We understand that it's your first time doing laundry, and you're probably worried about turning everything pink or ruining your favorite sweater (a fear I may or may not be projecting—you'll understand the joke when you take Psych 101).
Fear not, friends! RLCO has you covered. We’ve been there, done that, and have created the perfect list of everything you need to know and do to skip the laundry mishaps.
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EMPTY YOUR POCKETS!
You would hate to find your earbuds, your scribbled Econ 101 notes, or 5 bucks destroyed by the washing machine because they are now either extremely damaged or extremely useless.
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Read the care instructions.
Unfortunately, you cannot just throw anything and everything in the washing machine. This is especially true for anything suede, wool, cashmere, leather, or silk. So avoid the disappointment and read the care instructions. If the label reads “Hand Wash Only” or “Dry Clean Only,” DO NOT PUT IT IN THE WASHING MACHINE.
Following the care instructions allows for the clothing to last longer in quality.
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Separate your clothes.
You should separate your clothes by color. Whites and lights in one pile and darks in another; yes, if your shirt is white with black graphics, it belongs to the dark pile. You’ll also want to make sure you separate all of your heavy items from your regular clothing; this includes towels, sheets, blankets, and jeans.
This can be daunting to have to separate all your clothes on laundry day, but if you have a laundry hamper with separate sections, like our fabric laundry basket with hampers, you can do so easily.
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Loading the washing machine.
The washing machine should not be filled to the brim with laundry, as the machine will break, and your clothes will not clean properly. Add detergent. If you're using liquid detergent, you only need about a tablespoon of detergent, or you can use laundry detergent sheets.
Typically, you should wash your laundry in cold water unless it is a load of heavy fabric or extremely dirty; then you can wash your laundry in warm/hot water.
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Loading the dryer.
Avoid overloading your dryer; select the appropriate setting for your load.
For best results, hang-dry items separately to allow for good airflow.
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Put away your laundry.
Once all your laundry is completely dry, make sure that you fold it, hang it, and put it all away so it doesn’t wrinkle, and you have clean space.