How to Do a Load of Laundry

If this checklist looks like much ado about a pile of dirty clothes, don’t be put off. Once you’ve washed and dried a few loads of laundry successfully, you’ll be sorting, zipping, softening, and folding like an old pro and won’t give another thought to the steps involved.

1. Read labels. Paying attention to the manufacturer’s care instructions keeps your clothes looking better longer and (in some cases) will save them from instant death.

2. Sort. Separate darks from lights and regular care fabrics from delicates. Put fragile or small delicate items (like panty hose and lingerie) in a mesh bag before washing to protect them from snagging, tangling, and getting lost in the machine. Also, sort loads by how dirty they are and wash oily or greasy clothes separately.

3. Check pockets. Sometimes lurking pocket contents can make an annoying mess, leaving you to pick tiny bits of wet tissue off your black turtleneck. Sometimes they can do permanent damage, as anyone who’s ever left a fountain pen in a pocket can attest.

4. Close buttons and zippers. This precaution keeps clothes from catching on parts of the machine or on each other, saving wear and tear on everything you wash.

5. Treat stains. Most of the stain removers on the market do a decent job of treating common stains. Be sure to treat the stain as soon as possible. (See “How to Remove Stains,” page 94.)

6. Set load level, fabric cycle, and water temperature. Most washers allow you to choose all three: Water level (for small, medium, or large loads); fabric cycle (regular, delicate, permanent press); and water temperature.

• Use hot or warm water for very dirty loads, but cooler or cold water on permanent press and colors.

• Use warm water for white items that are not prone to shrinkage. Be careful with hot water, which can cause whites to yellow.

• Read the labels on your clothes for laundering instructions. If there are none (or you’ve cut the labels off), keep in mind that eight minutes is the optimum duration for any wash cycle. Using a longer time setting even on really dirty clothes can actually redeposit soil on fabrics. Knits, sweaters, and delicate items need a shorter wash cycle, preferably one with gentle agitation.

7. Measure detergent. Use the quantity suggested on the container. Using too much detergent leaves a soapy residue; using too little leaves clothes dirty. Keep a plastic measuring cup with your laundry supplies.

8. Add bleach. Many fabric guides specify “nonchlorine bleach only,” so stocking a nonchlorinated bleach is a good idea. You can also use it on fabrics that can survive chlorine bleach. If you do use bleach, always dilute it before adding it to the washer and be sure to let the machine fill completely and agitate for a few moments before adding laundry. If you skip this step, your towels, sheets, and T-shirts may be squeaky clean, but they’ll look as if they’ve been nibbled by rodents (which spoils the dazzling white effect).

9. Start washer. Starting the machine and allowing the detergent to mix with the water before you add the laundry is kinder to your things because it distributes the detergent evenly through the wash water. This is especially important when using powdered detergents, which can clump and leave stains if they haven’t dissolved before the clothing is added.

10. Add laundry and shut lid. Many machines won’t begin washing and none will spin dry until the door is closed. Once you’ve added the laundry and shut the lid, you’re off duty for twenty-eight minutes or so.

11. Dry clothes. Unless you’d like to create a Lilliputian wardrobe, take a little extra time to separate out clothes that should be line dried or dried flat before you put the rest of the load in the dryer.

12. Toss in fabric softener sheet. These are easy to use and require little more of you than buying a package and opening the box. One sheet in a normal load will reduce wrinkling and static.

13. Remove clothes promptly. If you hate to iron, do yourself a favor and hang or fold your clothes as soon as they are dry.