L–5200 3-98 Laundry on your own

Doing your own laundry for the rst time? What gets washed with what? Too late to call home? You're the only one in the laundry? Pamela J. Brown * Hang on, help is here. You can take care corner of your room. If the clothes are dirty or of your clothes and save money by stained, you may forget to treat the stain if you practicing good clothing management in don't hang them up. And some stains are hard your home, dorm or neighborhood to remove if left untreated. That may mean laundry. Although the latest in washers, you've ruined your favorite shirt or jeans. dryers and laundry products make Removing stains cleaning easier, for good results, follow Spots and stains are easier to remove if these basic procedures: they're treated quickly – not a few days later. •Hang up your clothes when you take them To remove a stain, use a blotting motion; do o . not rub the stain. Work from the outer edge to •Keep your clothes clean and remove stains the center of the stain. Be patient when as soon as possible – not the next time you following stain-removal directions. Retreat go home to Mom's. stains that are not completely gone; some must •Mend clothes when they need repairs. be treated several times. Do not dry stained •Read the care labels and follow instructions clothes in the dryer or the stains may become – don't cut them o ; you may forget the permanent. instructions. Check for really dirty areas such as collars •Sort clothes before washing and drying. and cu s. Pretreat these areas beforewashing. •Follow the instructions on laundry Make your own pretreatment by using liquid products. detergent, a paste of granular detergent and •When buying clothes, think about how you water or use one of many varieties of will care for the garment. pretreatment products on the market. Always check for colorfastness (that is, make sure the Hang up your clothes fabric color remains the same when Clothes are made of bers that bend, pretreatment is applied) in an inconspicuous stretch, absorb moisture and attract dirt. You area of the garment, such as a seam allowance can save hours of washing and ironing if you inside the garment. just take a few minutes to hang your clothes on Chlorine bleach is a stain remover. Use it hangers rather than leaving them piled in a only on white and colorfast clothes. Although bleach can also improve the cleaning power of *Assistant Professor and Extension consumer the laundry detergents, it weakens bers science specialist; The Texas A&M University System (especially cotton) when used repeatedly. That makes clothes wear out quicker. Do not use publication. bleach on silk, wool, spandex, noncolorfast By law, manufacturers must attach care fabrics or fabrics with a flame-retardant finish. labels permanently. They are usually on the Oxygen bleach is safe for colored fabrics inside of the collar, neckline or waist seam, but and is most effective in brightening colors and can be on other inside seams. Although you whites when used regularly. can remove the labels, it is best to leave them The Extension Stain Removal Guide L–5199 attached to know how to care for your gives tips on specific stains and removal. Or, clothing. check out web sites on the Internet on stain removal. (Refer to the “Sources” section at the Sorting end of this publication.) Sort clothes before washing to keep colors from fading onto other colors, to prevent Repairs transfer of lint and soil, and to make it easier Repair holes and replace buttons on to choose the best water temperature and clothing so these areas don't continue to detergent for your clothes. Be sure to empty expand when washed. If you don't know how pockets; shake off loose dirt; close zippers, hooks to repair holes or replace zippers or buttons, and eyes; and remove belts, pins and buckles. consider learning. Find a friend who knows Then sort the clothes by: how, or take them to a repair shop such as a •Color: Separate whites from colors, light sewing service or dry cleaner. Their services colors from dark. usually include clothing repairs. However, •Fiber content of fabric: Fibers that can be expect to pay a lot more than it would cost you washed together include cotton and linen; to do the repair yourself. wool and acrylic; and manmade fibers (polyester and blends). Remember that Choosing a coin-operated laundry some fabrics should be dry-cleaned only. If you're living in a dorm or apartment, •Texture: Separate smooth fabrics (such as you may not have a washer and dryer on the polyester) from pile fabrics (corduroy). premises. Though less expensive than dry Wash fabrics that shed lint, such as towels cleaning, a coin-operated laundry can be made of terry cloth, separately from those costly. Sorting clothing correctly can save your that attract it, such as corduroy, velveteen money and your clothes. and most permanent press fabrics. Choose a laundry that is clean, well •Construction: Wash delicate items maintained and well lit. Try to find one with separately, such as loose knits, lace, or any an attendant on duty during open hours. Look item requiring hand washing. for businesses that provide tables for folding, •Soil: Separate heavily soiled from lightly hanging racks, and baskets for moving laundry soiled clothes. from washers to dryers. Although most have change machines, take Select laundry products and washing plenty of coins (quarters and dimes) with you. techniques It is less expensive to bring your own laundry Many choices of laundry products are detergent. Be sure to bring hangers. You may available today. Remember: choose to disinfect the washers you use. Add •Every load of laundry needs detergent to get liquid chlorine bleach to the wash cycle when clean. you launder white clothes. •Follow the manufacturer's instructions for amounts to use. Measure the detergent Read care labels before adding it to the water. More Following the manufacturer's