WASHING TIPS > Cloth
Sort and Separate
Sorting By Fabric: Separate delicate fabrics that require a gentle whirl, from heavier items.
Sorting By Color: Separate white clothes that include hankies, hand towels, linens, underwear, and all light colored, from dark pastels. Sorting By Soil level:
Soil can pass from one garment to another. So separate the soiled garments and launder heavy from the rest of the lot.
Hint: Check pockets and remove tissues before washing. Wash heavy lint shedders, especially blankets+, bedspreads, rugs and woolens separately. If doing machine launder, please clean out the lint filter regularly.
Washing
Use hot/warm water for white articles. Cold water can be used for all other loads. Check for stains and pre-treat them before washing. Hand washing is recommended for delicate items such as silk, wool, lace, lingerie and very dark colors that may run off the dye. It is advisable to use lukewarm or cold water for hand washing. When squeezing, handle the garment gently, taking care not to rub, wring or agitate any more than necessary.
Concentrated laundry detergent might also help to pre-treat.
Stains Pre-treating Methods:
STAINS | REMOVAL TECHNIQUES |
---|---|
Grease [Oil, Butter, etc] | To remove a black grease stain from clothing, try saturating the stain with rubbing alcohol, then blot with a clean white cloth. If the stain persists, try using grease cutting dish detergent, such as Dawn, and rub with a soft toothbrush. Another option, although it seems crazy, is to soak the soiled area overnight in a solution of detergent, Coca-Cola and water. Then launder as usual. |
Ink Stain | Ink stain removal can be nearly impossible and many fear their clothes are ruined. Hair spray is a great ink stain removal tool for clothing. Simply spray the hair-spray onto the stained area make sure you're generous so the spray penetrates the fabric and let it sit for a few minutes. Throw the clothing item into the wash straight away and the ink should be removed when the washing cycle is done. |
Tea & Coffee Stains | For a fresh tea or coffee stain, immediately pour boiling water over the stain until it disappears. Or, soak the stain with borax and water, then wash as usual. On old stains, make a paste of borax and water, leave on for 15 minutes, then wash as usual. |
Chocolates’ Stains | To remove chocolate, rub with a borax and warm water solution before laundering (4 tbsp. borax to 2 1/2 cups water). |
Deodorant & Perspiration Stain | Shirts’ stains at under-arm are likely caused by a combination of deodorant and perspiration. Many deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum salts. When these salts are combined with laundry detergent, especially in cooler water settings, they are not easily dissolved, and they remain on the fabric. |
Color Articles without Bleeding | To set colors in colored items, soak them for an hour in a mix of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and 1/2 gallon of water. If the water shows color after an hour, repeat the process. Use this technique only for single-colored items, because multi-colored items may bleed into each other. Multicolored items will likely need to be dry-cleaned. |
Preventing Fading and Color Bleeding | The dark colored shirt that fades and ends up with a "frost" of fade on it. When laundering the dark (or bright) colored clothing, set the color by soaking the garment for an hour in a mix of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 gallon of water. If the rinse water shows color after an hour, repeat the process. Use this technique only for single-colored items, because multi-colored items may bleed into each other. Multicolored items will likely need to be dry-cleaned. The clothing will still fade, but after many more washes, this will also prevent already laundered items from fading even more. |
Removal of Rust | The best way to get rust stains out of your clothing is to use a lemon or table salt and cream of tarter. |
Refresh Black Clothing | Black clothes can be refreshed by adding bluing or strong coffee, or tea (2 cups) to the rinse water. They will return to their original dark black state. To prevent future fading, wash them in cold water, with Ivory Flakes with a small amount of detergent. |
Refresh White Clothing | White clothes can be refreshed by soaking them in lukewarm water and color safe or oxygenbleach for 24 hours, and then rinse them with vinegar and water. Use one tablespoon of vinegar to one quarter of water. Your clothes may be turning gray because you have hard water, and this diminishes the effectiveness of detergents, and often leaves a residue on clothing. If you think this is a case, you can add a powdered water softener to your wash, particularly when washing the white articles. |
Wedding Dress Cleaning | Wedding dress manufacturer's recommend that wedding dresses be dry cleaned. You may be able to clean it yourself, but you would likely lose some of the luster. However, if you are willing to take a chance you can gently wash your dress in Woolite in the bathtub then let it air dry. Stuff it with acid-free tissue paper and store it in a 100% cotton garment bag or wrapped in 100% cotton sheets that have been rinsed with distilled water. If you choose to store it in an acid-free carton box, you will need to change the box every three to five years since cardboard is absorbent and even acid-free boxes can re-acidify over time. Store it in a cool, dry place (so no hot attics or damp basements). |
Woolen Care | To get your Woolens wearable, first you have to figure out what is making it itchy. If the sweater or blanket is machine washable, you can try adding a powdered water softener to the wash. If you need to hand wash it, try washing it with a protein hair shampoo. If the scratchiness is caused from detergent residue, try adding white vinegar (1/2 cup) to the rinse cycle. |
Using Fabric Conditioner
Drying
Ironing