Each piece of clothing comes with directions on how to clean your item. There is a tag on the inside of the garment that has either directions or symbols that explain how to clean your piece of clothing. Here is a chart of each laundry symbol’s meaning; once you learn the main symbols, you can save a lot of time getting your laundry done. These tags explain which temperatures to use with the piece of clothing, and if it needs to be hand washed or dry cleaned. If you’d rather not deal with dry cleaning or hand wash items, try to avoid purchasing that type of clothing in the future.

As tempting as it may be, you can’t throw all of your items into the washing machine at once. If you do, it is much more likely that some of your clothing will be damaged or come out a different hue than its original color. Here is a basic list for sorting dirty piles of laundry:

• Whites and light-colored clothing

• Dark colors/hues and jeans, as well as vibrant colors

• Heavily soiled clothing such as socks, underwear or exercise clothing

• Dirty bathroom towels

• Dirty sheets (wash according to color: lights with lights, darks with darks)

• Dishrags and cleaning towels



After you have done this sorting, consider the type of material each piece of clothing is made of. Different materials have different temperature recommendations for washing and drying. You might need to separate the dirty clothes into more sections according to material. And a quick tip–zip up zippers! When they are left open they can snag on other clothing and damage items.

Consider what is important to you in picking a stain remover–eco-friendly, cost, tough on stains. Check out this list of stain removers to figure out what works best for you. Look at each piece of clothing and check the items for spots and stains. Then pre-treat the stain before it goes into the washing machine. With all stains, try to use the stain remover spray as quickly as you can. The more quickly you can get to it, the more likely it will come out in the wash. If your stain is from blood, simply spray hydrogen peroxide on the affected area before washing it. If you need to treat underarm stains, soaking the shirt in OxiClean can be very effective.

Using the correct amount of detergent is one of the most important factors in the entire process of how to do your laundry. If you use too much detergent, your clothes can hold onto a residue even after they are washed; if you use too little detergent, your clothes will not come out smelling fresh. Consumer Reports has a great list comparing laundry detergents. Every brand will have its own guidelines to determine how much detergent to use per load. You will also want to check the guidelines for your washing machine as well. 

Make sure that you don’t put too large of a load into your washing machine; it should never be filled more than three-quarters full. You want your clothes to have enough room to tumble around without wasting water. If your washing machine is a top-loader, put the detergent into the washer while the drum is filling with water and then add clothing once the drum is full.

Most clothing can be washed in cold water, but certain items like sheets and underwear need hot water to be sanitized. Once your clothes have been washed, remove them as soon as possible to avoid wrinkles and musty smells. Again, check the label on each piece of clothing to see the specific instructions for how to dry the items. Some clothing will need to be air-dried. 



Finally, as soon as your clothing is dry, hang or fold the items directly as they come out of the dryer to prevent wrinkling. Finish the laundry by putting it away in the correct closets and drawers.

With so many cleaning chores around the house, why not get help from professional cleaners to minimize the time you spend cleaning?

What if your only chore for the weekend was getting your laundry done? Why not hire a home cleaning service to do the rest for you?

If you need a house cleaning services provider in Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, or the surrounding areas, Super Clean 360 provides you with an immaculately cleaned home, so that you can focus on other household responsibilities. Our goal is to give our clients amazing customer service. If you would like to lighten your cleaning load, reach out to us today for more information!