Laundry 101: The Beginners Guide…

At some point we all have to learn to do laundry or maybe you would need a refresher course to see if you are doing your laundry correctly. We all dread doing laundry, but we know it is a chore that has to be done. These laundry room hacks will save you time, money, and keep your clothes looking new…

Wash & Dry

1. Sort Your Clothes – We suggest sorting your clothes into three piles: dark, lights and a mixed load. Put all the whites and off white garments into the light pile, put all the dark garments in the dark pile and the gray and tan item into the mixed pile. You do this so the colors do not bleed into the other garments in the washer. If you wash a red shirt with white clothes the red will turn the white clothes pink. There may be a few special loads that you will want to do such as wash your jeans separate or for dedicates and lingerie, if you do not want to wash by hand put them in a mesh laundry bag.
2. Pick a Load – Depending on the washer, you may be able to select a load size (small, medium or large ) and a water temperature (cold, warm, hot). Wash whites and lights in warm water and everything else in cold water. Hot water should only be used for disinfecting purposes, like with bath towels and washcloths and possibly the bed sheets. Start each load by adding the detergent and then the clothes and then turn on the washer cycle.
3. Set the Load – You will find various load setting on the washer (normal, gentle, permanent press). You will normally use the normal setting, a permanent press or gentle cycle on your washing machine uses a more gentle and slower motion to mix the load. This allows your clothes to move more freely, preventing wrinkles and damage to the fabric. During the gentle motion, the cycle length for permanent press clothes will likely to be shorter than for a normal wash.
4. Dry It – When the washer completes it cycle and turns off the load it is complexly washed.

• • Clean the lint filter or screen before each load
  • Inspect washed items before placing them in the dryer
  • Shake each garment before transferring it from the washer to the dryer
  • Choose a dryer cycle (timed, cottons, or delicate, etc.)
  • Add a fabric softener sheet
  • Remove the clothes once they’re dry and hang them immediately

How Often Do You Need to Wash Clothing?

Many people will wear an article of clothing once and then toss it in the hamper to be washed. And there are certainly some pieces of clothing that you should wash each time like underwear or a soiled shirt. However Jeans, sweaters, pajamas and more can often go longer in between washings. Of course the soiling of the clothing will dictate when you should wash them. But generally speaking here is a guide for how often you can go between washing clothing.

• Underwear – With the exception of bras, which can be washed after 3-4 wears, you should wash all your underwear after one wear. Nobody is expecting you to do laundry every single day, but re-wearing the same pair of boxers or socks is highly unhygienic. Just put them in the hamper each day.
• Jeans – We love wearing jeans– you can dress them up or down! Buy them in various shades, or stick to the traditional blues. One thing we hate is washing our jeans – they’re never the same afterwards and it makes the color fade easier. As a guide, you should wash your jeans after 6-7 wears, or approximately once a week if you’re wearing the same pair every single day.
• Sweaters – Wash these every five or seven wears, unless of course you need to more often because of perspiration. To prevent fraying, we’d suggest washing these on a gentle cycle and then hanging them to dry.
• Jackets – Jackets are usually worn on top of two or three pieces of clothing and so you do not need to worry about washing quite as much. Usually just a wash or two a season will suffice.
• Pajamas – Wash these about once a week or perhaps every three or four day if you sweat in your sleep

Now you know how often you need to wash your clothes and how to wash and dry your clothing and household items. You can stop wasting time on unnecessary laundry loads and save money on detergent as well as water! Laundry can seem intimidating, but once you get the hang of it it is pretty easy to do.

About 24 Hr Meadowthorpe Laundromat

24 Hr Meadowthorpe Laundromat is a self serve coin laundry, with a variety of washing and drying options. We have large capacity equipment, perfect for blankets, comforters, sleeping bags, and more. We are owned and operated by a Meadowthorpe resident and have better washers and more drying capacity than ever before. We offer customers a clean, safe, and dependable place to get your laundry clean. We also have Free WiFi, snacks, drinks, and laundry supplies available for your convenience.
>> Learn More