top of page
Search
Writer's picturesudsbucket0
Jul 16, 20224 min read

Laundry…It’s a life skill. How to do it.

Updated: Feb 3, 2023


Teaching your family (or yourself) to do the laundry is a life skill everyone should know.


With a little knowledge of (and experience with) today’s fabrics, detergents, and our Speed Queen machines, you can become master of your closet and avoid many “first timer” mistakes. Ever shrink a pair of your favorite, expensive jeans? Turn white socks, underwear and t-shirts pink? Read on..


First Step: Read the Label

The first step in organizing and sorting your laundry is to locate the Care Label. Following the instructions on the Care Label is a critical step in preventing accidents in the laundry room. The Label/Tag provides critical information on how to wash and dry that specific piece of clothing. A few examples of information would include:

  • “Dry Clean Only.” This wording on a tag tells you to take the item to a Dry Cleaner. You cannot wash or dry the item in a machine.

  • “Hand Wash Only.” These items should be washed by hand to avoid damage.

  • “Machine Wash Cold.” This is the most common tag and simply instructs you to use cold water to preserve the garments’ color and size.


Group Like Items

Once you have separated any items with special instructions, sort remaining clothes by “whites,” “lights” and “darks.” This helps keep colors from bleeding/running onto other items of clothing. Clothes should be separated into three color piles. Whites, light colors, and dark colors (reds should always go in the dark load.) Check out this quick guide to help you divide your laundry up by fabrics:

  • Delicates – knits, lingerie, or fabrics that require gentle washing

  • Cotton – T-shirts, leggings, and cotton blends with more than 50% cotton

  • Polyester – shirts, blouses, and poly blends with more than 50% polyester

  • Jeans – denim, pants, khakis, and other heavy materials

  • Athletic wear – shorts, tanks, leggings, and spandex

  • Towels – towels, washcloths, hand towels

  • Sheets – sheets, pillowcases, and blankets

Wash Heavily Soiled Clothes Separately

Athletic wear, children’s sports gear, and other heavily soiled items with ground-in dirt or oil stains should be divided by color and fabric but washed separately from your other clothing items. Washing heavily soiled items will prevent the dirt, grime, and strong odors from redepositing on other clothing.

Avoid bulky plastic jugs. Liquids work, but may contain up to 90% water. Your Powder Detergent will take up MUCH less space on your shelf. Mixing a great, concentrated, all-purpose detergent is SO easy. With ingredients found at your local Walmart, create your own signature, concentrated laundry soap. See the helpful laundry attendants at The Suds Bucket for the recipe. All you do is mix powders and grate Zote Soap. Fun activity for the whole family. Most loads take about $0.11 cents worth of the detergent. Add the detergent to the washing drum BEFORE loading it with clothes to help prevent detergent residue on your clothing.

Lift your Stains

If your clothes have stains, pre-treat them before washing. Removing different types of stains requires different lifting agents (stain removers.) We recommend using a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda for most stains. Grease and Oil respond better to a mix of baking soda and DAWN Liquid dish soap.

Check Out the Fabric

The fabric content of an item determines the wash and temperatures. Here are common fabric type examples and best practices:

  • Cotton: Wash in cold water (may use fabric softener), dry on a low heat setting

  • Polyester: Wash in cold water (may use fabric softener) and air dry

  • Linen: Wash in cold water on a gentle cycle. Shape and air dry

  • Wool: Hand wash or place in a mesh bag to machine wash, gentle cycle, in cold water. Lay flat to dry

  • Spandex: Turn the item inside out and place it in a mesh bag to machine wash, gentle cycle. Shape and air dry

  • Silk: Hand wash in cold water, Shape and lay flat to air dry

Load your Washing Machine and Choose Cold Water

Want clean clothes? Don’t overload your washing machine. Overfilling the washing machine with clothes will prevent the garments’ ability to move; resulting in less than optimal results. Most detergents and garments today are geared toward using cold water. However, check the tag and follow the instructions for best cleaning.

Load the Dryer

Once your washing cycle is complete, place your clothes in the dryer. Be sure to again check the drying instructions on the garment’s Care Label/Tag. Determine whether your items should be laid flat to dry, hung, tumble dry, etc. As with loading washers, it’s important not to overload the dryer and to avoid choosing a dryer temperature that may be too hot for the items you are drying.

Do Your Laundry at The Suds Bucket

The Suds Bucket (Search Laundromat Near Me) is your local coin operated, self serve laundromat. We have everything you need to do your laundry easily and quickly. Laundry is not a chore when you use our facility! We provide convenient, affordable, and exciting amenities (like free, High Speed WIFI) that will make your experience fun!

No Time? Buckets of Laundry in Shawnee? We'll Take The Load Off. Trust the Experts, Save Time and Energy, and Let Us Help. For Drop Offs, in by noon, same day service. $2 per pound, 10 lbs. minimum. If you are searching for a Laundry Near Me in Shawnee, OK, there’s simply no better option than The Suds Bucket on Harrison Street.


29 views0 comments

Comments

Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page