 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
    |
Tips for a Successful Laundry
Sooner or later we have to confront the laundry room. If this is your first time, these tips will help you to understand the science of laundry.
Sort it Out: Proper laundry sorting is important to prevent laundry problems like dye transfers and shrinking clothes. Read and follow care labels.
Sort by Color: Whites, light colors, similar bright colors, and dark colors.
Fabric Type: Delicate fabric, laces, lingerie, washable silk, etc. require gentle care and need to be washed separately. Lint-giving fabrics (chenille, terry, etc.) should not be washed with lint-attracting items, such as corduroy, permanent press, dark socks, etc.
Soil Content: Heavily soiled work or play clothes should be washed separately from lightly soiled clothes.
Water Temperature: Wash in hottest water fabric will allow. For white cottons, use hot water. Bright colors in cold. Follow directions on care label.
Colorfastness: If uncertain whether the garment dyes are colorfast, find a hidden area of the garment (such as, the inside seam) and apply a "Pre-treatment concentration" of detergent. Allow to sit for 30 minutes and rinse. If color remains fast, proceed on whole garment.
Pre-treatments: Treat stains early. Fresh stains are easier to remove than old ones. Always test an inside seam for colorfastness.
Detergent: News flash! Laundry detergent does not automatically spray out of the inner workings of the machine. That said, go to your local supermarket or convenience store and pick up a bottle (liquid form) or box (powder form) of detergent. There really is no difference between liquid and powder detergent. You may find that liquid is less messy, however, but also slightly more expensive. You'll probably be happiest with the brand your Mom or Dad used (you're used to the smell), but you should especially look out for detergents that may give you an allergic reaction.
Bleach: If you're doing a load of whites, you may want to add bleach to get your clothes as bright as possible. A note of caution: Bleach should only be added to whites (as you may have guessed, it tends to, uh, bleach). Luckily, because scientists work so hard, detergents are now available that have "color-safe bleaching action" (meaning that you can mix your whites and nonwhites).
Fabric softener: To help eliminate static cling and make your clothes feel softer and smell fresher, add fabric softener. Fabric softener is available in both liquid form (which is added during the wash cycle) and sheet form (which is added during the dry cycle). As in the powdered-detergent-vs.-liquid-detergent debate, there is no real difference in effectiveness between liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets; some consider fabric-softener sheets a worthless indulgence, while others find it a necessity. You be the judge. Some examples are Downy, Snuggles (with that cute little bear) and Bounce.
Laundry basket: We don't want to see your dirty underwear hanging over your arm. To keep us from getting sick, we insist that you purchase a heavy-duty laundry basket or a drawstring laundry bag. If you're cheap, you can go with a pillowcase.
|
......
......G A L L E R Y ..Calendar Events.>> ..Home & Garden .>> ..Health & Beauty .>> ..Kids & Family ....>> ..Auto & Travel ....>> ..Entertainment ...>> ..DVD & Blu-ray ...>> |