College Student’s Guide to Clean Laundry It happens every August and September like clockwork: millions of students nationwide prepare for their next semester with anticipation. Dorm life can be a whirlwind of activity and life challenges, especially for first-year students. For many, a new semester may mean their first time living independently and doing laundry. If you’re new to doing laundry: that’s ok! We all have to learn sometime. Whether you’re new to doing laundry, using a coin-operated washer and dryer, campus life, or a seasoned pro in all of these—this guide is for you. First things first You may have some experience with laundry at home, but for the sake of this guide, we’ll assume you’re a first-timer. While there’s no shortage of helpful tips to maximize your efficiency and minimize your headaches in the laundry room, none of it is helpful without a solid foundation on the basics. So, assemble the things you will need for your trip to the laundry room: detergent, payment method (some locations support using your smartphone!), dirty clothes, and a little ambition. Start by sorting your clothing by colors, making separate piles for dark and light-colored garments. This crucial first step helps avoid transferring dye to your white clothes. Don’t forget to check all pockets for items like buttons, clasps, cash, earbuds, lipstick or anything else you’d hate to get wet. Before tossing anything in the wash, pre-treat any troublesome stains. Check out our stain removal guides on the WASH-Connect app or the help section for advice on treating tough stains! Next, decide on which temperature setting is appropriate for your load. Whites and linens are often washed in hot water to disinfect, but high heat will facilitate material wear and tear. Modern detergents are formulated to perform best in cool/cold water—so when in doubt, opt for cold water. Don’t fill the machine yet! Once you’ve separated your clothes and decided on the proper temperature setting for your load, you’re ready to add detergent. Follow the detergent’s label to avoid over-soaping. Laundry pods, a popular on-the-go choice, must be placed in the drum before clothing for best results. Be warned: adding detergent, whether liquid, powder, or pod, directly onto clothing can cause discoloration and damage your garments. It’s loading time Fill the washer drum loosely, approximately 2/3rds of the way full. Add payment, close the door, and begin the cycle. Overstuffing the machine will lead to poor washer performance, so it’s best to wash two loads instead of risking an overpacked load. If you have the WASH-Connect app, feel free to go about your business because the handy app will notify you when the cycle has completed. If you don’t have the app… why wait? Download it now! Dry, fold, repeat Most clothing is dryer friendly unless the material tag states otherwise, so always check your tags. Certain fabrics like silk and wool may require specialty cycles. Clean the lint trap. We repeat: Don’t forget to clean the lint trap. This step is so crucial that it bears repeating. Not only will your clothes take longer to dry, but a clogged lint trap is a fire hazard. Add clothing, add payment, and start the cycle. That’s it! When the machine finishes, be sure to remove your clothing promptly. Don’t be that person. Final tip: Folding your laundry promptly after the cycle completes helps minimize wrinkles. Choose WASH For helpful resources, tutorials, and guides, check out our blog or download the WASH-Connect app today!
Laundry Tips, Tricks and Expert Advice: A Complete Guide Whether you’re staring down a grisly stain or just doing a routine cleaning of the bedsheets, laundry can present a wide variety of challenges. Even the most savvy and confident laundry-doer can run up against seemingly formidable stains or an enigma of material care. Have no fear, WASH is here with expert laundry tricks and tips! We’ve got the essential laundry advice and resources to cover everything from helping you complete routine laundry tasks, to conquering dismal stains and complex materials. Leave the washer door open It might be tempting to close the washer door after a completed cycle, but this creates a damp environment that can lead to bacteria growth, unpleasant machine odors, and smelly clothes. By leaving the washer door open after each use, you allow the drum and seals to air out, preventing the buildup of moisture and mildew. This simple laundry habit not only keeps your machine fresh but also ensures your clothes smell clean after every wash. Stain Removal When it comes to stain removal, the first laundry tip is to act quickly. The second laundry trick is stop and think. Tending to a stain immediately after it occurs is your best chance of preventing lasting damage; however, acting too hastily can set a stain into the material with the heat of the water or dryer. Test all cleaning methods on an inconspicuous place to be sure the stain removal technique won’t harm the