Of course, household appliances make a woman’s life much easier, but to prevent the machine from ruining the laundry, it is recommended that before you start washing, you need to find out how to wash bed linen and what temperature should be set for careful care. Not a single household appliance can independently select a mode and temperature that will wash things well and will not cause a change in their shade, shape and quality. Therefore, when you decide to wash, you should find out in advance at what temperature to wash your bed linen, especially when washing is done regularly.
How to sort laundry for washing
To begin with, dirty clothes need to be sorted into three categories by color : light things, colored things and dark things. It is better to wash new clothes in bright colors separately the first few times: excess dye can ruin other items.
Then separate items by fabric type. The first category will include clothes made of cotton and linen: panties, pajamas, T-shirts. Secondly, delicate items made from thin fabrics. In the third - knitted socks and sweaters. The latter includes jeans and other clothes made of coarse, dense fabric. If you don't know which category to classify an item into, check the washing instructions on the label.
In order not to waste time sorting, you can put several containers for dirty laundry and separate it at once. This is especially convenient if you have a large family and do a lot of laundry.
Denim
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How to wash
Jeans can easily be machine washed at temperatures up to 40°C. To prevent them from fading, it is better to use a liquid product for colored items. The spin can be set to 600 rpm, and even a mode with 800 rpm is suitable for thick fabrics.
If your jeans are downright dirty, before washing, soak them for half an hour in warm water with the addition of a special product. Gently rub the stained areas and put them in the machine. You shouldn’t leave jeans in a basin of water all day: there is a risk that the fabric will fade and rust will appear on the fittings.
Before putting the item in the machine, fasten the zipper and button, turn it inside out and make sure there is nothing in the pockets. New jeans may fade at first, so wash them separately from other items.
How to dry
It is better to dry jeans vertically, hanging them from the belt. Straighten them first so that there are no obvious creases. Denim fabric is not particularly demanding, so you can put such items in the dryer.
If your trousers are a little short, there is a way to slightly increase their length. Step on the bottom edge of your wet jeans, take the waistband in your hands and gently pull it up. Repeat the procedure a couple of times, and then hang the item to dry.
Tight trousers don’t need to be ironed at all after washing; they will straighten out perfectly on the body. It is better to iron straight and flared models from the inside out in a mode suitable for cotton.
How to prepare clothes for washing
Inspect each item carefully. If you find stains, treat them before washing. Soak the item in water and remove the stain with powder or laundry soap. Particularly difficult stains can be treated with a stain remover.
Check your pockets - they should be empty. Fasten all buttons, zippers and snaps. This way the item will not be deformed, and hooks and fasteners will not tear other clothes during washing.
It is better to turn jeans, clothes with embroidery, prints and other decorative elements inside out. Delicate items with lace and rhinestones, as well as bras with underwire, are best placed in a special laundry bag. It will protect clothes from damage, and the machine from possible small parts getting into the mechanism.
Preparation
If clothes are stored in a basket before washing, then it should be noted that it must have holes so that air can flow to the clothes. Otherwise, stains from dampness may appear, and they are difficult to wash.
Preparing for washing is an important process on which the final result depends. You need to check all pockets so that no money or documents get into the machine. The jacket should be zipped, but the buttons, on the contrary, should be left undone. Deploy all “tackles”. If there are loose metal objects, such as a belt, they should be removed. Bed linen, stockings, socks, knitted and terry products are loaded into the machine inside out. It is recommended to wash small items of clothing in a special bag.
To wash clothes correctly, you need to study the signs depicted on the clothes. Manufacturers often put an icon of a basin with water and a lowered hand on the label. This means that you need to wash it by hand. Companies insure against possible defects or deformation during mechanical washing. Sometimes, before putting the laundry into the machine, you still need to do some manual work. For example, if the stain is old, it should be treated or soaked in a special solution before washing.
How to properly load clothes into a washing machine
Do not store dirty laundry in the washing machine. Harmful microorganisms may grow in the drum.
Distribute the items evenly throughout the drum. Do not add more laundry than stated in the instructions. If you fill the machine too much, the clothes will not wash well. Cotton and linen clothes pass water well, so the drum can be completely filled with it.
When washing sportswear and other items made from synthetic fabrics, fill the drum no more than halfway. Synthetics do not absorb moisture well. To wash it, you will need more water.
When washing delicate items made of silk and wool, it is better to fill the drum only one-third full. This way the clothes will float freely in the water and the walls of the drum will not injure them.
Cotton
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How to wash
Products made from thick cotton fabric can be washed at temperatures up to 95 °C, but it is better to experiment with hot water less often, otherwise the fibers of the fabric will quickly break down and a hole will appear on your favorite shirt.
White items can be washed at temperatures up to 65 °C; for colored items, temperatures between 30 and 40 °C are suitable (clothes may fade when washed in hot water). The optimal spin mode is up to 800 rpm. Wash colored and white items separately. Before putting your clothes in the machine, check to see if they are fading. Wet a corner or inner seam of the product with soapy water and run a dry cotton pad over it. If a distinct color mark remains on it, it is better to wash this item by hand.
Before washing, soak stained clothes in warm water with added stain remover. It is better not to soak colored items for a long time, otherwise the fabric will lose its brightness.
How to dry
After washing, shake clothes to remove wrinkles and hang them on a clothes line or drying rack. Thick cotton items can be put in the dryer: this will make your favorite terry robe soft even without conditioner.
Cotton knits should dry on a flat surface, such as a clothes dryer covered with a towel. Hanging a wet cotton sweater on a line can cause it to stretch and lose its shape.
