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Step 1
Sort your laundry. Separate jeans from the rest of the clothing and then sort by color. Further sort by removing delicate items like silks and sweaters from tougher things like towels or sweatshirts. Check the labels of each clothing item to determine if it's machine washable or if it needs to be dry-cleaned or hand-washed.
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Step 2
Turn sweaters and black clothing inside out. That way, any snags on the sweaters are on the inside. Turning black clothing inside out helps slow fading. Use garment bags for delicate clothing and for sweaters. It protects them from damage during the wash cycle.
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Step 3
Go through the pockets of all of the clothes as you're sorting. Check shirt and jacket pockets as well as pants pockets and remove anything you find. Remember that a stray pen, marker or crayon could destroy an entire load of clothing.
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Step 4
Wash your laundry on cold water using soap made for cold-water washing. It's more efficient and wears your clothing less.
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Step 5
Fill the wash machine no more than 2/3 of the way full and don't push the clothes down. Place them in the machine and let them fall in naturally. If you pack the wash machine too tightly, your clothes won't come clean.
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Step 6
Add the recommended amount of soap and turn the machine on to the cycle that matches the clothing inside.
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Step 7
Wash your white laundry last. Fill the machine with water before adding the clothing. Put in a small amount of bleach and let it agitate to mix well before you put the clothes in the machine.
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Step 8
Dry your clothes immediately to avoid mildew. Leave the clothes in the dryer only as long as it takes for them to dry. Remove and fold them or hang them up immediately for best results.