fabric. You can visit WASH’s stain treatment library for soil-specific laundry fixes, too! What temperature do I wash this in? As a quick temperature guide rule, you can usually use cold water with most modern detergents. Our expert laundry advice: Cold water uses less energy while providing a powerful clean, as most detergents are optimized for cold water washing. That’s not to say warm and hot temperatures don’t have their uses. As a general temperature guide, hot water is best left for removing very heavy soiling or sanitizing fabrics. How to reduce wrinkles Keeping clothing wrinkle free may seem like an absolute enigma to some, but proper laundry instructions and solutions can keep your clothing looking as crisp as they day you pulled it off the rack. There are two main pieces of laundry advice to follow when trying to reduce wrinkles. One, don’t overfill the drum – an overfull drum can not only decrease performance of the machine, but guarantees deep wrinkles. Two, to reduce wrinkles, remove clothing from the drum immediately after tumbling has completed for best results. How often should you wash your sheets? One of the most commonly asked questions regarding laundry is, “How often do I wash this?” And with good reason — who wants to sleep on a bacterial breeding ground? Our bed sheets see steady day-to-day use and soiling, especially if you sweat in your sleep. That said, bed sheets are best cleaned on a weekly basis to avoid dust mites or fungal growth. Staying on top of your bed linens is especially important to those with sensitive skin issues. Follow this expert laundry tip: Try not to ever allow more than two weeks between cleaning sheets for sanitary reasons. How do I wash delicate items? Laundering delicate items without compromising the material can feel like an impossible challenge for the uninitiated. Sure, silk is still best left to the dry cleaners, but that doesn’t mean all delicates must be dry cleaned. Checking the material care tag is best laundry advice you receive! For washing delicate items, a mesh bag is a great investment to protect items from the mechanical trauma of the washing machine. If you find your wardrobe is littered with delicate items, a mesh bag offers an instant decrease in wear and tear during washing. When preparing to dry delicate items, seek the manufacturer’s material care tags for input first and foremost. Many synthetics can lose their elasticity or shrink dramatically if exposed to excessive heat. Generally, delicate fabrics should not be placed in the dryer. Instead, hang these items to dry or even lay them flat. In a pinch, try this laundry trick: use multiple dry towels to expedite the drying process on delicate items. Should I wash new clothes before wearing them? You’ve just pulled an absolutely fabulous top off the rack, and a quick trip to the fitting room confirms your suspicions — it’s perfect! And just in time for your night out… right? Well, as it turns out, you should really wash new clothing before wearing them for any extended period of time. In fact, studies have shown that new clothing is actually much dirtier than they look, and it absolutely warrants at least one wash before wearing it. According to Phillip Tierno, Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at New York University, clothes grabbed off the rack regularly tested positive for bacteria, viruses and even fecal germs. As if that wasn’t gross enough, many articles of clothing are treated with chemical finishes or dyes that are highly irritating to the skin. Those with sensitive skin may even have allergic reactions due to the chemicals present in unwashed clothing. How do I best care for my white clothes and linens? Our brightest whites can become dingy over time, and our most loved linens become stained with the side-effects of life. While many modern detergents are formulated to clean best in cold water, there are specific use cases where hot water is still king. Linens and white clothing are one of those excellent use cases. As always, check your material care tag before attempting any cleaning technique. Linens have many paths to cleanliness, depending on material content and dyes. If you’re attempting to wash linens that have been soiled heavily, you should pre-wash them in cool water first to avoid setting the stain, followed by a hot water cycle. Linens from a sick person should always be handled minimally and washed with hot water to help disinfect them. Getting bright whites is a bit of a different pony. Hot water can lead to expedited wear and tear, so you should opt for warm water on your favorite white clothing. Many laundry-doers are also using pods these days, which usually contain brighteners for glowing whites – and pods work best in warm or cold water too! We hope you find these laundry tricks and tips useful. Visit wash.com for more expert laundry advice and connect with our socials to get the latest laundry hacks and a hamper full of laundry inspiration.