Do not over-dry cotton clothes, otherwise you will have trouble ironing out creases in the fabric. If the item still takes too long to dry, spray it with water before ironing. Cotton can be ironed at high temperature with steam.
To make things dry faster and softer, you can get a drying machine. You simply load the laundry into the drum and take it out warm and dry. Such devices do not take up much space: the Italian brand Candy has a narrow model that easily fits into cramped closets, closets or small bathrooms. It can even be installed directly on the washing machine.
Candy dryers are equipped with a special reservoir to collect water, so they do not need to be connected to a drain. If you wash and dry things every day, you don’t have to worry about bills: the device runs on a heat pump and uses energy sparingly.
To learn more
Which washing mode to choose
It's better to focus on the name. To wash bed linen and towels in the washing machine, select the “cotton” mode. For delicate items and wool, “delicate” or “hand wash” is suitable. For T-shirts, socks and underwear that are not too dirty, you can use the "daily wash". To refresh your item, run a quick wash.
Do not use the prewash and extra rinse functions unless necessary - this will save water and energy.
If someone in the house is sick, wash their clothes at the maximum temperature allowed by the instructions on the label. It is also recommended to wash kitchen textiles, towels, bed linen and panties at a temperature of at least 60 degrees.
Selecting the temperature to wash soiled laundry
How is the washing temperature considered correct? Powder manufacturers claim that their detergent can take care of things even in cold water. But professionals say that laundry is washed carefully and well only at elevated temperatures, which literally washes away all the accumulated dirt. Moreover, hot water breaks down fats that are often present on the base of dirty laundry, thereby improving the quality of washing.
How many degrees is better to choose? It is difficult to get confused in such information, so it is best to read the information you are interested in on the product labels, where the optimal temperature mode, degrees, type of powder, and more are written. Also, you should not ignore the fact that you should choose the temperature after purchasing the powder, because it also washes gently and well at a certain temperature.
General principles on how to wash bed linen if you don’t know what temperature to choose:
- 40-degree water is good for any material from which the laundry is made. It removes light to medium dirt. But it’s worth washing very dirty fabric by first soaking it in a soapy solution.
- Washing at 60 degrees allows you to remove stubborn stains, but before putting things in the drum, stains should be pre-treated with detergent. How often should bed linen be washed at this temperature? This should be done once a week.
- The boiling mode (its temperature is 95 degrees) can wash things while simultaneously disinfecting. Such degrees lead to the fact that the fabrics are washed completely.
Do I need to wash new bed linen? Yes, if a woman has just bought a set, it is recommended to do this so that all excess paint is erased and the fabric gets rid of the unpleasant odor. If it is too dirty, how many degrees should I choose?
In this case, laundry care is carried out at a temperature of 95 degrees, which will reliably wash out all the dirt from the fabric. Also, very dirty things should be soaked in advance with the addition of powder, which will allow the contaminated areas to be soaked.
Which laundry detergent to choose
Laundry detergents are available in the form of powders, gels and capsules.
Powders remove stains well. But it will take a lot of water to rinse the powder completely. Sportswear and membrane clothing cannot be washed with powder - it can clog the pores and the fabric will lose its properties.
Laundry capsules They can be used instead of three products - stain remover, fabric softener and powder. They usually cost more than other means. Plus, you won’t be able to reduce the amount of product if you are washing not very dirty clothes or if you haven’t filled the machine completely.
Liquid gels are easy to rinse out of laundry. They are universal - they can be used for washing membrane clothes and even children's underwear, if the child does not have allergies.
It is important to measure the products correctly and put in exactly as much as is written in the instructions. If you use too little gel or powder, the laundry may not wash. If you put too much, you will need more water to rinse. To add the required amount of product, use a measuring cup.
Bleach is recommended for additional disinfection of towels, bed linen and panties.
Fabric softener can be used if desired. It softens the laundry, removes static electricity and gives the laundry a pleasant aroma. But you cannot wash sports uniforms with it - the membrane fabric may lose its properties.
How to dry clothes
Immediately remove washed laundry from the machine. It is best to hang it outdoors - this will further freshen things up. Shake your clothes and hang them as evenly as possible without having to iron them. Dresses and shirts made of thick fabric can be dried on hangers. This way they are less deformed and wrinkled. Knitted items are dried on a horizontal surface. Lay them out on a clean towel and shape them into the correct shape.
To save time, you can purchase a dryer or washing machine with a drying function. It is convenient to dry bulky home textiles - bed linen and towels. Machine drying further softens the fabric and makes towels soft and fluffy even without conditioner.
Synthetics
How to wash
It is recommended to machine wash synthetic clothing on a delicate cycle. Items made from fabric that imitates silk are best placed in laundry bags to prevent puffs from appearing. The suitable temperature is 30–40 °C, and the maximum permissible spin mode is 600 rpm. You can add a conditioner with an antistatic effect to the powder: this will prevent clothes from sticking to the body and causing electric shock.
Wash fleece items with liquid detergents and do not wring them either in a machine or by hand. Let the water drain and hang the clothes to dry. It will dry quickly even without pre-twisting.
Membrane items like jackets and ski pants can be machine washed, but you need to be careful. Set to a delicate cycle with minimal spin, and for washing, use only products intended for membrane fabric.
How to dry
Hang synthetic shirts and blouses on the clothes dryer, while jumpers and cardigans should dry flat to maintain their shape. Synthetics can be put in the dryer, but make sure it has the appropriate setting. Such fabrics are afraid of hot water and air, so the device must handle them extremely gently.
You can iron synthetics at a minimum temperature, otherwise the fabric may melt. It is better to iron things from the inside out and only through gauze - it can be slightly moistened to quickly smooth out the wrinkles.
