- Read the clothing care labels to know the best way to wash your clothes without ruining them. If the label says to wash at a certain temperature then make sure you choose a washer that has that temperature setting. Some clothes call for cold, warm, and hot. Other wash cycles want you to use a permanent press. Permanent press for washing washes the clothes in warm water and rinses them in cool water and agitation and spin cycles are mild. Permanent press cycle on a dryer uses medium heat. If a label says dry clean only don’t do anything besides taking to a dry cleaner. Tumble dry in low heat for drying clothes for loosely woven fabrics or anything with beading, sequins, and iron on decals like sports jerseys. It is really important to tumble dry spandex, yoga pants, exercise clothing to prevent the fabric from fraying, fading or stretching.
- Sort by the clothing color and temperature. There should be different loads of laundry done for delicate clothes, towels, sheets & blankets, darks, reds & pinks, whites, and colors.
- Check your pockets and clothes for anything that you don’t want to be washed with your clothes. The most famous culprits for staining your clothes are lipstick, chap-stick, pens, belt buckles, and gum. Also, it is important to check the machine to make sure there is nothing in there that can hurt your clothes or the machine. It is also smart to not wash delicate clothes with jackets with zippers as they can rip holes in them.
- Make sure to use the right machine that does not overload it. If you do overload it you risk damaging the machine and it won’t do as good of a job as it normally does to wash or dry your clothes. The clothes need to be able to move around in the washer and dryer freely. If they are smashed in there they won’t be able to move around and not get clean or dry. You may think your saving money to choose a smaller machine that costs fewer quarters but you may end up spending more if you need to re-wash your clothes or pay for an additional dryer cycle or two. Which will end up costing you more in the long run.
- Measure your soap. If you add too much soap it can leave a soapy residue behind on your clothes and will actually cause your clothes to get dirtier faster. On the flip side if you skimp and don’t use enough soap then obviously your clothes may not get all the way clean. Another important thing to note is that if you use the laundry soap capsules like tide pods then they should not be put in the laundry soap trays, they should be put directly into the washer with the clothes so that they are able to be absorbed all the way with water so you get the most out of the soap.
- Don’t leave your clothes or belongings in a laundromat unattended. It is wise to not chance someone walking off with your stuff or your clothes even if the laundromat is in a nice neighborhood with security cameras. The truth is that there are people out there that will steal anything in any area if given the opportunity. It is good to choose a laundromat with seating, TV, and free internet like Millcreek Laundry in South Salt Lake City, UT.
