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What Is the Best Way to Do Laundry?

Jennifer Fenn
Jennifer Fenn

Knowing the best way to do laundry will help you avoid shrinking your sweaters and dying your white socks pink. The best way to do laundry involves several steps: sorting your dirty clothes, selecting your detergent and determining which washer and dryer settings you should use. If you do all these things carefully, then doing laundry doesn’t have to be a time-consuming chore.

Sorting your laundry is the first step. The best way to do laundry is to separate your whites from your darks. If you don’t, the colors may bleed and tint your white articles. As you sort your clothes, you should check your pockets to ensure that items like money, receipts or gum won’t accidentally get thrown in the wash.

If someone must use a laundromat, they should bring work or entertainment materials with them to help occupy their time.
If someone must use a laundromat, they should bring work or entertainment materials with them to help occupy their time.

Take any items that are heavily or newly stained and set them aside. To ensure that these stains come out, you might want to pre-treat these spots with either a product designed specifically for this purpose or a bit of your usual detergent. Rub these products gently over the stained area. Many varieties of pretreatment sticks and gels are sold at most grocery stores.

The laundry detergent used should be appropriate for the clothing being washed.
The laundry detergent used should be appropriate for the clothing being washed.

The best way to do laundry is to follow the instructions on your garments when deciding whether to use hot or cold water. Your garments’ tags should also indicate what setting it should be washed on. Dry-clean only items should never be put a washing machine. After sorting your clothes by color, you should also inspect each item’s tags and sort those that require the same settings and temperatures into subgroups. Sorting laundry is an important part of the best way to do laundry.

Laundry detergent.
Laundry detergent.

There are many types of detergent, bleach and fabric softener, but the best way to do laundry is to find the products that best suit your clothes. Detergents that contain bleach, for example, should only be used on whites. Some detergents are created for use in high efficiency washing machines; others are scented. Choose the right detergent for your needs; then pour the correct amount into your machine. Using too little detergent means your clothes will not be thoroughly cleaned. Too much detergent may not rinse completely from your items.

A washing machine.
A washing machine.

After your clothes have been washed, you need to dry them according to the directions on their labels. The best way to do laundry is to pay attention to the heat and intensity setting each clothing item requires. Some clothes cannot be dried in a machine at all, and must either be hung or laid flat. Once your clothes are dry, remove them from the dryer and fold or hand them right away to prevent wrinkles.

Shirts on a clothes line.
Shirts on a clothes line.

When it comes to achieving the best laundry results, embracing an eco-friendly approach is key, and that's where the best detergent sheets shine. These plant-based wonders offer a convenient and effective way to clean your clothes while minimizing your environmental footprint.

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    • If someone must use a laundromat, they should bring work or entertainment materials with them to help occupy their time.
      By: edbockstock
      If someone must use a laundromat, they should bring work or entertainment materials with them to help occupy their time.
    • The laundry detergent used should be appropriate for the clothing being washed.
      By: Kitch Bain
      The laundry detergent used should be appropriate for the clothing being washed.
    • Laundry detergent.
      By: Sinisa Botas
      Laundry detergent.
    • A washing machine.
      By: eyewave
      A washing machine.
    • Shirts on a clothes line.
      By: Michael Flippo
      Shirts on a clothes line.
    • Light colored clothing should be washed separately from darker colors.
      By: Kayros Studio
      Light colored clothing should be washed separately from darker colors.
    • Laundry baskets help organize dirty laundry.
      By: Monkey Business
      Laundry baskets help organize dirty laundry.
    • Fabric softeners are available in many different types and scents.
      By: Unclesam
      Fabric softeners are available in many different types and scents.
    • Some fabrics must be cleaned by hand.
      By: Africa Studio
      Some fabrics must be cleaned by hand.
    • Household bleach can be helpful for cleaning white clothes.
      By: design56
      Household bleach can be helpful for cleaning white clothes.