How to wash clothes in a washing machine correctly?

The washing machine has made washing dirty laundry a simple and straightforward process. But even with an automatic machine, there are a few secrets to doing it right.

If you're aware of these important details, you won't have any problems with particularly dirty laundry or items made from particularly sensitive fabrics. You'll also save on electricity bills if you follow the tips outlined in this article.

Let's start with the basics of washing

We hope you already know the basics. And it's no secret that, in addition to a washing machine, you'll also need high-quality laundry detergent, water, and electricity. And, of course, during the wash cycle, the machine will heat the water to the desired temperature—exactly the one you set.

During washing, warm water dissolves detergent well. Higher water temperatures speed up washing by softening stains and increasing the detergent's effectiveness. A thorough wash requires some time.

We wash dirty laundry

They say some curious scientists decided to find out how much dirt is in laundry. We don't know what method they used, but they calculated that a hundredweight of laundry contains about 4 kg of dirt. This means that about 4 percent of the weight of a contaminated item is actually dirt. I don’t know what this information gave you, but you must admit, it’s interesting.

By the way, dirt comes in different forms. Some dirt dissolves fairly easily in water. These include various salts, some oils, sweat, and others. There's also insoluble dirt: sand, grease, dust, and so on.

The types of dirt that dissolve are the easiest to wash. They come off easily with water and detergent. However, paint stains, certain types of glue, and similar stains are much more difficult to remove. Special chemicals are often used to remove them.

However, pigment spots can only be removed with bleach. This method is sometimes necessary for stains from strong tea, coffee, cognac, and other liquids.

Before washing

Before you start washing, it is highly advisable to sort out your laundry. Avoid washing colored and white items together. This can cause discoloration of white and light-colored items. It's also a good idea to sort your items by fabric type. Different types require different recommended washing cycles. You can also separate items by how dirty they are. Put the most dirty items in one pile, and those that need a simple refreshing wash in another.

In addition to this sorting, it is worth doing the following:

• Be sure to empty your pockets. Many people leave money, passports, and even cell phones there. Damaging these items is a bad idea. Furthermore, some items left in pockets can damage the washing machine itself. Therefore, they must be removed.
• Make sure there are no pins or other metal objects on your items that could damage the hatch cuff or simply fall off during washing.
• Don't forget to remove belts from jeans, trousers and other clothing.
• It is also recommended to keep all zippers closed.

We hope you know where the washing powder goes. But just in case, we'd like to point out that it shouldn't be poured into the drum. It should be placed in the dispenser, the largest compartment. In front-loading machines, the dispenser is usually located in the top left corner and easily slides out.

How to use a washing machine to save money?

• To save money on electricity and water used by your washing machine, you can purchase special energy-efficient models. These appliances carry energy-saving symbols: A, A+, A++, and A+++. The more pluses on the symbol, the more energy-efficient the washing machine. The same applies to other household appliances.
• Don't wash too few items in the washing machine. For example, if you only have a couple of dirty t-shirts, don't even bother washing them. Wait until you have a larger load, and then wash them all together.
• Washing at a low temperature will use less energy, meaning you'll pay less for it. However, if your laundry is heavily soiled, it may not come out clean. Therefore, this energy-saving option is only suitable for lightly soiled laundry.
• You can also save on laundry detergent. Many housewives and homeowners use too much. About 100 grams of dry detergent is enough for most washes. You can also buy good-quality detergent inexpensively. To do this, you can choose inexpensive brands. But before buying a large amount of cheap detergent, it's best to buy one package and test it. If you're satisfied with the wash results, then you can safely buy more.
• You can also save money on your washing machine. Prices in traditional home appliance stores are typically higher than online retailers. This is due to their higher costs. Traditional stores need to pay not only for inventory but also for retail space in high-traffic areas. And that's not cheap. Therefore, by purchasing a washing machine online, you can save 5 to 20 percent on the cost.

You can also watch an excerpt from a program on Channel One. This excerpt is dedicated to the topic of proper laundry washing. Many of our site's readers will find this information very useful! Watch:

   

1 reader comment

1. May 31, 2018 at 5:02 PM

   Irina:

   I've already figured out the washing modes on our Indesit. And the clothes come out perfectly. I don't even have to rinse them out.

   Answer