How to Troubleshoot Common Laundry Mishaps Even with the best laundry equipment, sometimes there are glitches. Here are a few common mishaps you might encounter while doing laundry and tips for easy, no-hassle fixes — usually it’s just a matter of technique to get back on track! Consider this your how-to guide for laundry troubleshooting. Clothes Not Getting Clean Our new, high efficiency washers like room to breathe. Translation: Fill the drum only 75 percent full. Your machine has a MAX fill-level indicator to show exactly how much of your closet can fit inside safely. Otherwise, clothes can’t mingle with the water and soap well enough to get fully clean, and they can get damaged by getting too cozy with each other. Your jeans should not be entwined with your sweater, for instance. Washer Error or Cycle Taking Too Long Does it seem like you’ve been waiting on your wash cycle since last Tuesday? If your cycle is running an unusually long time, it’s likely from overloading. Too heavy a load can delay the cycle and unbalance the machine. Then your washer might start sending out distress signals with an error message. If this happens, try pausing the cycle and rearrange the laundry. This helps re-center the tub, then you can restart the machine. If that’s not enough, remove bulkier items to run separately. Your machine will be much happier and give you back fresh, clean, undamaged clothes. Too Many Suds or Oversoaping Contrary to popular belief, more isn’t always better. You don’t need tons of suds to clean your clothes. In fact, too much laundry detergent causes soil to redeposit onto fabrics. HE detergents are concentrated, so a little goes a long way. If you’re using pods, you only need one per load and they should be tossed into the drum of the machine before your laundry. Be sure to follow package instructions for your detergent of choice. If you still have soapy clothes after the rinse cycle, run a new cycle with fabric softener in the soap dispenser to clear the residue. That should do the trick. Dryer Not Heating Are your clothes warm, yet damp? It’s likely it’s that pesky over-loading problem again. Too large a load can be split it into two cycles or two separate machines to dry. If it appears the load is of average size, your washer’s spin cycle may have not completely wrung out the clothes. Try running another dry cycle. Also, double check that the dryer’s lint screen has been cleaned. A full lint trap can contribute to drying problems. If All Else Fails… Machine still acting up despite your valiant efforts? Report it and request service through the WASH-Connect app – no account required. Use your phone to scan the barcode on the machine or enter the machine ID. Then select the problem description. The app identifies the exact machine, your location, and dispatches our service technicians to fix the problem. You also can go online at wash.com/service.
Reduce Your Energy Use by 50% with These 7 Green Tips for Laundry Whether you’re an environmental superstar, or just looking to shrink your footprint, laundry is actually a great place to look for reductions. Many modern laundry machines are created with efficiency in mind, but even with all our advances, laundry equipment can still draw significant electricity and water. Fear not, WASH is here. We’ve got the proper use and responsible laundry practices that can reduce your energy usage by over 50 percent! Remove Lint – Remove lint buildup from the trap before you begin your drying cycle. Built up lint can cause restricted airflow and poor dryer performance. Avoid Chlorine Bleach – Utilize alternative whiteners like oxygen-based bleaches or for a natural solution, try lemon juice! Launder by Weight – Keep heavy items like towels in their own wash load, separate from light-weight items. Separating items by weight when washing has the benefit of also making for perfect dryer loads. Only Wash Complete Loads – It may seem like an obvious tip, but you can save some serious energy, time, and money by only washing a full load. Keep in mind, machines should not be filled beyond 75 percent of their capacity for best cleaning results. Reduce/Reuse Package — Do your part and recycle plastic containers so they can continue their journey! Today’s detergent containers can become tomorrow’s water bottles and flip flops! Cold Water Formula – Avoid using hot water when not necessary. Not only does the excessive heat speed up the breakdown of materials and colors, but ENERGY STAR estimates that nearly 90 percent of energy used when washing clothing goes towards heating water. Skip the Dry Cleaners – Not only are dry cleaners overkill unless the material specifically calls for it, many rely on the use of PCE or Perchloroethylene, a known human carcinogen and potential water table pollutant. You may not think “laundry” when trying to save the environment, but maybe you should! According to the Sierra Club via Sierra Magazine, every household that switches to cold water washing could eliminate up to 1,600 pounds of CO2 emissions annually, each! When it comes to our planet’s health, every little bit helps; WASH appreciates that — that’s why we’re a proud ENERGY STAR partner and equipment supplier! Check out our website and social media for more articles, videos, and helpful resources!
