CARING FOR YOUR CLOTHES BACK T O CLEANING BASICS Imagine snuggling with a freshly laundered cotton t-shirt.warm and soft. It s a cozy pleasant moment. Then flash to removing your favorite piece of clothing from the washer or dryer ruined. Caring for clothing is simple once you know the basics. It s best to begin with reviewing the manufacturer s care label. These words and symbols are washing guidelines but are not the only option you have to care for your clothing. Most of your clothing is machine washable, some items require dry cleaning although with the right washing solutions and technique they can be cleaned at home. When to Wash Some Rules of Thumb: Sheets weekly Bras every 3 wearings Undies after each use Blankets once every three months Shirts after each use Jeans after 3 wearings Slacks after 2 wearings Pants after 2 wearings Sweaters after 3 wearings Socks definitely after each use
How to Wash C lothes Doing laundry can be a complicating task. What do you wash, what setting do you use, what do you do with the different colors? We have come up with a list to make doing laundry as easy as 1, 2, 3! 1. Sort Your Clothing Start by sorting clothing into batches. One for whites, one for darks, one for light colors and the other for hand washables like sweaters and undergarments. Be sure check to see if they are colorfast. If you re unsure, dampen a small area in an unseen area like the inseam, wait a few moments and dab with a clean white cloth or paper towel to see if the color transfers. If it does, hand wash or launder separately; include an old white sock or hankie until it emerges untainted. As you sort Turn jeans inside out Zip pants Un-bunch socks Tie draw strings Empty pockets Unroll cuffs 2. Check Your Clothing Now, don t throw everything into the washer just yet Check clothes for loose hems, seams or buttons, repair it or it will become worse. Inspect clothes for stains. Attempt to identify the stain and apply a stain remover solution. Pre-soak heavily soiled clothing for 20 to 30 minutes before washing. 3. Select the Right Laundry Detergent You re just about ready to put the clothing into the washing machine. Select the appropriate laundry detergent based on the batch type; dark detergent for dark colored clothing, white detergent for whites, etc. Add the recommended amounts for your batch size of your preferred detergent first, then clothes. Place clothes loosely and evenly in the wash machine. You may wish to use additional products such as fabric softeners, bleaches and other whiteners. We suggest not combining more than one at a time. Usually, liquid fabric softener is added in the rinse cycle; if your washer doesn t have a dispenser, dilute softener with water then add. Never add products directly onto clothing. Use softeners sparingly as they tend to make clothes dingy. Chlorine bleach whitens beautifully but can deteriorate clothes and will harm colors. Be careful of splashing. Color safe bleaches, oxygen bleach, can be added during the wash cycle. It won t harm clothing. Adding bluing agents during the rinse cycle, will brighten whites. Once the washing cycle is complete, check stains that were treated and repeat as necessary. Stain removal success is dependent on the type of stain and the freshness.
How to Dry C lothes Prior to adding everything to the dryer, review the manufacturer s care label of the clothing you are not sure of. Shake out clothes that have been twisted during the wash cycle and place in dryer. Do not overload dryer or over dry clothing; shrinkage is caused by heat from either the washer or dryer. Removing clothing before it s too dry reduces wrinkles and wear & tear making them last longer. If this step isn t efficient enough to avoid wrinkles, shake out and iron right out of the dryer. To save ironing time and energy, immediately iron. The wrinkles haven t set yet and the clothing is easier to iron. Hanging clothes right out of the dryer can eliminate the need to iron them. We suggest using an eco-friendly hanger which is made of environmentally friendly paper. Clothing line or hanging rack for tumble-dried clothing is the gentlest method and is best to conserve energy. Lastly, don t forget to dispose of the lint in your dryer. Did you know some people collect dryer lint to create paper? They do and my daughter Maddie did it in grade school. The handmade lint paper was beautiful. Understanding the washer and dryer settings Save energy, time and your clothes by setting the appropriate wash time and setting. Washer Settings Generally, a short six minutes wash time is ideal Yes, only six minutes. Often people over wash their clothes, they select the dial to regular not realizing this setting is over washing and reducing the life span of their clothes. 1. Regular Setting Use the regular setting for sturdy or heavy cottons and very dirty clothing. 2. Permanent Press The Permanent Press cycle is usually a good general selection. It cools down the heat of the clothing in the spin cycle by adding cool water; reducing fabric wrinkles. 3. Delicate Cycle The Delicate cycle is for light weight, sheer, lacy and loosely woven materials. It agitates and spins slowly simulating hand washing. 4. Hot water (120 degrees) Keeps whites white Cleans heavily soiled clothing Expedites the color fasting (be sure to wash separately)
