How To Do Laundry

The proper way to do laundry is an art form that some people missed out on learning. This guide covers the basics of how to do laundry.

Solutions: How To Do Laundry

Read and rate the best solutions below by giving them a "thumbs up".

Creating a Laundry Schedule

We have 6 people living in our house. This makes it hard to keep everything clean and our laundry done. I have asked each person to do their own laundry on a specific day. We are never waiting for someone to get done and are not stressed about it.

By Shirley from Henderson, NV

0SharePrintFollow5 Feedbacks

Doing Laundry at College

Hopefully you have found yourself at a school that offers free laundry facilities. If so, do laundry all the time and be proud that you are saving hundreds of dollars annually in washing and drying costs. If you live off campus, bus the laundry in and do it for free.

If you end up at a school that charges for laundry, check the local laundromats to compare prices and go with the cheapest option. Or, befriend someone with their own washer and dryer and do all of your laundry there. If all else fails, try to never do laundry at school. Save it up, for months at a time (washing only those things that absolutely must be clean) and take everything else home to wash.

Be aware that at many schools that charge for laundry, there is a coveted free laundry day - generally coinciding with a day where parents are invited to come to campus. Get in line early on free laundry day. Once you lay claim to a washer, do not give it up until all of your loads are done. Same with the dryer, otherwise you'll be at the end of the line again. I once did 20 loads of laundry for free on one of these days, just remember to always be present when the washer or dryer goes off or you will lose it to the crowd.

By Brandi M. Seals

By Brandi M. Seals

0SharePrintFollow5 Feedbacks

Teaching Laundry Skills To College Bound Students

While parents are preparing to send their children off to college, they try to think of all the material items to take with them to supply their dorm rooms. One thing that some parents don't think of, is showing your child how to do his/her own laundry.

Last year, my nephew in college was approached by a fellow student, who complimented him on his every day appearance and wanted to know the secret of how to make your clothes look neat. My nephew explained "how to." The fellow student wanted a more 'hands on' approach. He asked if my nephew could accompany him on his next wash day to see what he was doing wrong with his laundry. My nephew agreed. My nephew, with his own clothing, showed the fellow student how to sort clothing, which products to use and why, how to dry on certain temps and why, how to fold or hang, etc. The fellow student was in awe, as he'd never been shown all the procedures. His mom had always done the wash, as most do. He'd never took the time to learn the techniques or the art of proper laundry.

As when my nephew asked how the fellow student had been doing his laundry, the young man lifted up his collapsible laundry bag filled with dirty laundry and stuffed it in the washer and turned on. Added the detergent!! LOL, as funny as this is, my nephew said the young man would have continued to put the laundry bag filled with clothes, in the dryer, too. That's one Mom who won't be having to wash a mountain of dirty clothes that come home from college, and can spend precious time with her college son.

By Terri from NV

0SharePrintFollow7 Feedbacks

Share Your Feedback: Once you try any of the above solutions, be sure to come back and give a "thumbs up" to the solution that worked the best for you. Do you have a better solution? Click "Share a Solution" above!

Questions

Here are questions related to How To Do Laundry.

Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

How can I make my clothes smell like detergent? Can someone help me out. After I'm done washing my clothes I can smell the detergent. When I am done drying them I don't smell anything. I use concentrated detergent. I also use dryer sheets. Can someone help me. I want my laundry to keep the smell of my detergent.

By headache from Miami, FL

SharePrintFollow10 Feedbacks

Most Recent Answer

By cur10us07/03/2011

Wonderful feedback. I read this post because i also thoroughly enjoy the smell of freshly-laundered clothes and linen and want it to last! I will follow up on the suggestions to use liquid softener, and detergent of the same brand. I'm curious. Would anyone happen to know of natural products which would leave a pleasant, lingering scent on clothing? Realistically, a lot of people live in apartment buildings and cannot dry their clothes on a clothesline.

Fresh Mint Smell in Garments

I would like to know what is the process to get a fresh mint smell in after wash garments? Can we achieve this by doing garment wash? If possible how many washes it will stay in garment?

