How to Do Laundry

Laundry seems straightforward until a shirt shrinks, colors bleed, a sweater stretches, or your favorite pair of pants comes out of the dryer fitting differently than before.

A few things affect how your clothes hold up in the wash, including the care label, fabric, color, water temperature, detergent, and drying method. Knowing what to check before you start can help you care for your clothing and avoid unnecessary replacements.

Read the Care Label First

Before washing a new piece of clothing, check the care label. Those small symbols explain how the manufacturer recommends washing, drying, ironing, and sometimes dry cleaning the item.

Here are some common instructions you'll see, usually alongside icons on the label (View Tide®'s Laundry Symbol List here):

Label Instruction	What It Means
Machine wash	The item can go in the washing machine.
Hand wash	Wash the item by hand rather than using a regular machine cycle.
Do not wash	The item shouldn't be washed with water.
Tumble dry	The item can go in the dryer.
Do not tumble dry	Keep the item out of the dryer.
Dry clean	Take the item to a professional dry cleaner.
Do not dry clean	Avoid dry-cleaning methods.
Cold wash	Use cold water.
Warm wash	Use warm water.
Hot wash	Use hot water.
Do not bleach	Avoid bleach.
Line dry	Hang the item or lay it out to dry, depending on the instructions.

If a label says "do not tumble dry," skip the dryer, even if you think a short cycle will be fine. Heat can shrink or damage certain fabrics, elastic, and decorative details.

If you're unsure what a symbol means, look it up before washing the item. It's especially worth checking when you're dealing with expensive clothing, delicate fabrics, or something that's difficult to replace.

Sort Your Laundry

You don't need six different laundry baskets, but separating clothing before washing can make a difference.

Start with colors. Wash whites and very light colors separately from dark and strongly colored clothing. New dark or brightly colored garments may release dye during their first few washes, so give them extra attention.

Next, consider the fabric and how each item needs to be washed. Towels, sturdy jeans, delicate shirts, and lightweight fabrics don't always belong in the same load. Towels can produce lint, while rougher fabrics and zippers can rub against more delicate clothing.

Before loading the washer, check pockets for pens, tissues, coins, receipts, and other objects. A forgotten tissue can leave little white bits all over your clothes, while a pen can leave ink stains.

Zip zippers, fasten hooks, and turn graphic T-shirts or dark clothing inside out when appropriate. This helps reduce friction and protects some prints and finishes during washing.

Pay attention to how full you make the washer, too. Clothes need room to move through the water and detergent. If you pack the machine too tightly, your laundry may not get cleaned properly, and the washer may have to work harder, eventually causing mechanical issues.

Choose the Right Water Temperature and Detergent

Cold water works well for many everyday loads, particularly clothing that's prone to fading or shrinking. It's also a practical choice for washing mixed everyday items when their care labels allow it.

Warm or hot water may be suitable for certain heavily soiled items and fabrics that can safely handle higher temperatures. However, hotter water isn't automatically better. It can cause some fabrics to shrink or colors to fade, so check the care label before choosing a temperature.

Use the amount of detergent recommended on the product label. Adding extra detergent doesn't make your clothes cleaner. Too much can leave residue on fabrics and contribute to buildup inside the washing machine.

Liquid detergent, powder detergent, and laundry pods can all work well when used according to their instructions. Your washing machine may also have specific recommendations for where and how to add detergent.

If you use laundry pods, handle them with dry hands and store them securely away from children and pets.

Laundry also can have different add ons that go beyond standard detergent.

Bleach

Bleach requires a little more care. Chlorine bleach can discolor or damage certain fabrics, so check the garment label and bleach instructions before using it. Some clothing is compatible with non-chlorine bleach, while other items shouldn't be bleached at all. Typically only white items sustain bleach.

Fabric Softener

Fabric softener is optional. It can make some clothing feel softer, and typially enhances the overall smell and feel of an item. However, it can also affect the absorbency of towels and the performance of certain athletic fabrics, so check the care instructions before using it.

Scent Booster

Scent boosters, also called scent beads, are added directly to the washing machine to give clothing a stronger or longer-lasting fragrance. They're optional and work alongside detergent rather than replacing it. Check the product instructions and garment care labels before use, especially with delicate fabrics.

Laundry Sanitizer

Laundry sanitizers are designed to reduce certain bacteria and other microorganisms on clothing during washing. They're different from regular detergent, which primarily removes dirt, oils, and everyday soil. Some sanitizers are formulated for use in the washing machine, while others are intended for specific fabrics or wash conditions.

Follow the product label for the correct amount, water temperature, and contact time, since effectiveness varies by product and washing method.

Dry Your Clothes Correctly

Drying is an important part of laundry care because heat can shrink clothing, damage elastic, fade colors, and weaken certain fabrics.

Check the care label before putting anything in the dryer. If an item needs to air dry or line dry, follow those instructions.

When using a dryer, choose a temperature that's appropriate for the clothing.

Lower heat is generally good for items that may shrink or be damaged by high temperatures. Some garments need a no-heat or air-dry setting.

Remove clothes when the cycle finishes. Leaving them in the dryer for hours can lead to wrinkles, especially if the clothes cool while bunched together.

Clean the dryer's lint filter after every load. Lint can, and will, cause a dryer fire.

Lint restricts airflow and is highly flammable.

If your dryer vents outside, the vent system also needs periodic inspection and cleaning.

For clothing that can't go in the dryer, use a drying rack or hanger when appropriate. Some sweaters and other stretchy garments should be laid flat to dry because their weight can pull them out of shape while they're wet.

Give clothes enough space to dry, too. Good airflow helps moisture escape and reduces the time items stay damp.

Handling Common Laundry Problems

Even when you follow the instructions, stains, color transfer, and changes in fabric can happen. If colors bleed onto other clothing, keep the affected items out of the dryer until you've checked whether the dye can be removed. Heat can set some stains and make them more difficult to treat.

For stains, check the care label and treat the spot as soon as reasonably possible. Different stains need different approaches. Grease, blood, ink, grass, and food stains don't all respond to the same cleaning method, so identify the stain before choosing a treatment. The American Cleaning Institute has a comprehensive guide on how to remove stains based on their type.

Avoid aggressive scrubbing, particularly on delicate fabrics. Rubbing too hard can damage the fibers or spread the stain. Follow the instructions for the stain remover you use and test it on a hidden area first when appropriate.

If a garment shrinks, stretches, or changes shape, you may not be able to restore it completely. Some fabrics respond to gentle reshaping, but the results depend on the material and the type of damage.

If you accidentally wash something labeled for dry cleaning, check the garment's care instructions before trying to correct the mistake. For a valuable or delicate item, a professional cleaner can advise you on the available options.

Final Thoughts

Good laundry habits start with a few simple checks. Read the care labels, separate clothing when needed, avoid overloading the washer, measure detergent according to the instructions, and choose the right drying method.

When you're unsure about an item, start with the care label and follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

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Up Next: Replacing a burned-out light bulb is a basic household task, but there are a few things to check before you start. The next article on How to Change a Lightbulb covers how to choose the correct bulb, turn off the power safely, remove the old bulb, and install the replacement.

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