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General Information:
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A short course in laundry
SORTING Sorting
the Loads Sorting
clothes properly is important. Group
items together that can be washed at the same water temperature, agitation and
spin speed. Sort by type of fabric,
garment construction, degree of soil, color (keep whites separate), and the
fabric’s lint shedding properties. Removing
Troublemakers Shake
dirt and sand out of trouser cuffs. Turn
pockets inside out. Remove
perishable trim. Check for buckles
or pins that may rust. Mend
tears--small holes become larger after washing.
Tie belts and sashes. Close
hooks and zippers so they won’t catch on other garments. Pre-Treat/Soak Look
for stains and heavily soiled areas and treat before washing.
Most stains come out right away when fresh.
Apply a liquid laundry detergent to collars, cuffs, heavily soiled areas
and greasy stains. Or, saturate the
area with a pre-spotter. If items
are heavily soiled, soak them before washing.
Use laundry detergent for short soaks.
Use a pre-soak product for 30 minute-to-overnight soaking.
After soaking or treating, wash the items immediately. Loading
the Washer Add
detergents to the machine before adding the clothes to avoid damaging the
clothes. Place the clothes loosely
in the tub.
Never pack the clothes tight or fill the tub above the agitator.
Overloading can cause damage to the clothes and equipment. SELECTING
THE WASH TEMPERATURE Water
temperature has a direct effect on getting clothes clean.
In general, the hotter the water, the better the cleansing power of the
detergent and bleach. Heavily soiled clothes need hot water while cold water is
appropriate for lightly soiled items and bright or dark colored clothes.
Keep in mind that some powdered detergents do not dissolve completely in
cold water. USING
DETERGENT Detergents Using
too little detergent for wash load conditions is the most common cause of
unsatisfactory wash results. More
detergent is needed for cooler wash temperatures, heavily soiled items and large
loads. Bleaching Chlorine
bleach is one of the most effective stain removers, brighteners and
disinfectants available. However,
it is a strong chemical and must be used carefully to avoid damage to clothes.
It must be diluted in water before being added to the washer water.
Otherwise, clothes will be damaged.
Dilute one part chlorine bleach to four parts water.
This solution can be added to the wash tub after the wash fill and
agitation have begun. Chlorine
bleach may be used on white and colorfast permanent press, polyester, nylon and
acrylic. Don’t use chlorine
bleach on wool, silk, spandex, non-colorfast garments or on any garment where
the care label warns against it. Oxygen
bleaches or “all-fabric” bleaches can be used on fabrics that warn against
using chlorine bleach. Oxygen
bleaches are most effective if used regularly.
They’re used to help clean bright and dark colored items.
However, oxygen bleaches aren’t designed to remove tough stains.
Fabric
Softeners Fabric
softeners add softness and remove static electricity that causes synthetics to
cling. Most liquid softeners must
be diluted with water before they’re added to the final rinse.
If they aren’t, they’ll leave stains on clothes. There
are a variety of dryer-added fabric softeners available.
Follow the label directions when using these products.
If improperly used, they can stain clothing.
Both dryer-added and liquid fabric softener stains can be removed with
bar soap. First dampen the fabric,
rub with bar soap, then launder.
Permanent
Press Fabric and Synthetics Permanent
press fabrics and synthetics (nylon, polyester, acrylic) need little or no
ironing if the sewn-in care label is followed.
Most coin-operated washers have a permanent press cycle that spins at a
slow speed to avoid setting wrinkles prior to the cooling of the fibers in the
rinse cycle. (This allows you to
use any water temperature). Most
items can be washed in warm water; but sometimes hot water is needed for better
soil removal. Most synthetics also
should be washed on the cycle. Other
rules for permanent press and synthetics are: use enough detergent, wash whites
in a separate load and pre-treat oily or greasy stains.
Knits Knits
can be made from almost any fiber or combination of fibers.
They snag easily, so close hooks and zippers before washing to prevent
damage. You may wish to turn them
inside out for washing to avoid extreme conditions such as hot water and long
washing times unless they’re heavily soiled.
Most knits should be washed on either a permanent press or a delicate
cycle depending on construction and amount of soil. Lint Lint
is a natural by-product of washing some fabrics: cotton and linen fabrics,
towels, rugs, flannel and chenille items. They’re
the most common “lint-givers” found in today’s wash loads.
Synthetics, permanent press and corduroy attract lint in the wash water
and are referred to as “lint-receivers”.
Don’t wash “lint-givers” and “lint receivers” in the same load.
Pilling Pills
are the balls of fuzz usually seen on synthetics and permanent press.
Pills most often form on collars, cuffs, elbows and other areas of wear.
Once a fabric has pilled, the condition is usually permanent.
To avoid pilling: turn items inside out before washing, don’t crowd items in
the washer and use a fabric softener in the final rinse.
Sorting Clothes
that are washed together usually can be dried together.
Don’t dry “lint-givers” and “lint-receivers” in the same load. Load
Size The
size of the load is as important in the dryer as it is in the washer.
Overloading the dryer slows drying action.
It can extend drying time and cause excessive wrinkling.
If you’re drying a small load, add a few bath towels, or other items. This helps the tumbling action. More
Efficient Drying Always
clean the lint filter before drying. If
you don’t, the air flow can be reduced and drying time will increase. Don’t
Over-dry Remove
clothes from the dryer before they’re bone dry. Over-dried clothes may be harsh and wrinkled if all the
natural moisture is removed. Knits,
especially cotton ones, can shrink if they are over-dried. Remove regular cotton sheets and pillowcases with a trace of
moisture remaining. Fold and smooth
them and they may need no ironing. Be
sure to dry permanent press fabrics and synthetics in the dryer; but don’t
crowd these items. Also, allow them
to run through the cool-down period and remove them as soon as tumbling stops,
then hang or fold them. Remove
clothes you plan to iron while they’re damp.
This eliminates the need for sprinkling and conserves energy. |
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Copyright © 2001 Cincinnati Coin Laundry, 5109 Winton Rd ,
Cincinnati Ohio 45232
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