washing machine. However, laundry experts note that many people new to doing their own laundry might have been doing this process wrong all along. In line with this, we offer some tips on how you should really be doing your laundry.
Wash Delicates Separately
There are a few good reasons why you should wash delicates separately. First of all, they usually have their own wash cycle so that the water temperature is perfect for your underwear and unmentionables, secondly, this wash is not as harsh on these items and they will keep their shape longer, and lastly, by doing all your delicates at the same time you are far less to have these accidentally mixed in with your other washing.
Having a specific wash cycle for delicates lets you wash these items at a lower temperature than would normally be used. This is good for laundry, since a higher temperature may lock in stains, making them impossible to remove.
Don't Use Too Much Washing Powder
Believe it or not, if you dose your washing machine with too much washing powder, your clothes won't be properly rinsed and will come out of the wash with soap residue on them. Furthermore, adding to much washing powder is not good for your washing machine.
When dosing your load of washing, it is better to use even half of the recommended amount of washing powder in every cycle because more often than not, this is already sufficient for you to achieve pleasant results. Just keep in mind to avoid overloading your washer too. Too much washing in a load means that your washing won't come out clean.
Select The Right Washing Cycle
Selecting the correct washing cycle makes a significant difference when you wash your clothes. A cycle that uses cold or low- temperature water is best for delicate fabrics, and knitwear, as well as clothes that are prone to shrinking. Likewise, low- temperature water is also best for clothes that tend to fade.
When you are washing moderately soiled clothes, use a washing cycle where the temperature is warm but not hot, but when washing whites, bed linen, and towels, make sure that you use hot water. This will keep your whites bright for longer as long as you don't include any coloured fabrics in the wash.
Test For Colourfastness Before You Wash
When you are not absolutely positive whether certain clothes are prone to fading and discolouration, it is better to perform the bleeding test first. To perform this test, take a cotton swab and rub it inside the seam of the clothing you want to test. If the dye colour of the fabric transfers to the swab, then this particular piece of clothing is not colourfast and should be washed separately.