By EJI

SharePrintFollowPost Feedback

How Did Our Ancestors Do Their Laundry?

I just did a load of laundry without soap. How could I? But this got me to wondering if anyone out there knows what our ancestors did or used to wash before those convenient (detergent) brands became available.

Thank you,
Soapless in USA

SharePrintFollow12 Feedbacks

Most Recent Answer

By Desperate! Urgent! (Guest Post)12/04/2006

I am so doomed. I need somebody to post how the people in England in the Victorian era washed linens and i need to know within the next 2 minutes! I hope this site is really busy. I know that they did NOT have a way to wash all their laundry, different things had different ways to be washed, so that's what's making this so hard! i gotta go give up now and do the rest of my homework and get a zero cuz i dont know how they washed linens.

Editor's Note: Here are a couple of links:

http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en_UK/publications/historyoflaundry_en.html

http://www.laundrylist.org/education/laundryhistory.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laundry

How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I can't get my clothes to smell good after I wash them. I buy really nice smelling detergent and liquid fabric softner, but after they come out of the dryer, they don't smell like anything.

My friend's laundry always smells good and smells good for days.

Thanks,
Jodi from CA

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I add just plain old baking soda to my laundry detergent (dry). I probably add about a cup. It makes my sheets smell SO GOOD! Smells very fresh. I also use about 1/4 cup bleach, no more, because it will only smell like bleach and wash in hot water. (07/26/2005)

By Paula

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

Without saying anything about your laundry, why not just ask your friend how she gets her laundry to smell so good? Some people use a fragrance like lavender or something and spray it on a dry towel and toss into the dryer. I haven't done it, but makes sense to me. You could even ask her if she does something like this. (07/26/2005)

By Angellface

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I know what you mean. I sometimes pass people whose clothes smell so fresh and wonderful. I have used Cheer and that works ok. (07/27/2005)

By texasteacher

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I use Gain, original scent, detergent. When I bought my house the former owners left some here, and I loved the scent so much I've been buying it ever since. (07/27/2005)

By SusannL

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I use Gain detergent (powder) and Gain liquid fabric softener too. I LOVE IT! All my family smells the clothes and tells me how everything smells so good. I used to use the fabric softener sheets but they really didn't do much. I think the Gain detergent and the same type liquid fab. soft. that's what makes the difference but try Gain a few times. I think you'll like it. (07/27/2005)

By peggygv

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

Do you use fabric softner sheets? I use the liquid softner in the washer for certain items like jeans and sheets but always use the fabric softner sheets in the dryer. I use Bounce sheets and the laundry always smells good to me. (09/01/2005)

By phishphan98

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I know the answer. I have been attempting to figure this out for years. Use 3 times the normal amount of liquid fabric softener (whatever you like. I prefer downy ultra) and the key is, either do not put the clothes in the dryer or just dry them a little and put them on a hangar. You won't believe the difference! (12/11/2005)

By April

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

My laundry smells fantastic. I use Persil detergent and it smells good for weeks. (07/26/2006)

By Stephanie Macceca

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I usually buy some of those dishwashing liquids that smells almost like perfume and mix them with my laundry detergent. The result is good, the clothes smell so good. (07/26/2006)

By irlande

RE: How can I get my laundry to smell good?

I like to wash my clothes in One cup of white vinegar, One cup of baking soda and Half cup of borax along with the detergent. If you can during your rinse cycle try putting between 20-30 drops of some lemon, orange, lavender, etc oil essence in your laundry, (you can get these from any health food store). (08/19/2006)

By 1bigmama

Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

My clothes don't keep the fragrance of my laundry detergent or fabric softener after they have been dried. They smell great after I wash them, but when I put them in the dryer they lose the scent. How can I keep the fresh scent of my fabric softener in my clothes? I use Gain detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets.

