Best Way to Wash Your Shirts, Socks, Jeans, Underwear and Sheets

Button-Down Shirts

• Unbutton the shirt. Unfasten all buttons, including the tiny ones at the collar, before laundering. if this is not done, the weight of other clothes in the machine may cause buttonholes to tear.

• Apply a stain remover. It is always good to pretreat collars every time you wash them. This is because stains from body oils, sweat when build up are very difficult to remove. It is advisable to use a stain remover or spot-clean with a mixture of water and liquid detergent. Pour it over the stained area, then rub with a soft toothbrush. It’s especially important to spot-clean permanent-press shirts and other items that have been treated with resins so they retain their shape, because these fabrics tend to hold soiling.

• Use the permanent-press setting. Wash permanent-press shirts with all-purpose detergent on the permanent-press setting, which is gentler than the regular one, uses warm or hot water, and has a long cool-down rinse to further minimize wrinkling. Opt for the dryer’s permanent-press feature, which has a cool-down period at the end. Wash non-permanent-press shirts on the regular cycle in cold or warm water. 

Socks 

 
Never lose a sock again. One of the most frustrating aspects of doing laundry is the number of socks that suspiciously go missing. Forget putting out an APB: Simply pin each pair together before throwing it in the machine. No sorting, no matching necessary afterward.
 

Jeans

• Wash jeans in cold water. Most denim is top-dyed, meaning only the surface of the fibers is colored. To keep jeans from fading or acquiring white streaks, wash in small loads in cold water (with more water than clothes) with all-purpose detergent.

• Stretch the legs to prevent shrinkage. “It’s common for jeans to shrink in length” when washed. Hold them by the waistband and legs and gently stretch them vertically before drying. Dry on low or medium heat; over-drying causes unnecessary wear and tear, so take jeans out when the legs are done but the seams and the waistband are slightly damp.

Underwear

• Don’t overload the washing machine. To ensure thorough cleaning, wash underwear in light loads. Use the gentle cycle with warm water and all-purpose detergent, unless the label specifies “mild.”

• Dry on low. Tumble-dry items that contain spandex on low or air-dry them to prevent shrinking.

• Hand-wash delicate items. As with fine bras and lingerie, anything with delicate lace should be washed by hand.

Everyday Bras and Lingerie 

 

• Set the washing machine to the gentle cycle. Most lingerie can be put through the machine’s gentle cycle, even if the labels say “hand-wash.” Use all-purpose detergent with cotton and synthetics; opt for mild detergent with lacy fabrics.

• Apply a stain solution. Pretreat yellow perspiration stains by rubbing them with mild soap and warm water; soak for 30 minutes.

• Place delicates in zippered mesh bags. Protect hosiery, bras, bustiers, camisoles, slips, and any other garments with straps or underwires by placing them in zippered mesh bags, which will keep them from twisting or snagging; fasten clasps to prevent them from catching on the netting. Use a bag with fine mesh so hooks can’t get through.

• Wash undergarments separately. Wash in light loads, and never throw them in with heavy items, as these can cause wires to bend or break

• Don’t use the dryer. Air-dry to prevent damage to underwires and straps.

Fine Bras and Lingerie 

 

• Hand-washing is best. Hand-washing is often the best way to care for ornate pieces and those made of delicate fabrics, like silk. Let the pieces soak for a few minutes in warm or cool water, then gently squeeze the suds through the fabric; rinse and roll in a towel to absorb excess moisture before hanging them to dry. Bras, nightgowns, and the like are not apt to be heavily soiled, so “hand washing gets them cleaner than you might think

• Clean lingerie while you’re in the shower. Get the article wet, lather a pea-size amount of mild shampoo or baby shampoo in your hands and wash, as suggested, then air-dry.

Sweaters

• Wash cotton blends on gentle. Many knits made of cotton, synthetics, or blends can be machine-washed in cold or warm water on the gentle cycle with all-purpose or mild detergent. To combat wrinkles and stiffness, dry items on low for 5 to 10 minutes before laying them flat on a mesh sweater rack or a towel.

• Use a zippered pillowcase for delicate. Place a wool, cashmere, or fine cotton sweater in a zippered pillowcase; wash on the delicate cycle with cold water and lay flat to dry.

• Test silk sweaters for colorfastness. Delicate knits, like crochet and silk, are a different story: Dry-clean these, or test for colorfastness (to see if the color will bleed, place a dab of detergent on a dip of a cotton swab in detergent and hold it on the fabric for two minutes) and hand-wash in cold water with mild detergent. Some knits may stretch out; reshape after washing and lay flat to dry.

Blankets

• Wash nonwool blankets on the gentle setting. Check for colorfastness first. If it passes the test, machine-wash on gentle with cool water and all-purpose detergent. Rinse with cold water; tumble-dry on low or line-dry.

• Dry cleaning is often the safest bet for wool. But if you have the patience for hand-washing such a heavy piece, use a mild detergent in cold water. Lay flat and dry completely before using the dryer’s air setting to fluff it up.

Tablecloths and Napkins

• Presoak to remove stains. Soak heavily soiled items in oxygen bleach, then wash with all-purpose detergent in hot water. Since it’s hard to detect oily marks on wet cloth, let pieces air-dry (heat from the dryer may set stains), then look at them under bright light.

• Dry clean, if necessary.

Sheets

• Wash cotton sheets once a week in hot water. Wash sheets made of cotton, flannel, synthetics, bamboo, or modal (which is created from beech-wood pulp) once a week in hot water with all-purpose detergent to help kill germs. Dry on low.

• Wash delicates in cold water. Wash linen, silk, and sateen-weave cotton on gentle in cold water with mild detergent. Dry on low or air-dry. Don’t dry-clean if you’re especially concerned about removing allergens.

Source: Real Simple

Posted in How Tos

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