6 Stain Removal Hacks for Everyday Laundry Staining your favorite shirt has got to be the worst feeling, right? We agree – but don’t let a stain send your favorite garments into the trash. We can save it… we have the laundry hacks! The best part is, most of these solutions are likely available around your household! Shaving Cream – Got makeup on your shirt? Apply a dollop of shaving cream to a foundation stain, allow to sit for a few minutes, and then work the material to loosen, rinsing with cold water. Repeat as needed. Once the stain is gone, launder the item as usual. The Power of Friction – Remove off-putting deodorant spots on clothing with the power of friction! Rub the affected material with a dryer sheet, or even other clothing, and watch the stain disappear. Distilled White Vinegar – Ah, the all-powerful white vinegar. Not only does it make clothing more vibrant (even dark clothes!), it kills mildew and is great for a variety of stains. Try white vinegar on tea/coffee, grass, tomato-based stains, sweat stains and so much more! Caution: Never to use vinegar with bleach. Dish Soap and Baby Powder – There are some strange hacks to remove grease from laundry out there. For a reliable option, dish soap works great to pretreat oil or grease stains on laundry. If heavily affected by grease, cover site with baby powder and allow to sit overnight to absorb the excess oils. Household Peroxide — While peroxide has many stain-fighting uses, it really shines at removing protein stains like blood or other bodily fluids. Popular brands of color-safe bleach often use hydrogen peroxide as their cleaning agent for its incredible stain-fighting ability. Lemon Juice – As an all-natural bleaching agent, a half cup of lemon juice works wonders to remove stains from whites — and it’s nice and easy on the skin Before you try any of these stain hacks, keep in mind that you should always spot-test any cleaning solution on a small patch, out of sight, to be sure the method is safe for your fabric. Improper cleaning can set-in a stain or damage fabric, so if the item is particularly valuable to you, maybe opt for professional assistance. We invite you to check out our library as well as our social media for articles, videos and more tips!
7 Tips to Save Time in the Laundry Room Are you the type to find zen in the simple act of doing laundry? Or are you more the “get this done and get it away from me” laundry personality? Let’s face it, some days you just need to be as speedy as possible in the laundry room. Luckily, we have seven shortcuts to help you trim precious time off this necessary chore. Try these tricks to get you out of the laundry room in no time. Sort at Home – Sort your laundry into proper loads before you go to the laundry room, especially if you tend to do laundry during peak hours. Use Laundry Pods – If you’re doing multiple loads, you can save some time by using laundry pods instead of measuring out liquids per load. Pay with Your Phone – If your laundry room offers mobile payment, it’s a great time saver. Pre-load your digital wallet at home to make the payment process even quicker. Monitor Machine Times – Use an app to track machine cycles and receive real-time alerts upon load completion. If your laundry room is not yet mobile enabled, simply set an alarm on your phone for the estimated time of a single cycle. Dry by Weight – Separate loads and place similar weight materials, such as towels, together for more even drying and less wrinkles. Fold While You Wait – Drying by weight means you may have to wait for your heavier items to dry while your lightweight articles are already done. Seize this opportunity to fold your lighter items while you’re waiting. Efficiency is the key! Finish Up at Home – If you’ve got a hot date with your favorite primetime television show, remove the clothes from the dryer immediately upon completion and turn that sofa into a folding table. Don’t delay too long or wrinkles may set into materials. Doing laundry doesn’t have to be your favorite activity, but it shouldn’t be a time-sink either. Efficiently managing your time is as easy as being mindful and staying active. We encourage you to check out our article library, social media and YouTube for helpful how-tos, tips and more!
