14
Laundry Tips
This section reviews proper laundering techniques and gives you additional washing
information.
Preparing clothes for washing
•
Close zippers, snaps, and hooks to avoid
snagging other items. Remove
pins, buckles, and other hard
objects to avoid scratching the
washer interior. Remove non-
washable trim and ornaments.
•
Empty pockets and turn them inside out.
•
Turn down cuffs, brush away lint and dirt.
•
Turn synthetic knits inside out to avoid pilling.
Sorting
•
Separate heavily soiled items from lightly
soiled ones, even if they would
normally be washed together.
Separate lint givers (towels,
chenille) from lint takers
(corduroy, synthetics, perma-
nent press). When possible, turn lint givers
inside out.
Loading
•
Drop items into washer loosely. Fill to the
top of the basket (top row of
holes). Do not wrap items
around the agitator. Items
should move easily through
wash water for best cleaning
and wrinkle-free results. Items should sink
and reappear later.
•
Load washer properly and select correct
load size setting. Overloading or packing
the machine, and selecting a setting too
small for the wash load can:
– cause poor cleaning.
– increase wrinkling.
– create excessive lint.
– wear out items faster (because of pilling).
•
Tie strings and sashes so they will not
tangle.
•
Mend tears, loose hems, and seams.
•
Treat spots and stains. (See “Removing
Stains” on pages 19-21.)
•
Stained or wet garments should be
washed promptly for best results.
•
Separate dark colors from light colors,
colorfast items from noncolorfast items.
•
Sort by fabric and construction (sturdy
cottons, knits, delicate items).
•
Load by the amount of space items take
up, not by their weight.
•
Mix large and small items in each load.
Load evenly to maintain
washer balance. An off-
balance load can make the
washer vibrate during spin.
•
Use a large load size setting to reduce
wrinkling with permanent press clothes and
some synthetic knits. These items should
have more room to move in the water than
heavy items (towels, jeans).
•
Reduce wash time when using a small
load size setting. Loads with only a few
small items need less wash time.
