4.1/5
Contact us
31 May 2022

Navigating the laundry jungle – from the washing program itself and how to divide the laundry and dry it so that it stays nice for as long as possible – is tricky. Here are seven quick and easy tips on how to do it:

 

WASHING SYMBOLS

At first glance, they might look like Egyptian hieroglyphs. When the burning eagle follows the sun next to Ra and his snake, do not wash your t-shirt in more than 60 degrees. Just kidding, it's actually not that complicated. The washing symbols are there to quickly and easily give you an overview of which washing program to use, how to dry the garments, at which temperature, and even how to iron your clothes. Some of the most common symbols will show you:

 

  • When to use cold water, and when to use warm water. And everything in between.
  • When to avoid bleach.
  • Which garments you can tumble dry, and which ones should hang dry or dry flat.


Since different materials are to be washed in different ways, it is important to read how to wash your favorite garments before you start. Otherwise, they will quickly become your former favorite garments.

PRE-TREATING STAINS

 

  • Coffee, tea, berries and sweat stains can be difficult to get rid of. Gently rub detergent directly on the stains (preferably with a soft toothbrush) so that the detergent penetrates into the fibers. Leave for a few minutes before putting the garments in the washing machine.

 

  • Blood, soil and engine oil (sounds like a punk band) can be pre-treated by soaking in warm water with detergent for about 30 minutes before washing.

 

  • For greasy stains such as butter and margarine and lard, you can rub some detergent on the stains before washing, to help release the fat from the fibers.

 

  • Chewing gum is notoriously difficult to get rid of. Let the garment soak in warm vinegar for about 3 minutes before washing. But first, make sure to test the garment's colour by dripping some vinegar somewhere on the clothes where it is not visible.

 

 

SORTING LAUNDRY

Once you have become familiar with the washing symbols, the next step is to sort your dirty laundry into different piles. For best results, it is good to sort colors and materials into different piles. Here's how to go about it:

 

  • Colour - Clothes with strong and dark colours are more likely to bleed color when washed. To avoid other garments being damaged and discolored, it is wise to sort laundry by colour, and separate dark from light.

 

  • Weight - Wash and dry heavier fabrics, such as towels and bedding, separately from lighter clothing. This way you avoid damaging the lighter garments, and ensure that everything dries more evenly.

 

  • Materials - Wash delicate garments separately from more sturdy garments, as they often require completely different washing programs, and the coarser garments risk tearing them more easily in the machine. Make sure that garments with buttons and zippers are not washed together with underwear and knitted clothes.

 

  • Dirt - Very dirty and stained clothes should be washed separately, and for longer. More time means gently dissolving the dirt and ensures that your laundry is completely clean, but can be quite abrasive for the garments.

DOSE DETERGENT

The right amount of detergent is actually one of the most important things to keep in mind when washing. The amount depends on how much laundry there is, how dirty the clothes are, how hard your water is and of course the type of detergent you use. You will find the dosage on the detergent packaging.

 

FILLING THE WASHING MACHINE CORRECTLY

To get the best results, and to save both time and energy, it is good if you know how big the drum is in your washing machine, and how much laundry it can handle. Give your clothes enough space to rotate in the machine, to ensure proper cleaning. But do not leave it too empty, then you are just wasting water.

 

THE RIGHT WASHING PROGRAM

Always check the labels on your clothes before choosing a washing program. If you have already sorted the garments by color and material, it should be easy to find the right cycle. In addition to your choice of detergent, the temperature of the water and the speed of the washing program will determine how the result will be. Too high temperatures, or not high enough, can result in bleached clothes and runny colors, or clothes that have not been completely cleaned. And we do not want that.

DRY THE CLOTHES RIGHT

Now that you have fresh, newly laundered clothes, there are some important things to keep in mind when drying them. First and foremost It is important that you remove the laundry from the washing machine immediately, so that the clothes do not start to smell musty. It is also important to choose the right temperature in the dryer to avoid the garments shrinking or the fibers being damaged. Check the washing symbols again before selecting the drying program. Some garments can not be tumble dried at all, so put them in a separate pile to be hung up and air dried.

 

See, not that complicated, was it? Good luck!

EXPLORE RELATED TOPICS