The Right Way to Wash Clothes Using a Washing Machine

One of the things you may be learning about when you’re living on your own is how to operate a washing machine. Improper usage of it could lead to your clothes turning pink, or too much water draining the water bill! Don’t worry, as we will go through the basic steps on how to work through your washing machine.

The first thing to do when starting to wash is reading any labels you may find and separating them into different piles. Manufacturers include tags that will often tell how some clothes will be washed: the type of cycle to set, the temperature of the water, and the cleaning solvents to use or avoid are all examples of instructions that may be detailed. These tags will help you in the sorting process for putting them into different piles.

Then, place your clothes in different piles. There is a lot that goes into sorting, as it doesn’t only involve having your clothes separated into different colors. Sorting your clothes will have different levels: sorting through color, sorting through different fabrics, sorting through the care labels, and sorting through the soiled clothes. You want to separate your clothes in different colors to avoid having their color dye bleed into each other. When mentioning different fabrics, it really means separating your clothes from other fabric items, like bedsheets and towels. These items will need different wash settings to clean them. It also means having to separate out your delicate fabrics, as placing them with rougher cloths or using a washing machine may damage them in the process. It is also good to have a separate pile for more heavily soiled clothes so as to not spread them to other clothes. Having your clothes thoroughly sorted will help you efficiently manage the water and the amount of detergent you use, as well as protect all the items. Sorting your items could be made easier with multiple laundry baskets.

Now that your clothes are prepped for washing, it’s time to set the correct settings for each wash. Different water temperatures have different purposes. Hot water is best used for removing stains and soil from clothes. Warm water is used for normal washing of everyday clothes with little to no amount of dirt. Cold water is often used for delicate clothes and fabrics.

There are also the cycles of wash that you need to consider. Wash cycles dictate how long a load of clothes will spin for while washing and drying in the washing machine. “Normal” cycles are used for most loads and normal clothing. “Heavy-duty” or “cotton” cycles are used for articles that can withstand tougher spinning or more aggressive washing, like jeans or towels. There is also the “quick wash,” which is used for quicker washing and spin drying.

After choosing a cycle, you have to use the correct washing detergent. Liquid detergents are normally used for greasy stains, and can even be used to pre-treat stains before washing. Powder detergents are usually used for removing dirt or mud stains, and are recommended with hot water to dissolve properly. You can check out some more detergent choices in our home appliances and supplies category. After choosing the correct detergent to use, load up your clothes, put the detergent in, and let the washing machine do its work.

Finally, after the washing machine is done with your clothes, it is time to hang them. Normally, when you hang your clothes, all you will do is just hang them up on hangars or on clotheslines, and let them dry for a day or two. However, if there are special instructions to drying your clothes on the labels, then follow them. Otherwise, you’re done with washing your clothes!

Learning to use a washing machine is a necessary task for households. It may seem daunting, but learning how to operate one over time will make it much simpler in the future. Having the correct knowledge on this task will really benefit your household, as it keeps you and everyone else feeling fresh and helps with keeping good hygiene.