Helpful Folding Hacks and Tips WASH here… with some helpful hacks to boost your laundry folding game! Folding clothing and linens saves space when storing them away, and it also prevents wrinkles from setting into the materials. Folding laundry isn’t exactly brain surgery. It’s more like origami — but don’t be intimidated. We’ve got some helpful tips to make folding even the most difficult items a breeze! Fold clothing as soon as it leaves the dryer for best results. Leaving clothing sitting in a drum for too long can set in hard-to-remove wrinkles from the material. Learn the proper method of folding a fitted sheet. It’s practically fruitless to describe with text, but there are plenty of instructional videos available online. Make finding and pairing socks a breeze by washing them together in a mesh laundry bag. Practice the KonMari techniques of laundry folding, popularized by Marie Kondo. This style utilizes compact folding that encourages at-a-glance recognition and availability. The KonMari method has been applied to everything from tee shirts to undies. After folding, stand clothing up “on-end,” vertically, in your drawers or collapsible storage bins. This will allow you to see easily what’s available, and prevent you from always wearing whatever is at the top of a pile. If you fold a large number of shirts, consider purchasing or constructing a quick shirt folding board for home use. Tutorials for a DIY cardboard version can be found online with a simple search. Fold socks rather than balling them up inside of themselves. Stuffing them inside each other will wear elastic out at an accelerated pace, and can lead to that wavy stretched out appearance. Learn to fold towels into thirds. Folding towels properly will allow them to easily go from storage closet to hanging without reshaping. It also provides a ”5-star hotel” look if you’re storing towels on shelves. When folding dress shirts, be sure to secure all buttons, smooth collars and edges before folding. Business Insider offers a great visual aid on the topic. Folding professionals all echo the same sentiment: The key to great, painless folding is using a proper surface. If folding is literally a pain in the back for you, avoid the aches and fatigue of hunching by using something of proper height. Your folds also will be cleaner if you use a flat, sturdy surface. If all else fails, you can always just hang your clothes instead! Don’t be afraid to enlist some help — seriously! You’d be surprised how much faster the task goes with an extra set of hands. If you struggle to make yourself fold, bribe yourself with caffeine or entertainment while you work. Folding isn’t the most glamorous or entertaining activity, but it does have quite a fashionable end result. Be sure to check out our library of other helpful articles on WASH.com, as well as our assortment of videos and helpful tips on our social media!
Tips for Reducing Wrinkles Imagine you’ve got a big day and you want to look your best. You’re doing laundry, and you go to retrieve your clothing from the dryer only to discover it’s been reduced to a heaping mess of wrinkles, and there’s not a minute to spare! What went wrong? How could this have happened? Let’s rewind. We’ve got an easy-to-follow set of guidelines to help prevent wrinkle nightmares, and some tips to remove them if they do happen. Preventing Wrinkles Remove clothing immediately after the dryer finishes tumbling. Fold or hang immediately for best results. Don’t overfill the drum. Under-filling the dryer also can lead to decreased performance and wrinkles. One washer load should equal one dryer load. Use proper drying cycles for your clothing’s materials. Permanent press can be great for wrinkle-prone items like dress shirts, skirts and blouses. Add a fabric softener to your laundry regimen, or try an all-in-one solution like laundry pods. Sort heavy materials from lightweight materials and run separate cycles for each. If only drying a single item, include additional clothing of similar weight to help ensure proper load balancing. Removing Wrinkles If you don’t have the time or confidence to break out an iron and you don’t own a hand-held steamer, here are some quick hacks to easily remove wrinkles in a pinch! Place the item(s) back in the dryer. Depending on how severe the wrinkles, you can either re-tumble your laundry on Permanent Press or dry them on high with a damp washcloth inside the drum. If you don’t have time for the dryer, you can spray clothes with a light mist of water and use your hand to smooth. Use a heavier mist and a hair dryer while smoothing the fabric to spot treat problem areas. Many big laundry brands offer wrinkle releasing sprays for an easy, on-the-fly fix. Utilize the steam from a hot shower to relax fabric. Try a hair iron to smooth-out wrinkled collars on dress shirts. Follow these simple steps and you’ll never have to settle for a rumpled outfit that looks like it was plucked up off the floor! Check out more of our helpful articles, videos and guides on our website and social media!
