What Your Mom Didn’t Tell You about Washing Your Clothes

Are your jeans faded, your shirts looking dingy, or your clothes coming out of the washer with lint all over them? It could be that your laundry needs a little more preparation before it goes into the washing machine.

Clothes are not inexpensive, and chances are you’ve invested a pretty penny in some of the things hanging in your closet. Knowing how to wash clothes properly can help keep them looking good and extend the life of your wardrobe.

If you’ve been known to grab clothes from the hamper and simply throw everything into the washing machine without a second glance, you may be making more work for yourself in the long run.

There’s more to laundry than simply washing and drying clothes. Getting good results means sorting your laundry, treating stains, choosing the right detergent, using an appropriate water temperature and wash cycle, and loading the washing machine correctly.

A few extra minutes of preparation can help prevent color transfer, excessive lint, shrinking, fading, fabric damage, and clothes that don’t get as clean as they should.

How to Sort Laundry Before Washing

Before putting anything into the washing machine, sort your clothes by color, fabric type, soil level, and care instructions.

You don’t necessarily need a separate load for every color. Whites and light-colored clothing can often be washed together when the fabrics and care instructions are compatible.

A simple sorting system might include:

• Whites – White clothing, socks, underwear, and other washable white items.
• Lights – Pastels and other light-colored clothing.
• Darks – Dark colors that are more likely to fade or transfer dye.
• Delicates – Items that require a delicate, gentle, or hand-wash cycle.
• Heavily soiled clothing – Very dirty clothing that may need a separate load or special treatment.
• Lint-producing items – Towels, blankets, fleece, chenille, and other fabrics that shed lint.
• Lint-attracting items – Some dark synthetic fabrics and other materials that readily collect lint.

You don’t have to follow a complicated sorting system. The goal is to keep incompatible items from being washed together.

Sort Lint-Producing Fabrics Separately

I learned this one the hard way.

I’ve ruined, at least temporarily, clothing by washing it with new towels or blankets. My shirts and pants were completely covered in lint when they came out of the wash, and it took a while to get it all off.

New towels and some blankets can release a lot of lint during their first few washes. Washing lint-producing fabrics separately from fabrics that attract lint can save you a lot of frustration.

Whirlpool also recommends sorting lint-producing fabrics such as towels and chenille away from lint-attracting fabrics and turning items such as denim inside out before washing.

If you have the space, a hamper with three or four compartments can make sorting much easier. You can also use separate laundry baskets and sort clothes as you take them off.

Read the Care Label

Before washing a garment for the first time, check the care label.

The label can tell you whether the item should be:

• Machine washed
• Hand washed
• Washed in cold, warm, or hot water
• Washed on a gentle cycle
• Dry cleaned
• Bleached or not bleached
• Tumble dried or air dried
• Dried at a particular temperature
• Laid flat or hung to dry

Care labels are especially important for delicate fabrics, specialty clothing, dark colors, and garments that may shrink or lose their shape.

The care label should take priority over general laundry rules.

Preparing Clothes Before Washing

A few simple preparations before washing can prevent snags, discoloration, damage, and stains from becoming more difficult to remove.

Set Aside Clothing That Needs Repair

Set aside garments that need repairs before putting them into the washing machine.

A loose button, small tear, or loose seam can become a much bigger problem during washing.

Check Pockets

Always check pockets before washing.

Keys, coins, jewelry, tissues, pens, crayons, and other objects can damage clothing or the washing machine. Paper left in a pocket can also leave tiny pieces of tissue all over an entire load.

I’ve left keys, change, and other things in pockets, so I know how easy this one is to forget.

Turn Some Clothing Inside Out

Turning clothing inside out can help protect printed designs, embellishments, and some dark fabrics from excessive friction.

Turning jeans inside out can also help reduce visible fading.

You don’t have to turn every garment inside out, but it can be useful for items where preserving the outside surface matters.

Zip Zippers

Zip zippers before washing.

An open zipper can snag other garments and can also become damaged during the wash.

What About Buttons?

Buttoning clothing isn’t always necessary. In fact, tightly fastening every button can put unnecessary stress on the buttons and buttonholes during washing.

For shirts and other button-front garments, I generally leave most buttons undone while washing unless the garment’s care instructions say otherwise.

Protect Bras and Other Delicates

Hook bra closures together before washing so they are less likely to catch on other clothing.

