Laundry is a must in most households, a mixed-together frenzy for fashion or health reasons both. Everyone in your family counts on a clean supply of clothes, bedding and towels each week. Here are some little laundry room rules to live by.
How Much Water: The amount of water you need is directly related to the size of the load. Don’t crowd the washer completely because the water has to be able to flow freely in order to clean stains and rinse away suds.
Hard or Soft: Water comes in two types; hard and soft. Hard water has more mineral deposits than soft water which affects your laundry because it may take just a little more detergent to wash in hard water. You can convert hard water into soft water with the help of a machine called a water softener or by purchasing a softening powder.
Hot or Cold: Water temperature is another big factor. Remember, Hot water removes the stains from the most heavily soiled items and helps kill germs, however it may fade coloured clothes and wrinkle some fabrics. Warm is safe for most colours but can only handle a lighter stain. Cold water needs a cold water detergent to get the clothes properly clean.
Light or Dark: Separate and colour test your clothes before washing. If you wash whites with your colours, the colours may fade and run. Always keep white clothes together to maintain their brightness.
Soap or Detergent: One of the main differences between soap and detergent is that soap doesn’t rinse well in hard water and may leave behind a greyish film. You can choose to use detergent in liquid or powder form. Measure carefully; too many suds will not rinse clean and too few won’t get the job done. Keep in mind that delicate fabrics may require a gentler soap.