Helpful Tips for Those Doing Laundry with Sensitive Skin Doing laundry with skin sensitivity issues can be daunting. Most would describe the symptoms of their sensitive skin as itchy, burning and, generally, just plain uncomfortable. If you’re struggling through the discomfort, you’re not alone. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of the population self-reports as having sensitive skin. Whether your triggers are chemicals, fragrances, pets or good ol’ Mother Nature, we’ve got some quick tips to help protect your skin the next time you’re doing laundry! Wash Before You Wear – When you buy something new, be sure to wash it before wearing it. New garments off the rack can carry bacteria and viruses, as well as all manner of residual industrial clothes chemicals. Shop for “Free” – Purchase dye- and fragrance-free varieties of your favorite detergents and dryer sheets. These specially formulated blends are designed to be as gentle as possible for those with sensitive skin. Always be sure to measure the proper amount of detergent to avoid irritation from soap residue. Do Your Part! –Leaving the doors to the machines open after use can help prevent mold and mildew buildup. Those with extra-sensitive skin can even run a hot water cycle with ½ cup white vinegar to disinfect machines before use. Natural Bright Whites – Try ½ cup lemon juice for a skin-friendly, all-natural bleaching effect. WASH More Often – A simple tip: keep your clothes clean. Notably one of the most common skin irritants, dust mites, love lurking on your musky or dirty clothes. Check out our quick reference guide for how often to wash common items such as sheets, bath towels and jeans. Avoid Pet Dander – When washing any pet beds or blankets, opt to use a different machine from the rest of your clothing. Pet dander is a “sticky” allergen and can be quite difficult to remove from clothes – especially without use of material-weathering hot water. Rinse Twice – If you suffer from particularly irritable skin, try rinsing your clothing a second time to remove any residual chemicals or detergents left on the material. No soap, just water. This tip is particularly useful for those who live with eczema. Following these easy tips will help ensure that you minimize your exposure to irritants while still obtaining the best clean possible. Living with chronic skin sensitivity doesn’t have to be irritating! We invite you to check out wash.com and follow us on social media for other helpful articles and videos.
11 Items That Should Never Go in the Dryer Consider these drying tips and advice to prevent damaging your clothes on laundry day Clothes dryers provide a fast and easy solution to laundry’s oldest, muskiest problem – wet clothes. They’re not meant for everything, however. Putting incorrect items in a dryer can cause problems ranging from damaged clothes to a machine fire. Don’t fret — WASH is here to help! We’re providing a quick reference guide below to help you avoid these laundry blunders. Let’s dive into it… Activewear – Modern activewear is designed with moisture wicking and antimicrobial properties in mind. The properties in these man-made fibers can be easily destroyed by high heat. Be sure to air-dry these high-tech fabrics. You’ve been warned! Bath Mats – What item can you imagine you’d want dry more than a bath mat? Unfortunately, most bath mats have a rubber backing that can fall apart, melt and even cause fire inside of a dryer. Hang in a sunny space after washing for best results, the UV light serves as an added sterilizer to boot! Bras – These undergarments fare poorly in the dryer. Tumbling and heat will misshape bras, as well as destroy elasticity. Bra straps and underwires also can slip through the edge of the dryer and can get stuck in between the spinning drum and panel. Please, hang dry only! Delicate, Sheer and Silks – Delicate undergarments such as tights, lingerie, sheer fabrics and silks can be easily destroyed by the high heat and tumbling of a dryer. Hang these or lay them flat for best results. Elastics – Keep bathing suits, shapeware and other spandex/elastic items out of the dryer to preserve their elasticity. The tumbling and heat can tangle, stretch and destroy the materials. Footwear – Shoes, slippers, flip-flops. Whichever you prefer, the heat of a dryer can separate layers, melt rubber and distort performance fabrics. Air drying your footwear in the sun will yield the best results – both for the material and the odor. Stuff damp footwear with paper to speed up the drying process, as well as help it retain its shape as it dries. Fuel or Chemical Rags – Any items soaked from gasoline, oil or other flammable chemicals should never be placed in a dryer. The fumes from these items can ignite and cause a fire or explosion inside of a dryer unit. Leather – The high heat and friction of a dryer will cause cracking and damage to even faux leathers. Hang out of the sunlight to dry instead. Lined Storage Bags – Things like lunchboxes, backpacks and reusable shopping bags often contain plastic linings or other heat sensitive materials. Unless your bag is 100-percent cotton, skip the dryer. Plastic Beads or Sequins – Skip the dryer for these. The heat can loosen glue or melt the plastics. Even on a cool cycle, beads and sequins can become stuck and dislodged. Wools and Other Knits – Real wool should never be placed in the dryer unless your aim is to shrink it dramatically. Knitted woven items can lose their shape, either stretching or shrinking, due to the heat. While dryers are generally safe for many materials and items, be sure to consult the list above if you’re unsure. Being careful will not only prevent you from damaging your laundry, but also will help keep the dryer in top-working order. Try to make a habit of checking the tag on new non-cotton purchases to help avoid making a costly, heart-breaking laundry mistake with a brand new item. Check out our Library on wash.com, or follow our socials for more helpful and informative articles and videos. Happy laundering!