Learn the laundry basics

If you get overwhelmed worrying about how to correctly sort your laundry, where to place the detergent, or what washing and drying cycle you should use, let us help you master the basics of laundry care by following these steps.  

Before washing 

You want to start by organizing your laundry into three piles: whites, colors, and darks. If you want to go a step further, you can also separate items like delicates, towels, and sheets. 

As you’re sorting the clothing into piles, check the pockets to make sure nothing was forgotten in them. If you’re fortunate, you might find the $5 you put into a pair of jeans the last time you wore them. Checking your clothes before you wash them will help avoid potential accidents. Pre-treat any stains and zip up zippers to prevent clothing from becoming snagged. 

Getting the washer ready 

After your clothes are separated, select your wash cycle. Use the normal cycle for items like T-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, and other similar fabrics. For delicates such as undergarments and outfits made of lace, sheer, or woven fabrics, you’ll want to use the gentle cycle. With either of these cycles, you can adjust the temperature to cold to save money on your laundry.

When washing items that are soiled such as cloth diapers, choose the sanitize cycle, which uses a combination of a specific time and a higher water temperature to reduce or get rid of germs and bacteria.  

Next, you’ll want to check your washing machine to see how you will add your detergent. If your machine does not have a tray, you’ll want to begin filling the washer with water, then add the correct detergent as well as fabric softener or bleach if needed. Throw your clothing in, and close the lid. If your machine does have a tray, you can toss your clothing in, add your liquid detergent, bleach, and fabric softener to the tray, shut the lid, and then start the wash cycle. 

Once the clothes are clean, remove them from the washer and get ready to put them in the dryer. If you’ve washed delicates, check the label before drying them. Items like undergarments and sweaters should be laid flat to dry.  

Drying 

Before placing clothes into the dryer, check to make sure the lint tray is clean. (Learn how you can reuse that dryer lint). Choose the appropriate drying temperature according to your machine. Typically you’ll use the low-heat setting for delicates, and medium-heat for almost everything else. Don’t forget to use the permanent-press cycle and remove clothing as soon as it dries. This will help prevent the clothes from wrinkling. 

Laundry can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be as long as you understand the basics and are using a quality washer and dryer.  Call Appliance Warehouse at 800.693.4343 or click on “Get Delivery” for appliance leasing made easy!