Laundry Tips

• Remove stains as quickly as possible. Rub them with a towel dipped in club soda or a cue tip dipped in peroxide (but don’t use peroxide on wool, silk or “dry clean only.” clothing).
• Mark stains with a safety pin. Spray stain remover on these spots when you’re doing the laundry.
• Arrange a buddy system with friends, family and colleagues. Ask them to let you know if you have any stains.
• Keep items for dry-cleaning on a different type of hanger or label them as “dry clean only.” They’ll get ruined in the washing machine.
• Sort clothes and other items according to colour and fabric.
• Use a large backpack or a bundle buggy (shopping cart) lined with a garbage bag to take your laundry to a laundromat.

Washing

• Label the controls on your washing machine, and know how to use them. You don’t need to label all the settings. Think about your wardrobe and the settings you’ll use most frequently.
• Decide which settings are needed for the clothes you are washing.
• Use cheesecloth bags to keep small items like socks and underwear together. They will wash just fine through the cheesecloth.
• Put an old towel or sheet on the floor in front of the washer and dryer in case any clothes fall out.
• Check that the washing machine is empty before adding your soap and clothes.
• Follow the instructions on the machine for adding soap and laundry. Distribute items evenly around the inside of the washer. Set the dials to the settings you need for water temperature and size of load.
• Close the door before turning the washer on. If you need to open the door before the cycle ends, turn the machine off and wait for the tub to stop moving before putting your hand in.
• Check that you haven’t left anything inside the washer after you’ve removed your clothes.

Drying

• Mark 30 and 60 minutes on your dryer if it has dials, or label specific features like permanent press.
• Learn how to clean the lint trap on the dryer. If the lint builds up, the dryer can overheat and cause a fire. Overloading the dryer can have the same effect.
• Dry your clothes by weight and texture. Choose the correct setting for permanent press clothing.
• Remove clothing from the dryer as soon as the cycle has finished. If you wait too long, the clothes will be wrinkled.
• Hang clothes up right away after drying. To avoid creasing, use padded hangers or hangers with clips.