How to wash in a washing machine

Video: HOW TO CLEAN YOUR WASHING MACHINE !! (QUICK & EASY)

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 4: Sorting the laundry
Part 2 of 4: Pretreating stains and refilling the washing machine
Part 3 of 4: Selecting the wash program and temperature
Part 4 of 4: Drying the laundry
What do you need

Washing is an essential necessity for any independent person. Fortunately, doing the laundry is not that difficult, and it shouldn't take a lot of your time. First, you need to prepare everything you need for washing, sort the laundry, treat stains and choose the right detergent, and then set the correct program and washing temperature for a particular type of clothes. Finally, all you have to do is dry the laundry in accordance with the individual recommendations for each item you wash, which largely depends on the fabric from which it is made.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Sorting the laundry

1 Place items that need to be washed in the dirty laundry baskets. Buy different baskets to sort your dirty laundry right away, or use one shared basket and sort the items just before washing. Your choice may depend on how much free space you have and whether you need to keep the general order of the house at the time of washing.
- Laundry baskets are very diverse. Some have casters or handles for easy transport. Consider this if you plan to move the dirty laundry basket periodically.
- Also baskets can be made from various materials. To save space, you can opt for a foldable fabric basket.Plastic baskets often have carrying handles, while wicker baskets do not have such handles - these baskets usually stand in one place and additionally perform decorative functions.
2 Sort items by type of fabric. It would be wise to sort things into two groups: thick fabrics and light (thin) fabrics. Thus, you will be able to choose the most suitable wash cycle for specific items.
- For example, include jeans, coarse cotton sweatshirts and trousers, jackets, and heavy-duty sportswear in a heavyweight garment group.
- In another group, combine light T-shirts, blouses and thin trousers.
- Also, group delicate items such as underwear, tights, and silk items. And create another group of towels and bed linen.
3 Sort items by color into white, light and dark. In addition to sorting things by type of fabric, you should also sort them by color so that dyes from dark garments don't ruin whites or light garments. Place white T-shirts, socks, underwear, and other strong white items in a white pile.
- In the light stack, include items in pastel colors, such as pale blue, light green, yellow, and pink.
- In a stack of dark laundry, include everything black, gray, blue, red, and deep purple.

Part 2 of 4: Pretreating stains and refilling the washing machine

1 Buy a detergent suitable for your washing machine. Some detergents are for top-loading washing machines, others are for front-loading energy efficient machines, and still others can be used for both. Pay attention to your washing machine type and purchase your preferred detergent.
- If you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin, buy a natural, fragrance-free, dye-free laundry detergent.
2 Try to treat stains immediately with a stain remover or detergent. The best results in removing stains can be achieved if they are dealt with urgently. When you get the chance, apply stain remover or liquid detergent to the stain and rub gently into the stained area. Leave the product on the stain for at least 5 minutes before washing the item.
- You can also pre-soak clothes in cold water for 30 minutes to remove stains before washing. To do this, use a large basin, sink or the additional option of soaking in the washing machine.
3 Add laundry detergent to the appropriate drawer of the front-loading washing machine. Energy-efficient front-loading washing machines usually have a drawer for detergent, which must be filled in before washing. The washing machine will automatically add the detergent to the water during the wash process.
- Read the instruction manual for your washing machine if you are having trouble finding the detergent drawer.
4 Add detergent directly to the tank of the top-loading washing machine. For top-loading machines, it may be necessary to first fill the tank with water, then add the detergent and then the laundry. Please refer to the instructions on the inside of the lid of the washing machine to know exactly how to add detergent correctly.
5 Use the amount of detergent recommended on its label. Read the instructions for your laundry detergent to know how much to use. The consumption of various detergents differs markedly from each other, so it is important to strictly follow the instructions for the specific detergent you are using so as not to overdo it with its amount.
- Too much detergent can leave soap on your clothes even after rinsing.
6 Add bleach to whites to keep them white. Find the bleach drawer. It is usually located next to the detergent drawer on front-loading machines and on the side at the top of the tank on top-loading machines. Read the instructions for your bleach to know how much to add to the amount of laundry you are washing.
- Some chlorine-free bleaches are safe for colored fabrics, so they can be used with colored items to freshen up their colors.
7 Use liquid fabric softener if you prefer to wear soft clothes. If your clothes get stiff and rough after washing, try washing them with conditioner. This is especially useful when the water used for washing is hard and chemically treated.

