Washing and Drying Clothes for Dummies

Some of the biggest mistakes with clothes occurs in the wash. My sister ruined my white leather jacket by throwing it in the washer with a pair of dark blue jeans. It was awful! To prevent something like this then rule number 1 is the most important:

Separate

You have to keep the darks away from the lights. There is no way around this! The best way to separate your clothes is by whites, lights, and darks.

Lingerie Bag

Technically, if you're a girl, you're supposed to hand wash your underwear- bras, hose, camisoles. To avoid hand washing and also avoid damaged garments, use a lingerie bag! It is a mesh bag that safely holds your personal items while they wash with the rest of your load. It's a buffer between your undies and the washing machine.

Use the Right Temperatures

The hotter the wash, the better the soap will clean the fabric. But it will also cause more fading, bleeding, and shrinking. Whites and pastels should be washed in hot (unless delicate, in this case warm). Colors and sturdy darks should be washed in warm. Delicates and darks that bleed should be washed in cool. (Don't wash delicates and darks together)

Picking the Perfect Cycle

If you know which way to turn the dial, your clothes will come out a lot better and fresher. Here's a basic guide:

• Regular: This cycle has a hot wash and a cold rinse. It's for heavily soiled items and sturdy cottons and linens - towels, T-shirts, jeans. Its vigorous wash can wear down more delicate washed over time.
• Permanent Press: This cycle has a shorter spin cycle than the regular. It's great for synthetic fibers. It has a warm cycle and a cool rinse plus a final cool rinse to protect color.
• Delicate: This cycle has the shortest time, slowest spin cycle, and coolest temperatures to keep fabrics from falling apart. (Ladies, how many times has your underwear gotten wrapped up in other clothes and torn apart?!) Use this for machine-washable silk and wool, viscose rayon, acrylic, acetate, lace, sheer and loosely knitted fabrics. 

Pretreat

Before you even think about adding your clothes into the washing machine, use a stain remover like Shout to spray on your soiled clothes. It helps release stains in the wash. Never stain treat anything overnight, because it could bleach the fabric.