The Process of Washing Clothes

Sorting

• Laundry washing novices may wonder about the importance of sorting clothes before washing. The reasons become clear when a white pair of underwear comes out of the wash in a pretty shade of pink, the result of washing red and white clothing together. Texture can make a difference, too. Even though black towels and black pants are the same color, towels leave fuzz on the black pants, which can transfer to other surfaces. Sort laundry into whites and colored clothing. Remove red clothing or other brightly colored clothing with a tendency to bleed and wash it alone. Set towels into their own pile to avoid fuzz-covered clothing.

Pre-Wash Stain Removal

• While washing can effectively remove many laundry stains, pre-treating stains helps remove stain substances so they aren't transferred to the rest of the laundry. Removing as much of the stain as possible before washing the clothes increases the likelihood of getting rid of the stains altogether. Chlorine bleach can be diluted 1 part to 10 parts of water to help remove stains from white clothing, while oxygen bleach diluted in water safely helps to lift stains from colored clothes. Commercial products, such as stain removing sticks and pre-wash sprays, can help remove stains ranging from coffee to urine. Because successful stain removal often relies on treating specific substances, it's wise to consult a stain removal guide.

Washing

• Water temperature and a cleansing agent, such as laundry detergent, are the two essential components that go into getting clean, fresh-smelling clothes. The temperature of the water can contribute toward cleaning the clothing or damaging it, such as when hot water shrinks cotton clothing. Always read the care labels of clothing to ensure you use the correct water temperature. Add laundry detergent, as directed on the container. The care label on your clothing also tells you if the garment can be machine washed or if it must be hand washed or dry cleaned. You can launder clothing that requires hand or gentle washing in a bucket by gently agitating and soaking it in the soapy water before rinsing it with water.

Drying

• The process of drying clean laundry isn't quite as simple as tossing it in the dryer. While this method works fine for most laundry, take a few seconds and check the care label again to ensure the clothes dryer is the best method for drying your garment. Whether the dryer is an effective method for drying clothing or not, hanging your laundry outside to dry is environmentally friendly and adds to the fresh smell of the laundry.