Part 3 of 4: Selecting the wash program and temperature

1 Read the information labels on your belongings. Some items may require a special washing cycle or temperature. It is always wise to check the label if you are washing an item for the first time or simply do not remember the care requirements.
2 Use a regular wash cycle for durable fabrics. A normal wash program often involves rotating the drum quickly enough for washing and spinning. This is ideal for sturdy fabrics such as jeans, sweatshirts and towels.
- Also, a regular wash cycle works well for very dirty clothes. Just be careful not to use it on delicate, fine fabrics and embellished garments.
- Some washing machines also have an intensive wash program. Only use it on heavily soiled items made from durable fabrics.
3 Choose the light ironing option for clothes that wrinkle a lot. Some blouse and trouser fabrics, such as linen and viscose, wrinkle a lot. For these fabrics, select the light iron option, which rotates the washing machine at a slower speed at the end of the wash cycle, so the garments will be less wrinkled by the time you take them out of the washing machine.
4 Choose a delicate program for delicate fabrics and embellished items. The delicate program involves a slow rotation of the drum during washing and spinning and is intended for items such as underwear, tights, as well as for clothes embroidered with beads, sequins, embroidery and other delicate decorations.
- Many silk and woolen items cannot be machine washed at all, as they can either be hand washed or dry cleaned. Be sure to read the recommendations on the information labels on your clothes before putting them in the washing machine.
5 In most cases, wash your clothes in cold water. Most laundry detergents today are designed for optimal performance in cold water. In addition, many fabrics last longer if they are not heated. Washing with cold water will save you energy and money, as opposed to washing with warm or hot water.
- Natural fabrics prone to shrinkage should always be washed in cold water and dried with minimal heat.
- Some people fear that cold water will not kill pathogens. However, detergent does the job, as does the hot air of a tumble dryer if you use a heated, even minimal setting.
6 Only wash heavily soiled laundry in hot water. If you are going to wash pillowcases and sheets from a sick person's bed, or dirt-stained overalls or uniforms, you can use hot water if you wish. Hot water will gradually fade the fabric, so it is not recommended to do this only when necessary.
- Do not wash stained or new items in hot water.Hot water can set stains and cause colors to shed.
7 Do not overload the washing machine with laundry. Most machines have instructions for the weight of the load, which should not be exceeded when you fill it. Do not put more items in the washing machine than is recommended for this model.
- Overloading the washing machine can lead to the fact that things are simply not washed properly, and over time, such negligence can cause equipment breakdown.

Part 4 of 4: Drying the laundry

1 Clean the dryer fluff filter before every new load. Find the location of the filter and check it every time before turning on the technique. Pull out the filter and run your hand over it to catch the accumulated lint and lint, then discard the dirt in the trash can.
- An uncleaned filter can ignite the tumble dryer.
2 Use tumble dryers to soften and eliminate static electricity. Tumble dryers help fight static electricity on clothes and make fabrics softer. Choose wipes with your preferred scent, or unscented wipes if you are sensitive to chemicals.
3 Use the regular drying program for jeans, sweatshirts and towels. Thicker fabrics are able to withstand the heat and rapid rotation of the tumble dryer on a regular program. In addition, thick fabrics may not dry completely with more gentle drying programs.
- If you are worried that some items may shrink or fade, use a lower drying temperature or dry them naturally.
4 For most other garments and laundry, use the Light Iron Drying program. This program uses an average heating temperature and a slower drum rotation at the end of the drying process, which results in less creasing of the clothes (which is not uncommon after using tumble dryers). Use this setting to completely dry your clothes and bedding without wrinkling them unnecessarily.
- The names of this program may differ slightly for different brands of dryers: anti-crease, ironing, steam smoothing.
5 Dry items prone to shrinkage with a delicate or cold program. Delicate drying uses a low heating temperature and slow drum rotation, which is ideal for items that can shrink or be easily damaged. Drying with cold air does not use heat at all and can be used for particularly delicate and highly shrinkable items.
6 Dry your items naturally to help them last longer. If you want to extend the life of your belongings, then they can be dried on a rope. Just buy clothespins or hangers to hang things on a tight rope outside or at home.
- Alternatively, you can lay out items to dry on a horizontal surface with a towel first, or use a dryer rack. This helps to reduce the creases in the fabric that remain from the ropes, as well as the elongated bumps on the shoulders of the blouses from the hangers on which they dried.
7 Iron and store items if necessary. If some items become wrinkled after washing and drying, use an iron and ironing board to iron them. Be sure to read the recommendations on the information tag of a particular item in order to use the appropriate setting of the iron, setting the correct heating temperature on it.
- After finishing all the work, put the clean items in storage. Based on your preferences, fold things and arrange them in the drawers of the chest of drawers or hang them in the closet, depending on the space provided for them.