Tips for doing laundry

Sorting and pre-treatment

Sort laundry by colors, separating into bright, dark and whites/pastels. Also separate delicate fabrics from heavier items, such as jeans. Don't forget to check pockets for items such as ink pens and loose change that can damage the machine.

Wash towels, linens and pillowcases separately from other loads. Also wash heavily soiled garments separately as the dirt can get caught in unsoiled clothes.

Pretreat stubborn stains by applying laundry detergent and rubbing it gently before washing. Soak heavily soiled garments for items with extensive staining, such as mud or blood, in a bucket in warm water and detergent for half an hour to loosen the embedded stains. Wash temperature

Check the garment's label for recommended wash temperature to prevent colors from fading and dyes from running.

As a general rule, use hot water for whites and heavily soiled items, such as diapers; warm water for clothes made of synthetic fiber, such as nylon, polyester and acrylic; and cold water for bright colors.

However, only use cold water for the rinsing cycle of all loads, regardless of wash temperature, since it preserves the coloring, seals in the fresh scents of detergents, and saves energy. Wash cycle

The normal cycle is good for most cottons and linens, while the permanent press cycle is for minimizing wrinkling in shirts, blouses and dresses.

The delicate cycle, which uses a slower and gentler spin intensity, is for laundering lingerie, stockings and other garments that are normally handwashed. Some machines have a special wool cycle for wools and similar material.

The extra rinse cycle helps remove additional detergent that might not have been removed in linens or towels. The extra spin cycle helps remove excess water in absorbent garments such as jackets, pillows and blankets. -- JP/002