A mesh laundry bag can provide additional protection for bras, hosiery, lingerie, and other small delicate items.

If a garment says to hand wash or lay flat to dry, follow those instructions. I don’t put delicate items in the dryer unless the care label specifically allows it.

Pre-Treat Stains

Pre-treat stains before putting the clothing into the washing machine.

The sooner you deal with a stain, the better your chances of removing it completely.

Different stains respond to different treatments, so don’t automatically use the same stain remover for everything.

How to Load a Washing Machine

Whether you have a top-loading or front-loading washing machine, don’t overload it.

Clothes need enough room to move through the wash water and detergent. When the washer is packed too tightly, cleaning and rinsing can become less effective.

A good general rule is to load clothes loosely rather than stuffing them into the washer. The exact loading recommendation depends on the type and model of your washing machine, so use the manufacturer’s instructions when available.

Whirlpool, for example, recommends leaving enough room for clothing to move freely and warns that overloading can reduce cleaning performance.

Don’t Guess at Load Size

Some washing machines have load-size settings, while many modern machines automatically sense the load and adjust water levels.

If your washer has a load-size setting, choose the setting appropriate for the amount of laundry you’re washing.

Don’t assume that filling the washer to the top means you’ve used the maximum amount of laundry the machine can handle.

Be Careful with Bulky Items

Large, absorbent items such as blankets, rugs, comforters, and some pillows can become very heavy when wet.

A single bulky item can also create an unbalanced load in some top-loading machines.

Some washers recommend washing two or more similar items together to help balance the load, while other machines have specific requirements. Check the care label and your washer’s instructions rather than automatically adding towels to every bulky load.

What Water Temperature Should You Use?

One of the biggest laundry myths is that you should always wash clothes in warm or hot water.

You don’t.

The best water temperature depends on the fabric, the care label, the amount and type of soil, the detergent you’re using, and the washing machine.

Cold water is appropriate for many everyday laundry loads and can help reduce energy use and protect colors.

Warm or hot water may be appropriate for certain fabrics and heavily soiled items when the care label allows it.

Modern laundry detergents are also formulated to work in a range of water temperatures, including cold water.

Cold Water

Cold water is a good choice for many everyday loads, particularly:

• Dark or bright colors
• Clothing prone to fading
• Lightly soiled clothing
• Many delicate fabrics
• Garments whose care labels recommend cold washing

Warm Water

Warm water can be useful for some moderately or heavily soiled washable items when the care label permits it.

It can also help some detergents dissolve more readily than very cold water.

Hot Water

Hot water isn’t automatically better at cleaning.

Use it when appropriate for the fabric and care instructions, particularly for washable items that can tolerate higher temperatures and need a more intensive wash.

Hot water can increase the risk of shrinking, fading, or damaging some fabrics, so don’t use it simply because you think hotter means cleaner.

When in doubt, follow the garment’s care label and the detergent manufacturer’s instructions.

Choose the Right Wash Cycle

Washing machines have many different cycle names, and the exact settings vary by manufacturer.

Instead of assuming that every washer’s “Normal,” “Heavy Duty,” or “Delicate” cycle works exactly the same way, choose the cycle that best matches the fabric and soil level.

Common cycles include:

Normal or Regular

Generally used for everyday washable clothing, cottons, linens, and other durable fabrics.

Delicate or Gentle

Designed for fabrics that need less agitation and a gentler spin.

Use this cycle when the care label calls for a delicate or gentle wash.

Hand Wash

Some machines have a hand-wash cycle that uses especially gentle washing action.

If the garment specifically says hand wash, check whether your washer’s hand-wash cycle is appropriate for the item.

Heavy Duty

Designed for more heavily soiled or durable items.

This cycle isn’t necessary for ordinary clothing simply because you want it to get “extra clean.”

Permanent Press or Wrinkle Control

Designed for fabrics that benefit from a cycle intended to reduce wrinkling.

The exact wash action, temperature, and spin speed vary by machine.

Quick or Express Wash

Useful for smaller, lightly soiled loads when you need a shorter cycle.

Don’t assume a quick cycle is appropriate for heavily soiled laundry or a full load.

The cycle name is less important than choosing the setting that matches the garment and the level of soil.

Choose the Right Soil Level

Some washing machines allow you to select a soil level.

