We all grow up learning to do laundry from someone.....or we wing it just reading the labels off the detergent and the instructions at the laundromat..... Everyone has their own system, and of course we all think we're right and everyone else is not.
So, from the files of Somebody's Mama, here are some quick tips about the art and science of laundry.
Separate your clothes? Whites from darks, heavy fabrics from light, towels and linens from everything else.....stuff that runs from everything on earth (if you brought home anything that (the colors) ran in my family you never saw it again.....until it was unearthed when the house was sold). So the answer is: I do recommend separating your darks from whites and heavy fabrics from light (e.g. don't put your dungarees in with your synthetic fabric shirts, they will look like a Shar Pei dog when you remove them from the washer).
Bleach or not? Bleach is good stuff when used correctly. I would recommend it for your cotton whites (think those greying undershirts with the yellow pit stains), athletic socks and whatever might be growing in them, and bed linens, towels or any other things that need to stay white. However, you need to pour it into the dispenser of the machine, never onto the fabric itself unless you'd like to see swiss cheese holes in your clothes. Always follow the directions on the bleach bottle and those posted at the laundromat.
Another option is non chlorine bleach (think Clorox 2 or oxiclean)...you can use these products on nearly any type of fabric (unless it tells you not to use on something specific). Just like regular Clorox disinfects, so too do the non chlorine varieties. This is especially helpful for undergarments, socks and anything else that comes into direct contact with our more personal body areas.
Not every at-home washer can tolerate every type of product and that goes for commercial washers as well, so, always refer to the guidelines provided by the laundromat along with the washing instructions provided on the clothing labels.
You can do this!
LF- Registered Nurse & Mom
Expert is removing stains from son who spent way to much time in the grass and falling off a bike
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