5. Warm water (90 to 110 degrees) Ideal for normal clothing 6. Cold water (85 degrees) Bright colors that are prone to fading Delicate fabrics Dryer settings Select the appropriate setting for your clothing by reviewing the manufacturer s care label. Permanent Press is often a generally a good choice. Adding a sheet of fabric softener before drying reduces static cling and adds a fresh scent to your clothing. How to Hand Wash Lengthen the life of your sweaters, lingerie and silks by hand washing them. Start by selecting a delicate detergent, preferably one with environmentally friendly ingredients. Fill sink or basin with luke-warm water; be sure not to overfill. Add amount suggested by manufacturer. For lingerie and silks 1. Set washer settings to delicate and warm water. 2. Toss in one Grab Green Delicate Laundry Detergent pod and add clothing 3. Gently transfer clothes to a clean white towel. 4. And, lay flat till dry. For sweaters Before washing, measure sweater in three places: Under arm to under arm, shoulder to shoulder, and across the bottom. Jot down the measurements; you ll use these to shape your sweater after washing. Always wash one sweater at a time. But while you re in the mode of hand washing, consider washing other items needing special attention. 1. Begin by submerging clothing into warm 2. Swish it about and gently massage in suds. 3. Let it soak for a few minutes, unless detergent specifies differently. 4. Do not twist or wring clothing. 5. Drain water and rinse with water (no soap), and continue until water runs clear. 6. Gently press clothing to remove excess water and then transfer to a flat clean white towel. 7. Roll sweater in towel while gently squeezing to remove excess water and repeat with a second clean white towel. The drying process can take several hours so be sure to select a location to place your sweater where it won t be disturbed. Using a third towel, lay out and reshape sweater using the measurements recorded before washing. About an hour later, turn over and transfer sweater to another dry clean towel. Some dryers have a mesh rack which allows warm air to circulate around the sweater. If your sweater has wrinkles, run a warm iron or handheld steam over them.
How to Fold C lothes Folding a short sleeve shirt 1. Lay shirt face down 2. With your hand, smooth out any wrinkles 3. Fold in one side lengthwise, the edge of the sleeve should be in the center of the shirt, repeat with the other sleeve. 4. Fold up the bottom so it is aligned with the bottom of the sleeves 5. Fold once more to the top of the collar or neck band Folding a sweater or long sleeve shirt 1. Begin by laying it flat face down. 2. Fold one sleeve straight across to the opposite side and repeat with the other sleeve. 3. Fold one side in so the corner of the sweater is at the center point and repeat. 4. Depending on the size of the clothing, fold up from the bottom, once or twice. Folding a pair of pants 1. Align seams and cuffs then lay on a flat surface. 2. Fold one third of the pant up from the bottom and then fold up once more. If you re folding pleated pants, simply fold lengthwise along the pleat instead of at the seams. Then follow the same steps. Folding a set of sheets Tricky fitted sheets 1. Lay sheet on a bed or flat surface 2. Fold in half by aligning corners 3. Slide the corners on the right side into each other and repeat on the other side 4. Fold the sheet again so that all four corners are stacked on top of each other 5. Align the edges 6. Fold the folded sheet into thirds 7. Then fold in half again Flat sheets 1. Lay sheet on a bed or flat surface 2. Fold in half by aligning corners 3. Fold in half twice more so you have one long strip 4. Fold the strip in half 5. And fold in half again unless you have a large sheet then fold it into thirds.
How to Iron C lothes Let s start with making sure you have a stable ironing board covered with a clean ironing pad and a good quality iron. I prefer an iron that releases a good amount of steam and an adjustable temperature dial. Be prepared by keeping a pressing cloth handy in case you re ironing wool or shiny surface fabrics and a spray bottle filled with water. When choosing a temperature setting, begin with the lower range and increase as needed. I recommend ironing when the clothes are right out of the dryer and are still a bit damp. If the clothing is not damp, spray a good amount of water on both sides of the clothing, this will make ironing easier and faster. And, always keep the iron moving. Ironing a shirt 1. Begin with the reverse side of the collar; gently pull fabric away from iron to avoid those annoying puckering lines. 2. Iron the inside of the cuffs. 3. Next iron the inside of the front and placket panels. Place a pressing cloth on top of the buttons to pad them while you re ironing. You don t want to scratch bottom surface of your iron. 4. Using the narrow side of the ironing board, Iron the outside of the sleeves. 5. Then iron the outside of the cuffs. 6. Using the squared side of the board, iron inside the yoke, this is the section that rests on your shoulders. 7. Iron the outside of the yoke and front panels. Always iron around the buttons, not on top of them. Besides burning a shirt, a melted button is the next worst experience. 8. Complete by finishing the outside of the collar. 9. Hang on an eco-hanger and fasten the top button to secure the shirt from shifting and falling off. Ironing a pair of pants 1. Start by ironing the inside waistband. 2. Turn out pockets and iron so they will lay flat and iron the pocket area outside the pants and tuck pocket back. 3. Iron in pleats, if any, and finish the rest of the front. 4. Match up both pant legs by aligning seams, fold back the top leg and iron the inside of the bottom leg. Be sure to iron right up to the seam and then do the inside of the other leg. 5. Assemble both legs together, iron the outside of the top leg lightly, flip pants over and finish ironing 6. Hang on an eco-hanger We hope that this guide solves your laundry troubles! Follow these easy steps and enjoy how refreshingly simple doing laundry can be.