Prepare your laundry
There's nothing worse then pulling your jeans out of the wash only to find them covered in fluff! Make sure you check all your pockets for old tissues, paper and even pens to ensure there is nothing left inside that can damage your load of washing.
Unbutton all buttons to ensure they are not pulled and stressed during the wash cycle but do up all Zips and fasteners to prevent damage.
Removing Stains
Clean and treat stains as soon as they happen, the longer a stain remains the harder it will be to clean. Remove as much of any solids carefully and then use a damp cloth to clean liquid stains working inwards to the stain to prevent spreading. Check out this Stain Treatment Chart
Never put any item with a stain on it into the Dryer, heat from the drying process will likely set the stain and make it impossible to fix.
BE CAREFUL with the dryer
Not everything that comes out of your washing machine should be going into the dryer. Be careful with delicate fabrics or any item with combustible stains like oil or fat as these are highly flammable. Always check the care label to see if your garment is Dryer safe and what heat setting to use.
Remove your clothes out of the Dryer as soon as possible and either hang or fold them to prevent wrinkles and creases.
Sort by colour and linen type
Ensuring your clothing and linen are sorted by colour and by linen type will give you the cleanest results. First sort into colour types (whites, light colours and dark colours) and then sort by fabric type (cotton and linen, synthetics and synthetic blends, dedicates)
Make sure you always check the laundry care tag and wash sorted groups with the recommend wash cycle and heat selection.
Make your own laundry detergent
There are many options for Natural and Chemical Free laundry soaps and detergents that you can make at home to save you money. All you need is a few simple ingredients including Epsom salts, baking soda and a few drops of essential oils!
A quick google search will provide you with many options for your DIY Laundry detergent - there is even home made Fabric Softener options.
Baby and children laundry
Many commercially produced liquid and powder detergents are filled with harsh chemicals that you want to keep away from your new born babies skin. When using a mass produced laundry detergent, ensure you are buying one that is designed specifically for your New Born.
Never use fabric softener with your new born's linens, clothing or cloth nappies as it may irritate there delicate skin.
Soap powder - Less is more
Over sudsing or using too much washing powder in the machine can often leave white residue and marks on your laundry after the cycle completed, which is why less soap powder is always better. If in doubt, use half the liquid or powder that you usually would.
Make sure you are always using a high efficiency or HE or Front Load specific powder and only the amount as directed by the packet.
Avoid fabric SOFTENER
Fabric softeners are not only filled with very harsh chemicals but they are also damaging to the washing machine. We recommend avoiding fabric softeners to reduce your exposure to unnecessary chemicals that can cause asthma, allergies and skin irritation and other health problems.
NEVER use fabric softener with towels - Fabric softener will leave a coating over the towel preventing it from absorbing water.
What about dry cleaning?
Even with the best washers and dryers, somethings still can't go through a normal washer and need Specialist care. Delicate fabrics and hard set stains are best left to the professional's, your local dry cleaner will have specialist chemicals for all different linen and stain types.
Always check the items Care Label to confirm how it is best laundered and cared for.