Peggy

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

Maybe when you put your clothes in your drawers or closet, place one of your fabric softener sheets in with the clothes. (02/05/2007)

By Persnickety Paula

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

Due to each individual schedule you may not have the time to nor the facilities to do so, but I hang my clothes outside every day, weather permitting. I use either Tide or Wisk. I never use dryer sheets as I don't feel that they are necessary. My sheets smell especially nice and so awesome after blowing around in the breeze and being kissed by the sun. (02/06/2007)

By kidena

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

I use a half of a Bounce fabric softener sheet per load in my dryer and everyone always says how fresh my clothes smell. One lady told my husband she could tell he was married just by how fresh his clothes smelled. (02/06/2007)

By kimmcg

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

Since I've been using Era laundry detergent and Suavitel liquid fabric softener, I'm very happy with the wash. The smell stays with the clothes long after the first wear. Since I don't have access to the outside, my sheets and clothes all smell wonderful. This is a great combination for me. (02/06/2007)

By Lady Claire

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

You know, it's funny how I can read all these feedbacks and partly agree with some and completely disagree with others. Yet we all came out with the same results.

I've been on a mission for about ten years to have that wonderful clean smelling laundry that everyone in the room can smell. It's not that hard really, but you have to start right by getting the things you need and going back to what you were taught in the beginning about laundry. After you read this, immediately go to the store and buy any detergent, any liquid softener, and any fabric sheets that you personally like the smell of. While on that aisle, buy a product called 20 Mule Team Borax. It's in a green and yellow box with red letters I believe. It's only a couple of dollars. Get a Downy ball if you don't already have one unless you have a softener dispenser in your washer. Most importantly, pick up a small laundry basket.

Now, when you have all that at home, then comes what nobody wants to hear. Separation. Make sure to separate your clothes into proper categories. I have categories labeled: soft clothes, denims, heavily soiled (husband's work clothes and/or very messy children's clothes), special care (sweaters and other dedicates), good towels and rags, and last is cleaning towels and rags which I also wash with throw/door/bathroom rugs. I personally love the smell of bleached whites, but this ages your clothes really quickly by breaking down the fibers, so I choose not to use it.

Now, once your clothes are separated into the categories that suit you, pick the most urgently needed and fill up that small laundry basket you picked up from the store. Don't cram the clothes in it and don't pile it way above the rim.

Directions for top loader washer:

Turn on your washer to large-largest load, and add a cap full of the detergent to running water. Fill softener dispenser or Downy ball with a cap full and drop it in. Add one cup of your borax to the water then start throwing in your clothes.

Directions for front loader washer:

Put your load of clothes into the washer and clothes the door tightly. Add a cap full of detergent to the designated dispenser, a cap full of softener to the designated dispenser, and a cup of the borax to the pre-wash dispenser.

Once wash cycle is completed, pull clothes and throw into dryer or hang up. Don't tarry. Time is smelly when it comes to your laundry and don't forget your softener sheet. I agree with cutting them in half only because there's no difference in performance, so you're saving money by getting double what you paid for.

I know this will give you the smell of great laundry that we all love and appreciate. Let me know how it turns out. (05/07/2007)

By Shelly

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

Use Borax in the wash. You can mix it 50/50 with baking soda if you have hard water. Additionally, you can add essential oils to the mix. Make it up in advance. Two cups of borax, two of baking soda, and ten drops of lavender, or eight lavender plus four peppermint, or eight lavender and four lemon. All will add freshness to clothing, and can be used to deodorize other items as well. Then line dry, or if you cannot, invest in a lavender dryer sachet, especially lovely for bed linens. (06/02/2007)

By Heather

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

Put a gel air freshener (the type you put in a bathroom) in a closet/cupboard and the smell will end up sticking to the clothes. This works pretty good. (06/25/2008)

By Trev

RE: Tips for Good Smelling Clothing

I have found the ultimate formula for fresh, sweet smelling, long lasting scented laundry. I'm a huge laundry scent "snob" who has tried every brand and combination on the market and this is my all time favorite.

I use 3/4 cap full (a bit more than recommended) of the 2X concentrated Gain Cotton Fresh liquid detergent per load and Downy April Fresh scent liquid softener. I use the Downy ball for dispensing and I use a little bit over the maximum fill line. I finish up with a Downy April Fresh scent dryer sheet in the dryer. I have put clothing away for a whole season and when I pull them out months later, they still smell fresh. (10/01/2008)

By Angela