Laundry Washing and Cleaning Tips

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How To Cleaning Tips For Laundry

You just want your laundry to be clean! Is that so much to ask? Oh, wait. You also want it to smell good, look good, and be free from lint, pet hair, and pilling. Oh, and you don’t want things to rip and tear, and you want to be able to get out any stain that you might ever come across! That’s all. But wait – you also want to know what you have to do to keep your washer and dryer running smoothly for as long as possible. Yes, that is a lot to ask, but don’t worry – we have answers.

General Laundry Tips

You can avoid annoying laundry problems by preparing your items to be washed. It might sound like extra work, but it will definitely save you time and trouble.

• Seal Velcro completely before washing to avoid lint balls
• Zip up your pants to avoid things getting caught on the zipper
• Always check pockets! Make it a habit, and you’ll never forget
• Put delicates (bras, panties, pantyhose) in a pillow case tied with a hair scrunchy or use a mesh lingerie bag
• Washable pillows and comforters should be washed and dried with about 5 tennis balls. This keeps the filling from bunching up and getting hard
• Pet hair and lint can be battled with little spiky, Velcro-like balls that collect hairs and lint and are safe for the washer and dryer
• If your pets sleep in bed with you, use a lint roller on the sheets before you take them off to wash them
• Consider using bluing on whites – it’s better for your clothing and septic system than bleach
• Use a cookie cooling rack in the bathtub for flat drying sweaters
• Hang dry as much clothing as you can – it will prevent fading and shrinking
• Don’t over-dry your clothes – putting them back into the dryer to get the wrinkles out will end up ruining your clothes
• Read care labels – if it says dry clean only, don’t experiment!
• Turn sweaters and sweatshirts inside out to avoid pilling
• Don’t dry one item alone – it will take longer because it needs agitation from something else to tumble properly
• Take king-sized comforters to a laundry mat with a giant machine or have them dry cleaned. Shoving them into your too-small washer can cause a flood or break your washing machine

Removing Stains From Laundry

The most important thing is to catch stains before you wash and dry the item of clothing so the stain won’t become permanent. After you treat the stain, wash the item. If it didn’t come out, don’t dry the item! Try another treatment.

• Soak protein stains (grass, urine, blood) in cold water
• Dried blood stains should be soaked in very, very salty cold water
• Put paper towels to absorb the stain on the other side of the stain before spraying or blotting with a laundry pre-treater
• Soak coffee stains with a solution of detergent and warm water for 20 minutes
• Blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry stains should be treated with a commercial stain treatment
• Oil stains can often be taken out with dish detergent and water
• Pen stains can be treated with rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits
• Makeup stains and sweat stains can usually be removed with OxiClean
• Deodorant stains can usually be fixed by sprinkling baking soda directly onto the stain then following with a bit of vinegar
• Candle wax should be scraped off, then you can usually iron a paper bag over the stain that will absorb the residue

Washer and Dryer Maintenance:

It’s annoying and inconvenient when your washing machine or dryer breaks, but it’s even more annoying to find out it’s something you could have prevented! There are easy maintenance steps you can do to prolong the lives and efficiency of your washer and dryer.

Maintaining Your Washer

• Consider purchasing and installing a lint trap for your washer if you have a septic system and a lot of pet hair or other debris in your clothes
• If your washing machine moves or “walks” during cycles, balance it with the adjustable legs underneath
• Change out the hoses connecting your washer to the water sources (hot and cold) every 3-5 years. These hoses can split if they get old, causing a serious flood.
• Periodically check hose connections to make sure they are tight to prevent leaks
• Turn off the water valves to the washer fill hoses before going on vacation
• Leave your washer lid open when it’s not in use to avoid getting a funky smell in the washer
• If your bleach dispenser cup is removable, take it out and clean off the residue. If not, use a pipe cleaner to get out any residue
• Clean your fabric softener dispenser periodically if you have one
• If you have hard water, install a water-softener or use a laundry water softener additive as hard water can easily damage your machine

Maintaining Your Dryer

• Clean the lint filter in your dryer every single time you use it.
• If the lint filter gets clogged with dust and debris, run it under a faucet
• Detach the dryer lint duct and clean it out every year – this will prevent fires AND make your dryer work faster – you can usually do this with a vacuum hose.
• Replace the dryer lint duct (easy to do and very inexpensive!) every 2-3 years
• Don’t overload the dryer – it makes the dryer have to work too hard and too long