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Washing our laundry in the machine : Easy or real conundrum? Whether we are one of those who separate everything or those who throw everything in the machine, let’s understand the steps and programs to a well-done laundry...

- Decipher the labels -

If we’ve cut our labels because they scratched or bothered us (they are often misplaced), we should not hesitate to ask a dyer for advice. There are five main symbols :

THE VAT gives instructions on the type of washing : by hand or in a machine or the maximum temperature allowed (30°C/80°F, 40°C/105°F, 50°C/120°F, 60°C/140°F, 70°C/160°F, 95°C/200°F).

THE TRIANGLE corresponds to bleaching

THE IRON is suitable for ironing

THE SQUARE corresponds to drying

THE CIRCLE is intended for dry cleaning.

- Sorting -

First of all, let's empty our pockets, this will prevent us from having pieces of handkerchiefs encrusted in all of our clothes.

Next, let's sort, which will allow us to keep the brightness and the colours of our clothes longer, to do this we separate the dark clothes, the light clothes and the white clothes.

Also our new clothes should be washed separately, because there is a good chance that they will bleed.

- Pre-treatment -

Blood, coffee, grease, chocolate, fruit, wine, tomato sauce (any sauce)… the more upstream we detach the fabric, the more likely it will come out of our machine immaculate. So, let's check each item of clothing before putting it in the drum and adapt as needed with a few drops of stain remover or a little soap, etc.

- The right temperature -

30°C/80°F, 40°C/105°F, 50°C/120°F, 60°C/140°F, 70°C/160°F or 95°C/200°F : before selecting a program, we have to read the indications on the labels of our clothes. But here's a little basic memo:

LIGHTLY SOILED CLOTHES : wash at 30°C/80°F and we're done.

UNDERWEAR : a temperature of 40°C/105°F is ideal, except for fine lingerie, lace bands, trapeze bras and other balconies, which require washing by hand or at 30°C/80°F in a protective net.

HOUSEHOLD LINEN : We are allowed to treat rags, sheets and towels at 60°C/140°F.

- No overloading -

It is forbidden to stuff the drum of our machine, not only because our laundry will wash less and wrinkle, but also because it is damaging the drum (and its counterweight).

- The product -

Liquid, tablet, capsule or powder… there are no bad choices (except for our piping) :

Powder detergent is ideal for combating the natural tarnish and yellowing of our laundry, but it dissolves less well at low temperatures and may leave white streaks.

Tablets have the advantage of being easy to store and ensuring correct dosage, but they should be reserved for washing at high temperature.

Liquid detergent is effective at all temperatures, thanks to its dispersion capacity.

Sensitive skin (including baby's) will greatly appreciate the hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested formulas.

Also we have to avoid bleaching agents, when the laundry to be treated is black, which fades their dark content.

- The softener -

In addition to pleasantly scenting the laundry, it has the advantage of smoothing the fibres and making drying and ironing easier. It would be a shame to do without. Due to possible allergies, it is best to avoid using it to wash babies' layettes.

- The right program -

Washing machines offer a multitude of programs :

COTTON program : This program is energetic (lots of drum movements) and long, so it allows us to clean cotton and linen with great efficiency, because their natural fibres are resistant (white cotton). The cotton program is suitable for white or coloured clothes (for which we are sure it will not bleed), underwear, bed linen (sheets, duvet covers, pillowcase), household linen (tablecloth, towels). Temperature range : Cold to 95°C/200°F (60°C/140°F for heavily soiled cotton/linen or bed and household linen).

SYNTHETIC program : Its washing cycle is gentler and shorter than with a cotton program. The drum will also spin less. It is intended for cleaning modern textiles (polyamide, acrylic, polyester, viscose, etc.) as well as artificial fibres mixed with cotton. We can also use it to clean coloured cotton which may bleed. Temperature range: Cold to 60°C/140°F.

MIXED program : If we don't want sorting materials, this is the right compromise! This program can be used to clean all types of textiles (excluding special or delicate textiles). Temperature range: Cold to 40°C/105°F.

DELICATE program : The machine drum turns much less, the stirring is slow to respect the textile and the colour fibres as much as possible. This is the ideal program for washing our delicate feminine clothes (dresses, skirts, blouses), fine lingerie, sheers and curtains. Temperature range : Cold to 40°C/105°F.

WOOL SILK and HAND WASH program : Little water, a very slow pendular movement of the drum, cold wash (or low temperature), without spinning (or very soft), this is the program for more fragile textiles : wool , silk, linen or viscose (declared hand washable on the label). Temperature range: Cold to 30°C/80°F.

White, black and coloured laundry should ideally be washed separately :

WHITE program : This is the program suitable for resistant white cotton linen (sheets, towels, baby linen and cotton underwear). An oxygen-based bleach can be added to this laundry.

BLACK/DARK program : This program is ideal for washing textiles liable to fade or bleed. It thus preserves the original colours. To do this, the cycle minimizes friction between textiles and consumes more water (in order to remove all laundry residues). For more results, we can use a special liquid detergent for dark colours.

COLOURS program : This program is used to wash coloured laundry made from delicate fabrics. It corresponds to the synthetic program.

- Spinning -

If we need to adjust the spinning, let's not forget that materials such as cotton can be spun at 1000 rpm, while nighties will need a lighter or even minimal spinning.

- The dryer -

The tumble dryer does not always have a good reputation. However, it allows us to dry large pieces in record time, to smooth out the laundry and it relieves us of the drudgery of ironing.

And in opposition to popular beliefs, it does not wear out our clothes, the recovered lint is less than a gram (and the same quantity goes with air drying).

However, we should not forget that it produces heat and that some clothes can shrink.

- Hanging -

If the weather prevents us from hanging out our laundry outside (which should never be done if we are allergic to pollen), we have to find a warm and ventilated place indoors. Let's use a clothes horse and be careful not to pile the clothes on it, as it may dry poorly and develop bad odours (stagnant humidity).

- Hanging -

We shouldn’t forget to steam some clothes : this small gesture will help reduce wrinkles and simplify ironing.

- The dry cleaning -

If the label mentions dry cleaning, entrust our clothes (coat, suit, suit, leather jacket) to a professional.

- Machine maintenance -

In order to remove soap scum and unpleasant odours, we will need to run our machine, empty, at 95°C/200°F, quarterly.

While « hard » water is rich in calcium and magnesium which are essential for humans, it also promotes the formation of scale and can quickly affect the functioning of our household appliances, our taps and shower heads. So, to avoid its formation, we have to regularly use an anti-limescale product suitable for our equipment.

Conclusions

It should be noted that washing machine manufacturers now offer all kinds of washing programs, from the most basic to the ultra-specific. Thanks to this, we no longer need to wash ourself by hand or to go to the dry cleaner for every single stain, we can save some time on the pre-setting’s, and above all, we maintain our laundry in the best conditions and longer.

What do you think?