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Laundry is much easier to do these days, rather than the way I had to it in the beginning. That being said, doing laundry is simple right? This is true until whites come out pink or a load of colors has bright red lipstick (no, the lipstick doesn’t come out) all over them. I offer instructions on how to wash the clothes but also what products you can use. Now what brand-name products you decide to use is entirely up to you.
The first step is to gather all of your dirty clothes. During the separation process, check pockets, and if you are not sure what pile it goes in, check the washing instructions. They are found on the tag, either on the collar or at the bottom on the side seam.
*You need to pick out the clothes needed the most if you have a budget or are limited to the number of loads of laundry. From personal experience, I know that sometimes they are a mixture, so to limit the amount of color bleeding, you will want to wash them in cold water. Use non-chlorine bleach every so often to prevent them from getting dingy.
Separate clothes into piles
- Colors or like colors
- whites
- bed clothes or linin
- Towels
- handwash
- work clothes
Products
- Laundry soap
- Fabric softener/dryer sheets
- stain remover
- non-clorine bleach/bleach/vinager
- Laundry beads/baking soda (optional: I love using laundry beads. They are wonderful for those who work in industrial industries, like restaurants, construction, and automotive. * For other instructions, look under work clothes.)
- handwashing soap (optional:You are welcome to use regular laundry soap, but I use Woolite. I am not sponsored by a company that produces Woolite. This is just a personal preference. There are other brands out there that are used for delicates as well. It is a matter of finding what works for you. )
**Vinegar and baking soda are good alternatives for washing clothes if you are unable to use washing soap for any reason. Use baking soda like detergent and vinegar in the fabric softener tray. The clothes may come out smelling a little bit like vinegar, but the smell will dissipate.
Colors:
I wash my colors in cold water. They keep color longer and are less likely to set stains.
*light colors with light colors and dark colors with dark colors.
Whites:
I wash my whites in hot water and non-chlorine bleach. Non- Chlorine bleach cleans whites as well as colors. If you are using regular bleach, add only a cup or less to full load. Too much will cause skin irritation and will degrade your clothes.
Bedclothes/ Blankets
I wash my bedclothes in warm water. Caution: it is very easy to overload a washer with blankets and comforters. If you have king or queen-size comforters, or really heavy-duty blankets, you should take them to a laundry mat. Most standard-size washers will not properly wash them and it will overload the machine.
Bath Towels
They can be washed in either warm or hot water. That decision is up to you. Do not put fabric softener or dryer sheets in with towels. They keep the towels from absorbing water. Laundry beads are good to use if you want them to have a scent.
Kitchen Towels
Always wash your kitchen towels in hot water especially, if you use them to wash dishes. Kitchen towels will build up grease. Like bath towels, do not put fabric softener or dryer sheets in with them. Laundry beads are also ok to use. Once a month, add a little bit of regular bleach or vinegar to help with the grease build-up. I prefer vinegar because it is not as hard on them but does not take the color out if you accidentally put too much in.
Handwashing
Handwashing is almost always cold. Always check the washing instruction. Different clothes need different things. Some need to be hung up while another dry laying down.
*For women, if you handwash your bras, hang them as you would wear them. It helps them keep their shape.
Work Clothes
Depending on what you wear to work, sometimes it is best to wash them by themselves. People who work industrial jobs like restaurants, construction, mining, and other industrial jobs are advised to wash separately. In my personal experience, I have found that using the beads makes the clothes last longer, and people are happier with the results. I have also had to experiment with different combinations to achieve my desired result. But at the end of the day, find what works the best for you.
During my childhood, my clothes fell into three categories, School, Play, and Sunday. To this day, I still have a limited wardrobe. However, the categories have changed. They are sleep, comfortable, out of the house. I found that laundry is about trial and error. Between finding the products that work for you and the many scents companies have produced, doing laundry is not as easy as it sounds. Until you have found the combination that works for you, buy smaller bottles. That way, you are not wasting too much money. A few words of caution: please know how to use appliances and don’t overload machines. Also, dish detergent is not a substitute for laundry soap.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I have lots of experience.