Washing and Ironing clothes.?

Question

I would like to ask on how you wash and take care of your clothes. I buy my clothes from respectable retailers and stores thinking that high prices and store name would give me good quality clothes that would last atleast 6 months or so without looking dull or colorfaded.

I grew up in a family with maids and I have no experience washing and ironing clothes til about a year ago. I want to ask some techniques or ways that I could preserve the quality of my shirts, pants and other wears when washing and ironing them.

What I usually do is seperate the whites and colored ones. I wash them seperately with a little amount of washing detergent (I think that they're a little rough on the clothes).. and I have a habit of piling my washed clothes without folding them.. I iron just before I wear them.

Answer 1

TIPS ON SORTING

* Sort articles by color, keeping whites, darks, and medium colors together. Lighter garments can pick up dyes from darker colors.
* Separate man-made fabrics, like polyester from natural fibers such as cotton. Man-made fibers can attract the oils that are released from natural fibers during washing. These oils can build up and make spots more noticeable.
* Wash heavily soiled, dirty, items separately from slightly soiled items. This will help prevent fading and keep colors brighter.
* Try to have large and small items in each washer load. This will let the items move more freely during the washing cycles.
* Sort delicate fabrics and loose knits from "tougher" fabrics.
* Garments which generate lint, such as fleece sweat shirts and towels, should be washed separately.
* It used to be you could help make dyes colorfast by adding 1/2 cup of WHITE vinegar to the washer, before adding the clothes. However, this does not work on today's dyes. If dyes bleed, continue to wash the garment separately until no color bleeds in the wash water.

TIPS ON WASHING

* Be sure to check the label for proper care instructions, including the water temperature and wash cycle to use.
* Don't overload the washer. If the washer is too full, the clothes won't get enough agitation, and may not get clean. Also, all the detergent may not be dissolved, leaving globs of detergent paste on fabric.
* Make sure the items are equally distributed around the tub of the washer to keep the load balanced during spinning cycles.
* To minimize wrinkling when washing fabrics containing man-made fibers, wash in hot/warm water using a permanent-press cycle. If your machine does not have a permanent-press cycle, use warm/cool water.
* Very important tip - Always be sure to check the pockets of all garments before washing and drying. The stains and damage which can result from one hidden lipstick, lip balm, stick of gum or crayon goes beyond words!

TIPS ON DRYING

* Lightly shake out items taken from the washer, before placing them in the dryer. Tightly balled up fabric dries slower and will likely come out wrinkled.
* Don't overload the dryer. A stuffed dryer will not allow the items to tumble. Drying will be slower and clothes will wrinkle.
* Keep like garments together. Permanent press items should not be dried with towels, and delicate items, such as lingerie should be dried separately.
* All clothes should be left in the dryer just long enough to remove wrinkles and moisture. Any longer and the heat can actually "set" wrinkles, increase static cling, and cause shrinkage. This can be true for both natural and man-made fibers.
* Use the proper heat setting and time cycle. Don't use a high or regular setting for all clothes. Read the label! Fabrics made from fibers which have low moisture absorbency are fast drying and should be dried using a low temperature setting. This includes:

Acrylic
Nylon
Polyester
Polyolefin
Microfibers
* After removing garments from the dryer, immediately hang them up or fold them. Don't let them lie in a heap. This can cause them to wrinkle.
* Permanent press items should be taken out slightly damp and hung on a non-rust hanger. Close clasps and button buttons. Straighten fabric lines and creases, and gently brush out any wrinkles.
* Keep the lint filter clean. A clogged filter increases drying time and costs more money in electricity/gas usage.

TIPS ON IRONING



* Use the washing and drying tips to reduce the amount of wrinkles from laundering.
* Be sure you read the care label for the proper ironing procedure and temperature setting to use.
* Do not iron items which are dirty or stained. Heat from the iron will set stains.
* Keep the iron and the ironing board cover clean to avoid soiling the clean garments/fabric being ironed.
* Garments which are drip-dry should be pressed while damp on the wrong side, using a cool iron. If finishing the right side, use a pressing cloth.
* Circular knits and sweaters should be laid flat to dry.

Care Label Guide

. The symbols appearing on garment labels provide care instructions from the manufacturer.

As a minimum, laundering instructions include (in order) four symbols: washing, bleaching, drying, and ironing. Drycleaning instructions include one symbol. Additional symbols or words or both may be used to clarify the instructions. The water temperatures listed below are provided as a guideline. Actual water temperatures obtained in the home depend on washing machine settings (hot, warm, cold), regional supply temperatures, and water heater settings.

Answer 2

Read what it says on the label of your clothes and read what it says on the detergent/soap labels- You'll get it....Iron?

Answer 3

Buy a detergent with color guard