How To Use A Washing Machine

By Philip Yiga | September 22, 2015

Using a washing-machine is actually a convenient and easy way to clean-up your clothes while at home but it will take you some time to get used to this appliance in case you are having it for the first time. Additionally, there are several brands of washing-machines on the market and this implies that these washers tend to differ in the they operate but you can quickly learn how to use any brand of washing machine in case you give it time. In fact, incase have just bought a washing-machine or opting to doing your own laundry for the first time, then don’t get worried because you can easily learn how to operate a washing-machine by simply reading the steps provided below. In fact, with by reading this article you will also learn of which detergent or fabric-softener that is best for each kind of garment in order to avoid clothes from losing color.

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SECTION-1: SEPARATING THE GARMENTS:

1. Check the garments tags for washing-instructions: always begin by checking the tags on your clothes in order to get special washing-instructions. In fact, most clothes are machine washable but you still need to check-out the tags to get further instructions because some clothes may shrink if washed with warm or hot water. Some clothes are capable of handling bleaching-substances while others won’t be able to handle these substances. Additionally, some clothes can’t just be washed using a washing-machine like certain silk-clothes and other delicate-material clothes. On the other hand, always put aside clothes which are labeled as “dry-clean only” or “hand-wash only” in order to avoid making mistakes during the washing-process.

 

2. Separate laundry/garments by color: clothes contain dyes and new clothes tend to lose their color during the washing-process. This means that the color may bleed onto other clothes being washed hence damaging the entire load. So, try to sort your laundry by color and this means differentiating them by shade. In fact the most basic way to sort clothes is to separate dark from lights and then wash them separately. dark-clothes have colors like; black, dark-blue, dark-purple, dark-red, grey and other dark-tones while light-clothes have colors like white, yellow, pink, light-green, lavender and other light-tones colors. Lastly, dark-denims and jeans also bleed their colors and this means that you should consider washing them in their own separate load.

 

3. Sort clothes by fabric weight: additionally, you can also protect your clothes from wear and tear while in washing-machine by simply sorting heavy-fabrics from light-weight fabrics. This is very important because washing-machines toss and spin clothes around whereby the extra aggravation from heavy-fabrics might ruin lightweight fabrics. On top that, when washing a lightweight or delicate load, the cycle settings and temperature will be different from those of a heavy-fabric load.

 

4. Place delicate-clothes into mesh wash-bags: instead of washing your delicate clothes separately, you may decide to put them into mesh wash-bags in order to protect them from harsh wear and tear. In fact, mesh wash-bags are available in different sizes but the main purpose is to protect a few pieces of delicate garments. If you use a mesh wash-bag, then your delicate-clothes can be washed together with the rest of the load. However, mesh wash-bags don’t protect garments from color-bleeding so makes sure that you wash them along with similar colored loads.

 

5. Separate stained clothes: try to separate-out stained clothes because some stains may need special treatment before putting the garment into the washing-machine. The most popular stains that may need pre-treatment include oil-stains and grease. Additionally, avoid washing or dying stained-clothes in the washing-machine because certain stains tend to set when heat is applied making them difficult to remove.

 

SECTION-2: SETTING-UP THE WASHING-MACHINE:

1. Select the right washing-cycle: wash-cycles actually consist of 2 important speeds which include a speed at which the washer agitates or tumbles clothes with water and a speed which spins water out of the clothes. So make sure that the wash-cycle selected matches the types of fabric you’re washing in order optimize on cleanliness while protecting your clothes. The wash-cycles include;

• Normal-cycle: this cycle tumbles and spins clothes fast hence it will help in cleaning very dirty clothes and it’s even the cycle most-likely to be used on a regular basis.
• Permanent or perm press: this cycle ensures a fast/sloe approach whereby fabrics whereby clothes are given a fast agitation in order to become clean but slow-spin is applied later in order to prevent wrinkles. Use this wash-cycle on synthetic-fibers like knits, rayon, polyesters and acetates.
• Delicate-cycle: this wash-cycle uses a slow/slow approach by simply reducing agitation in order prevent wear and tear. However, the level of cleanliness will decrease because of its slow tumbling.
• Special-cycles: most new models of washing-machines feature special-cycles which do things like; sanitizing, steaming and much more.

 

2. Set the water-temperature: it is believed that the hotter the water, the cleaner the clothes become. This is because hot-water sanitizes and kills germs faster, dissolves detergents more effectively and also removes built-up grime so that clothes can look cleaner and brighter. However, hot-water may also shrink clothes, fade fabrics and also set certain stains in. so it is recommended to choose a water-temperature that your clothes can stand for the best washing-results. In fact, cold-water is the most energy-efficient and gentlest way to wash clothes. Lastly, for some advanced washing-machines, the water-temperature is already pre-set according the cycle you choose.

 

3. Pour detergent and other boosters into the washing-machine: first read the washer’s manual in order to find-out the type of detergent a washing-chine can handle and where to pour the detergent. In fact, most washing-machines today can handle liquid and power detergents coupled with other cleaning-agents like bleach. Additionally, the amount of detergent needed varies according to the brand of detergent and type of washing-machine used.

 

4. Load the washing-machine with clothes: this step involves dumping your clothes into the washer but try not to overcrowd your clothes because space is required for the garments to move and clean-up themselves. In fact, some washing-machines have options to indicate whether the load is small, medium or heavy. Additionally, the selected option will adjust the water-levels depending on the wash-cycle and size of the load.

 

5. Switch-on the washing-machine: after putting in your load and selecting the desired wash-cycle, turn on the washer by simply hitting the start-button and the washing will begin. But always remember to close the washer’s door so that water does not spill over during the washing process.