detergent may be needed for extra large recommended instructions can mean the loads, less for very small loads. When you difference between a garment that lasts and use too little detergent, clothes become one that can be ruined easily. Read the care grayed or yellowed, and stains and oils labels in your garments. They contain care aren't removed. procedures recommended by the clothing manufacturer. New symbols are now appearing Water temperature on garment labels. An explanation of these All detergents work better in water symbols can be found on the back of this temperatures above 65 degrees. Check the care label instructions and fiber content for Drying temperature guidelines. Use cold water only Choose a dry cycle that fits the care label when care labels recommend it. instruction. Generally, if items can be washed together, they can be dried together. Some Soaps and detergents items may shrink when dried. Again, read the Read laundry labels and directions to label. You may want to remove such items choose the right detergent. Soaps are designed from the washer and hang them to dry rather for light, gentle washing; detergents work to than drying in the dryer. remove a variety of soil amounts. Shake damp clothes to loosen them before Detergents are more concentrated today placing them in the dryer. Do not overload the than in the past. Use the recommended dryer. If you are using a dryer with a removable amounts. Some states prohibit the sale of lint filter, clean it before starting the next dryer detergents containing phosphates. Non- cycle. If you don't clean the filter regularly, phosphate detergents may not clean as your apartment or house may be at risk of fire. effectively as detergents containing phosphate. Regular cycles are intended for all-cotton Powdered detergents dissolve better in hot fabrics. Use the permanent press cycle for water than in cold. A powdery residue on clothes made of manmade fibers, such as clothes after washing may indicate that the polyester, nylon and acrylic. Avoid wrinkles by detergent was not dissolved completely. removing clothes from the dryer as soon as the Granular detergents work well on mud and cycle ends. Leaving them in the dryer will clay soils. Liquid detergents are usually create more wrinkles. effective in removing greasy, oily stains. Put detergent in the water first so it can dissolve Do not over dry clothing. Remove items and then add clothes. with elastic bands, such as shorts, socks and bras, while slightly damp. Some touch-up Loading the washer ironing may be necessary on some items. Fill the washer with water, add detergent and then clothes. Do not pack clothes into a Air drying washer. Overloading washers can create extra Read the garment care label. Some items lint, leave detergent on clothes and shorten should not be dried in the dryer, but should be their life. Place them loosely and unfolded, so dried on a flat surface or hung to dry. that water and detergent can circulate freely through the clothes. Buying more clothes Vary the size of articles in loads. For Now that you know how to care for what example, wash large towels and wash cloths you already own, consider what to look for in together, or jeans and dark shirts, or two sheets your clothing when you are ready to buy more. and smaller items requiring similar water Before buying a new article of clothing, ask temperatures. Never wind, wrap or drape yourself these questions: clothing over the washer agitator. This could tear and damage your clothes. •What does the care label recommend? •Will it require special care, such as hand Fabric softeners washing or dry-cleaning? Fabric softeners reduce static cling, •How much will the care procedure add to minimize wrinkling and soften clothes. Read the price of the item? instructions on laundry equipment and fabric •How much will it cost me in time and softener products to know when and how to money to care for this item? add softeners. Rinse-added softeners go in •Do I have the right kind of products and during the final rinse of the washer. Dryer- equipment to clean this item correctly? added softener sheets go in the dryer at the start of the drying cycle. If you expect your clothes to last, you must take care of them. The appearance of clothing Washing by hand can be ruined during any of the steps outlined Read the care label. Some items, such as above. However, if you take time to care for lingerie, should not be placed in a washer. and clean your clothes properly, you will save Instead, wash them in a sink, handling carefully. money. NOTE: The water temperatures listed in the chart are provided as a guideline. Actual water temperatures in the home depend on the washing machine settings (hot, warm, cold), regional water supply temperatures and water heater settings.

References

Cleanliness Facts. (1997). The Soap and Detergent Association, July/August. NY: New York.

Cleanliness Facts. (1997). The Soap and Detergent Association, March/April. NY: New York.

Laundering Facts. (1991). The Soap and Detergent Adapted from a publication of the Federal Trade Commission, Association. NY: New York. Bureau of Consumer Protection. Beard, A.V. (1989). Removing stains from washable fabrics. Texas Agricultural Extension Service. TX: College Station. Sources: http://www.fabriclink.com/ Removing stains & odors from washable fabrics.(1986). http://www.aac.msstate.edu/pubs/pub1636.htm The Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension http://www.sdahq.org Service. PA: University Park.

Turner, J.D. (September 1995). Stain removal methods for washable cotton and cotton/polyester blend fabrics. Textile Chemist and Colorist.

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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, Edward A. Hiler, Interim Director, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System.

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