Typical options include:

• Light Soil – Lightly soiled clothing that doesn’t need an extended wash.
• Normal Soil – Appropriate for most everyday laundry.
• Heavy Soil – For clothing that is significantly dirty and needs additional washing time or more intensive cleaning.

Not every washer has these settings, and the way they work varies by machine.

If your clothes are heavily soiled, don’t simply add more detergent. Use an appropriate cycle and make sure the washer isn’t overloaded.

What About Rinse and Spin Settings?

Many washing machines allow you to run additional rinse or spin cycles.

Extra Rinse

An extra rinse can be useful when you want to remove additional detergent or laundry-product residue.

It can also be helpful for certain heavily soiled loads or when recommended by the detergent or garment-care instructions.

Rinse and Spin

This cycle rinses and spins the load without running a complete wash cycle.

Spin Only

A spin-only cycle removes additional water without washing the clothing.

These settings vary considerably by washing machine, so check your washer’s instructions if you’re unsure what a particular option does.

How Much Laundry Detergent Should You Use?

More detergent does not mean cleaner clothes.

Using too much detergent can leave residue on clothing and inside the washing machine. Using too little may not provide enough cleaning power for the load.

Use the amount recommended on the detergent label for your load size and soil level.

Concentrated detergents often require much less product than older, non-concentrated formulas, so don’t measure detergent by eye.

The American Cleaning Institute recommends using the proper amount of detergent and following the product label and fabric-care instructions.

Where Do You Add Laundry Products?

The location for detergent, bleach, fabric softener, and other laundry products depends on the washing machine.

Many washers have separate dispenser compartments. Other products, such as some laundry detergent packets and scent boosters, are designed to go directly into the washer drum.

Always follow the product label and your washing machine’s instructions for where and when to add each product.

Never assume that every laundry additive belongs in the same place.

Do HE Washing Machines Require Special Detergent?

Yes.

If you have a high-efficiency washing machine, use detergent labeled HE, or high efficiency.

HE detergents are formulated to produce fewer suds and work with the lower water levels and washing action used by HE machines.

Using the wrong detergent can result in excessive suds and may interfere with proper washing and rinsing.

HE detergent isn’t only for front-loading washers. Many modern top-loading machines are also high-efficiency machines and require HE detergent.

What About Fabric Softener, Vinegar, Baking Soda and Scent Boosters?

Laundry additives are optional, and they don’t all perform the same job.

Fabric softener can make fabrics feel softer and reduce static, but it isn’t appropriate for every fabric. Towels, microfiber cleaning cloths, some performance fabrics, and certain flame-resistant garments may be better washed without it.

Baking soda can help freshen laundry, but it isn’t a true fabric softener.

Washing soda is a laundry booster that can help with hard-water and heavily soiled laundry. It isn’t the same thing as baking soda.

White vinegar is sometimes used as an occasional laundry aid, but I don’t recommend treating it as a fabric softener substitute for every load. Repeated use of vinegar may not be appropriate for all washing machines because its acidity can affect some rubber components.

Never mix vinegar with chlorine bleach or other cleaning products.

Scent boosters are also optional. They primarily add fragrance rather than cleaning the laundry.

I don’t consider fragrance necessary for clean clothes, but whether you use it is a personal choice.

Should You Add Essential Oils to Your Laundry?

I don’t recommend adding essential oils directly to your washing machine or dryer as a replacement for laundry products.

Essential oils are highly concentrated and they aren’t formulated or tested as laundry detergents or fabric softeners. Adding oils directly to clothing can also leave oily spots or create other problems.

If you want your laundry to smell fresh, the best place to start is with clean laundry, a clean washing machine, proper drying, and good laundry habits rather than adding more fragrance.

The Best Way to Wash Clothes

Getting clean laundry isn’t about using the hottest water, the most detergent, or the longest wash cycle.

It’s about using the right method for the clothing you’re washing.

Start by sorting your laundry. Check the care labels, empty the pockets, close zippers, protect delicate items, and pre-treat stains. Don’t overload the washing machine, use the correct amount of detergent, and choose a water temperature and wash cycle that fit the fabric and soil level.

You don’t need a complicated laundry routine.

A little preparation before washing can make a big difference in how clean your clothes look, how long they last, and how much work you have to do on laundry day.

For specific stain-removal methods, see Laundry 101: Stain Types and Removal Methods

Laundry 101 Part 8 – Tips for Drying and Folding Laundry

Clothing and Laundry