How to Do Laundry
Yikes! The day has finally come when no one is around to do your laundry for you. That’s one thing you should have been listening to mom about. Oh, well, never fear—Apartments.com is here to make sure your whites come out white (not pink) and your shirts adult-sized. We’ve broken it down step-by-step so that your first solo laundry experience isn’t your last (You can pay a Laundromat or dry cleaner to do your laundry but that will get very expensive, very fast). Grab your hamper and hit the laundry room!
Step 1: Hopefully you didn’t wait until the dirty laundry had taken over your closets and floors. If so, we see lots of loads in your future. Most apartment buildings have coined-operated machines so be sure you have an ample supply of quarters before you get started. You should also have a bottle of detergent, bleach and a stain remover if you have spots to treat. Separate your clothes into whites, blacks and colors and make another separate pile for lint-producing fabrics (towels, sweatshirts, chenille and flannel). If you only have one or two of these pieces, you can put them into your colors pile. Wash like colors together. Don’t put a light pink skirt in with a dark blue sweater or else you’ll have a light purple skirt. Wash similar fabrics together. This makes the biggest difference in the dryer cycle. It takes much less time to dry a cotton t-shirt than a pair of jeans. If your dryer works on a timer, loads with lighter-weight fabrics will be done quicker. Be sure to close zippers and clean out pockets as you sort. (My mom used to make out like a bandit when doing my laundry since I always had bills in my pockets.) Check your clothing’s label for washing directions. Although, most of these labels are accurate, some clothing manufacturers may indicate “dry clean only” when you really can machine or hand wash them. This is often done to protect the manufacturer from returns because the item is washed the wrong way. It’s easier to indicate that they should be dry cleaned and if the item is ruined, it’ll be the cleaner’s liability. Silks, items that have linings (suits, skirts, dresses) and wools should always be dry cleaned. Other delicate items (like fancy undies) can be washed separately in a delicate cycle but if you’re really attached to them it might be better to wash them by hand in the sink with a hand-wash detergent.
Step 2: If you have heavy stains, use a pre-treater to help lift them. Depending on the stain, you may apply the pre-treater up to 24 hours before washing. Watch out for pre-treaters with bleach, as they will discolor darks and brights. In the future, you can apply some versions of pre-treaters to stains before you put them in the laundry so that the stain doesn’t set in. Use the recommended amount of detergent listed on the bottle, making use of the bottle cup as a measuring device. Now it’s time to choose the water. Follow the directions on your clothing but in general, you should use cold water to protect colors and darks and warm water for more durable fabrics and for whites. Hot water uses the most energy and should be used only when absolutely needed. If you want your whites whiter, use bleach AFTER the water has entered the machine and don’t pour it directly onto clothing. If you like a strong smell of fabric softener, or plan to line or rack dry your clothing, use liquid in the wash cycle. Make sure to ONLY use the amount indicated on the bottle for your size load. Use more than the label indicates and you might get stuck with white residue on dark clothing.
Step 3: When the cycle ends (in 30-45 minutes) read labels to check which items can go into the dryer. Sweaters, bras and any delicate or ornate items (i.e. your glittery out-for-action blouse) should be laid out on a rack to dry. If you didn’t use a liquid fabric softener, use a dryer sheet to prevent static. Be sure the lint trap is empty before you begin, as many people forget to empty it. A full lint trap will prevent your clothing from drying properly, as the air will not circulate. If you’re paying for each cycle, you sure don’t want to have to run an extra one.
Step 4: Fold your clothing and put it away! Clothing left lying in the basket will get wrinkly and collect dust. If you remove your clothing from the dryer when it is still warm you will save yourself from too much ironing. Some pieces will need to be ironed (sigh) so on to step 5.
Step 5: Your iron and board are set up and you’re ready to rock. Fill the iron with water before plugging it in to avoid any tragic accidents. Set the iron at the required temperature according to what you are ironing. The iron is ready when water sizzles on its surface. For very wrinkled items, use a spray bottle to spritz water on them before ironing. Shirts should be unbuttoned and ironed on the back first, then the sleeves and front. Iron pants from the waistband down. Lay them parallel to the board and iron all the way down the legs. Be sure to get the crotch, pockets and cuffs as well. Hang your clothing on hangers and impress your friends and co-workers with the fruits of your labor.
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