Are you new to the laundry game? Are you responsible for getting your clothes clean for the first time in your life? We’re here to help!
It’s not rocket science, but learning the laundry basics can feel overwhelming. So let’s break it down together and you’ll master it in no time.
- Let’s start with separating. You’ll want to have a few categories:
- 1. Whites (shirts, underwear, cotton tzitzit, socks, t-shirts, etc.)
- 2. Colored Clothes that can be dried (Underwear, socks, casual t-shirts, cotton pajamas, tank tops, workout clothes, etc.)
- 3. Colored Clothes that can’t be dried (Pants, better t-shirts, uniform skirts and shirts, bras, etc.)
- 4. Delicates (Sweaters and other knits, washable dresses and skirts, etc.)
- 5. Towels (Ideally, separate dark and light colors. Or just buy one color.)
- Now let’s talk about water temperature.
- Category 1. will be washed on hot for the best chance of getting out stains and brightening the whites. Other than tzitzit, these items can be dried in the dryer.
- Category 2. includes most items that are worn closely against the body. These you will want to wash in warm water. Hot water would cause colors to fade and cold water might not get the clothing as sanitary as you’d like. Most of these items can then be dried in a dryer. If you’re concerned about shrinking, hang the item to dry. Synthetic fabrics like dri-fit athletic wear will last longer if they’re not machine dried, but can handle a low heat drying if needed.
- Category 3. will be washed in cold water. This is most gentle for the clothing and usually sufficient to clean normal amounts of dirt. If something is particularly dirty, you may want to add it to a warm load. Most items should be hung or laid flat to dry.
- Category 4. will be washed on the delicates or hand wash cycle of your machine. Most modern machines can do a very gentle washing that substitutes actual hand washing. Lights and darks should be washed separately. All items should be hung or laid flat to dry.
- Category 5. can be washed in warm water and then dried in the dryer.
- Now let’s talk about detergent.
- Some people like a scent added to their detergent and some do not. Most are available both ways. They don’t affect the cleaning. I’m personally not a fan of added scent products like beads, or liquid fabric softener. These items cause build-up in the clothing that eventually can leave them dingy and smelling musty. Towels, in particular, should not be washed with added product.
- Keep in mind that most machines now are HE – high efficiency. Detergent should be as well. And you need very little detergent per load. It may seem ridiculous, but you rarely need more than what reaches the first or second fill line on the cap.
- And then there’s spin speed.
- Usually, anything washed in warm or hot water is less delicate and can handle a high spin speed. Category 3 should usually be spun at a medium speed and delicates at the lowest speed. Bulky items should also be at medium, or even low, speed.
- About the dryer.
- Stick with medium heat for most items that are dryer-safe and you should be fine. Use low heat for anything that was washed cold. Towels can be dried on high heat but that will shorten their fluffy lifespan somewhat. I consider it worthwhile because it’ll cut the drying time significantly.
- Random bits of information:
- When drying knits, it’s best to lay them flat so they don’t stretch.
- Bras, tights and tzitzit should be washed in a mesh bag to avoid tangling themselves and other items in the laundry load.
- Dryer sheets can go in every load except towels. It’s best not to use any softeners with towels because they will build up over time. A clean washed and machine dried towel should be soft without any softeners.
- White shirts should be treated before every washing. Besides for specific stains, spray the collars and cuffs each time to avoid a gray edge settling in.
These are my personal favorite laundry products:
How about tips for using front loader? Been doing laundry 50 years but never used a front loader. Moving soon to new apartment that has one. I’m clueless!
You ALWAYS want to leave the door of a front load washing machine open when not in use. Otherwise it grows mold really fast!
Heard from a repair man who went to check out my sil front loader that was not washing her clothes well. Not only are the new washing machines energy efficient, they barely use water to get the clothes clean. He suggested she use the quick wash cycle as that uses more water and cleans the clothes better. That’s my new way. I adjust the water temp based on what I’m washing…
Thanks for this! Spent a fortune on a front loader washer dryer and the clothes just dont seem to he getting clean. Going to give this a try!
My LG front loader does a great job getting all clothing spotless. It cleans better than my top loader. Perhaps not all front loaders are the same. MS
Any tips how to get a colorblock polo shirt white again? I forgot to use a color catcher and they are grungy gray…:(
Not really related to front loaders, but my laundry is in the basement and I’m looking for tips to manage it efficiently. I have yet to come up with a good system…
Mary Orton linked a cool hamper and wheels that goes down steps. Check out her blog for the link
Any tips to get blood spots out of my kids white t-shirt?
Use windex.its the ammonia in it taht works like magic. you can use plain ammonia but i find spraying from windex trigger bottle more preactical
hydrogen peroxide also works really well
Put hydrogen peroxide and spray with shot. Then leave for a few hours. Wash on cold water.
Shout
I can’t see what I’m typing here. If it doesn’t come out, repeat again. Usually comes out after washing twoce
Treat blood stains right away with very cold water and it comes out in seconds
Peroxide is a great product to use especially on blood stains and only on white clothing.
Buy the blue magen tzitzit for tzitzis! available in local judaica stores and some hardware/ housewars stores. keeps the strings from getting tangled and small… I have a small bin for them
There nothing like the old machines with an agitator that fill up completely with water. They are so much gentler on the clothing not to mention never an error code to deal with since they’re not digital. Ladies don’t give up you’re old machine so fast! Consider yourself lucky if you still own one! And enjoy those QUICK loads..
I have an old agitator machine. My cleaning lady tells me she folds laundry in many houses with front loaders, my clothes are cleaner and smell fresher than those with front loaders.
Would loves love ideas tips suggestions how to get stubborn mud stains out of t shirts…
With a front loader never use pods it molds the machine! Very important to do the refresh cycle prevents the buildup of mold. Lastly always and always leave ur door open when not in use
An important tip for those with front loaders is to be very mindful of safety pins and other small objects and make sure they don’t stay on clothes or in pockets during loads. It will get stuck in the machine pump and will break the machine. I’ve had to replace 2 pumps already to tiny objects…
Any tips to soften towels? I have a front loader and towels are two years old and scratchy!
Thanks for the tips – laundry is the underappreciated task- unnoticed when done but sorely missed when neglected. Thanks for helping us get it right.
Do you use bleach in your white loads?
Any chance you can put this in a printable version in Spanish?