Everything You Need to Know About Laundry

By Melinda Dodd

No matter how often you do laundry, there's always more. In fact, the average family washes 392 loads per year. Our wash-and-go guide can help you do it faster, cheaper and better.

The Basics

Before you load the washer, take these six simple steps.

1. Dot the Spots
Give each item a quick once-over. "Pretreating is essential," says home expert Linda Cobb, author of Talking Dirty Laundry with the Queen of Clean. Forgetting to inspect and treat items can set stains forever. Cobb likes Zout stain remover spray ($4.49; Walgreens.com). To stay on top of things, keep a spray bottle under the kitchen sink and in bathrooms, so you can treat stains as soon as you notice them.

2. Check Your Detergents
Are you using the right ones for your machine? Old washers can use old-school powders, but high-efficiency machines require less bubbly "HE" detergent.

3. Measure Precisely
Follow the bottle directions. "Using too much detergent doesn't get clothes cleaner," says Cobb. "In fact, it attracts dirt, leaving items sticky and stiff." Be especially judicious with concentrated soap, which people often over-pour. Small and lightly soiled loads are often able to get by with even less.

4. Divide and Conquer
Separate whites, darks and colors, and flip colored clothes inside out to preserve brightness, says Cobb. Slip delicates into mesh bags so they don't snag on anything. Run full loads, especially if you have an older machine: It saves 3,400 gallons of water per year, according to Energy Star, the government's energy efficiency program. But don't jam-pack items. Space clothes out so machines can agitate and shake soil loose.

5. Clean by Degrees
Cold-, hot- and warm water washes all affect clothes differently. "Read care labels closely," urges Mary Zeitler, a consumer scientist with the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science. However, since the temperature of rinse water has little effect on cleaning, opt for cold-water rinses- you'll save on energy costs.

Hot Water: Good for: Heavy soil (dirt, sweat), microfiber gym clothes, whites, sheets. But: Can fade colors, shrink items, and set blood and many food stains. "Avoid it if you're not removing stains or sanitizing," says Steve Boorstein, host of the DVD Clothing Care: The Clothing Doctor's Secrets to Taking Control!

Warm Water: Good for: Nylon, spandex, polyester, preshrunk white cotton, durable rayon blends. "Warm water gives a bit of heat that helps activate regular detergent and stain removers," explains Boorstein. It can be an energy-saving alternative to hot. But: Flimsier or heavily dyed cottons or rayons may bleed or change shape.

Cold Water: Good for: Acetate, acrylic, cotton, denim, jersey; washable linen, silk, wool, lingerie and other rayons (on the delicate cycle); dark and bright-colored clothing. "Cold is less likely to shrink items or compromise fit," says Lindsey Wieber Boyd, cofounder of The Laundress, a specialty detergent and fabric care company. But: Warm is better for killing bacteria and lifting stains. If you do wash stained items in cold water, spot-treat first, then use a detergent made especially for cold water, like Tide Coldwater. "It can remove stains that would otherwise be hard to get out," says Zeitler.

6. Dry It Right
Shorter is better: Too much heat shrinks and abrades fabrics, and causes utility bills to spike. Use a longer spin cycle in the wash, then dry small loads of similar weight (i.e., all towels) so heat circulates evenly. Another energy saver: "Cleaning your lint filter makes heat more effective," says Dolly Wade, assistant director of housekeeping and laundry for Copeland Oaks and Crandall Health & Rehabilitation Center in Sebring, Ohio.

4 Cleaning Agents You Can Make at Home

Whether you'd like to save money, avoid waste or just go the all-natural route, you can make many of your own laundry products with ingredients found in your kitchen or bathroom.

Stain Remover
Try: Rubbing alcohol
"Fill a spray bottle with 50% water and 50% rubbing alcohol," says Cobb. Spritz on stains like fruit juice, coffee, grass and ink, and blot for a few seconds; works on most fabrics (except for silk or linen) of any color.

Grease Remover
Try: Glycerin and liquid dish detergent
"Glycerin lifts grease; dish soap removes it," Cobb explains. Mix 1 Tbsp glycerin, 1 Tbsp dish soap and 8 Tbsp warm water; pour on affected areas, wait 5 minutes and rinse.

Fabric Softener
Try: White vinegar
The acetic acid in vinegar removes the alkaline residue left by detergent. Just add ¼ cup of it to your wash at the beginning of the rinse cycle. "I promise, your clothes won't smell like vinegar," assures Cobb.

Deodorizer
Try: Baking soda
"It will make everything smell good," promises Wade. Pour ½ cup baking soda directly into water or add it to the detergent tray at the start of the wash cycle.

Related Articles at WomansDay.com:

10 Laundry-Day Shortcuts
10 Tools to Get Your House Organized
5 Ways to Get Whites Whiter