How to Choose the Cycles of a Washing Machine

Learn what the cycles of the washing machine do.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Laundry Detergent
• Washing Machine
• Liquid Fabric Softener
• Bleach

1. Separating Your Laundry
   
   The first step in doing your laundry is separating your clothes and other laundry pieces.

2. White Clothing
   
   You will always want to wash your white pieces of clothing together. This will prevent any further mishaps to your clothing during the inception of the clothes to the washing machine.
   
   Also, by washing your white clothing together, you will be able to use bleach to take out some stains and the dinginess of your white clothing.
   
   You can also add your white sheets to any partial load of laundry. This will help make a full load of laundry.

3. Permanent Press and Colored Clothing
   
   Permanent press clothing can be considered your slacks, blouse, shirts, non denim shorts, skirts, and any piece of clothing that may need to be ironed.
   
   The colored clothing is any item that was mentioned about. For example, T-shirts, under wear that doesn't fall into the white's category, exercise, and any other piece of clothing would fall into this category.
   
   When you have pieces of clothing that could fade onto your other clothing during a wash cycle, it is best to wash that load of laundry in the cold cycle.
   
   You can also add your colored sheets to your colored or permanent press loads. This will be especially helpful when you have half a load and need something else to add to they load of laundry to make a full load. By combining loads in this manner, you are saving on water, electricity, and time.

4. Jeans, Towels, and Dirty Work Socks
   
   You should wash your jeans together. The weight of the jeans will not twist your permanent press or colored clothing. The jeans can also twist sweaters out of shape. The good thing about new pairs of jeans is the extra dye that washes out of them can help make jeans that are fading, darker.
   
   You can also add those nasty types of work socks that I mentioned earlier to loads of jeans. This way the nasty soot that turns your other pieces of light or white colored clothing will not be noticed on your jeans. It also will help darken faded looking jeans.
   
   Your towels should be washed in loads by themselves. This will prevent the little fuzz balls from forming on other pieces of clothing.

5. Choosing Your Detergent, Bleach, and Fabric Softener
   
   Learn what the different items you need to wash your laundry.

6. Liquid Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softeners
   
   When using liquid laundry detergent, you do not want to poor it directly on your laundry. The dyes in the liquid laundry soap could stain your clothing. You will want to start your washing machine and add the liquid laundry soap while the water is filling the washing machine.
   
   You then can add your laundry once you have about and eighth of the washing machine tub filled. This will ensure your laundry doesn't become stained by the detergent. You should only add the amount that is poured into the cup to the fill line. When you add more, you could find yourself wading through mounds of bubbles overflowing from your washing machine.
   
   The same reasoning applies to liquid fabric softeners. However, liquid fabric softeners are added to the washing cycle after the initial washing cycle is finished. You will want to add the fabric softener once the washing machine has filled with water and started to agitate. This keeps the fabric softener from touching the laundry and will work it into your clothing better.

7. Powdered Laundry Detergent
   
   You will want to add one cup of loose laundry detergent to your washing machine in the same manner you would do the liquid laundry detergent. By doing this, the powdered laundry detergent will dissolve easier.

8. Bleach
   
   When adding bleach to your laundry, there is a small triangular cup in the corner of your washing machine. By adding one cup of bleach into that dispenser, the bleach will be added to the laundry at a precise time during the wash cycle.

9. Setting Your Washing Machine
   
   Most washing machines have three or four cycles. For instance, the Maytag Washer I have has four cycles, regular, permanent press, delicate, and soak.

10. Regular Washing Cycle
    
    The regular cycle is used for the following types of clothes and other apparel:
    
    • Jeans
    • Towels
    • Blankets
    • Sheets
    • Quilts
    • Bedspreads
    
    The soil types for this cycle are heavy, normal, and light. This means clothes or other articles that are lightly too heavily soiled should be washed in this cycle. This is due to the washing cycles can be set from a minimum of eight to fourteen minutes maximum. You can use all three of the water temperatures in this cycle.

11. Permanent Press Washing Cycle
    
    The permanent press washing cycle is used on the clothes that may or may not need to be ironed.
    Such as:
    
    • Blouses
    • Shirts
    • T-shirts
    • Under garments. This would be your unmentionables and socks.
    • Jackets
    • Sheets
    • Baby Clothing
    
    The soil types for this wash cycle are normal and light. The washing times for the permanent press cycle are six minutes to ten minutes. You can use all three washing temperature modes for this cycle as well.

12. Delicate Washing Cycle
    
    The delicate washing cycle is normally used for sweaters, cotton, silks, and other fabrics that need to be washed with care.
    
    The soil types for the delicate cycle are normal and light. The washing times for the delicate cycle are four and six minutes. It is best to wash your delicate clothes in warm or cold water. Always wash clothing that is more than forty percent cotton in cold water to prevent shrinking.

13. Soak Washing Cycle
    
    The soak cycle would be used for heavily soiled clothing, such as, football and baseball uniforms. This will help rid the uniforms of caked on mud and grass stains.
    
    You can also use this cycle if you wish to only bleach your white's once a week or once a month with bleach.

14. Washing Your Laundry
    
    Choose the cycle you need for your laundry. Add the laundry detergent, fabric softener, and bleach (remember regular liquid bleach is for white clothes only.) Start the washing machine and let fill to dissolve the dry detergent or to mix in the liquid detergent.
    
    Now add your clothes to the washing machine. Clothes the lid so the washing machine will continue to wash your clothes.
    
    If you are using a Laundromat, put your clothes in the washing area and shut the lid or door. Add your detergent and other cleaning items in the correct compartments. Put in the correct amount of change so the washer will start.
    
    When the washer is finished, remove your laundry and put in the dryer. Set the dryer on the same setting as you had for your washing machine. Let the clothes dry. Fold or hang them once the drier stops.

15. The cycles that I used in this article were from the cycles that are on my Maytag Washing Machine. Each washing machine is made differently. Your washing machine could have more or fewer cycles depending on the brand and depending on if you bought a low-end or high-end model.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep clothes that will bleed onto whites or light colored clothes in a separate pile.
• Keep the laundry detergents and bleaches out of the reach of children.
• Don't let the bleach splash in your eyes.

[kmohamad]

on 9/19/2009 See whether you have been following the correct, right and optimum way when using washing machine all these years....