Seven Steps to Master Your Laundry Day: A Complete Guide

Does laundry day feel like a never-ending struggle with machine malfunctions and mystery stains? Worry not—this guide breaks down the process into manageable steps that will transform your laundry experience from overwhelming to organized. Plus, scroll down for a helpful how-to video designed to make your appliance troubleshooting and repair as smooth as possible!

Need to fix an appliance problem to make your laundry run smoothly? Search below using your specific appliance model number to identify the exact part needed:

Laundry day can be a drag, but you can make it a little bit less of a chore by going in with a plan of action. Whether you’re a veteran of the laundromat, or just getting to washing your whites for the first time, we’ve got you covered! Today, we’re guiding you through laundry day, start to finish, and leaving you with a few extra tips to keep things running smoothly. Let’s go!

Step One: Sort

While you don’t need a pile for each color of the rainbow, not everything will play nice together in the wash. So, you’ll need to do a bit of sorting to start. Follow these basic guidelines:

• Read labels as you go until you’re more familiar with your clothes’ wash instructions. If something says hand wash or dry clean only, trust the instructions and don’t stick it in the washer. It’ll fall apart after a wash or two in a standard home appliance. Watch for items that need to be washed on delicate, and put them in their own pile, too.
• Be mindful of fabric type. Knits and delicates shouldn’t be washed in the same load as clothes with buttons, togs, and zippers. Bulkier items like towels and blue jeans generally need to be washed and dried on slightly longer cycles, so they can be separated out from your lighter everyday clothes.
• Separate whites out from deep colors. You don’t really need laundry colors to be more complex than that. If you have a ton of laundry, you can start sorting things out into slightly smaller groups, like pastels or mediums, for example. Generally, though, you’ll be more water efficient by just sticking with the two categories.
• If you’re washing a new article of clothing that might bleed, like dark jeans or a red t-shirt, it’s best to wash those separately at least once or twice before wearing to get the excess dye out.
• Heavily soiled clothes may also need to be sorted out into their own pile. They’ll need a longer or heavy-duty wash cycle to get them completely clean.

Sorting will become more intuitive with practice. You can turn your things inside out as you go, too, to protect things like t-shirts with designs and blue jeans from becoming discolored. Also, don’t forget to check pockets for change, lip balm, keys, and other things that might’ve been left behind!

Step Two: Pre-Treat Stains

The sooner you deal with a stain, the better, but you might not always have time to soak something in cold water right after a big spill. So, after you’ve sorted things, pre-treat any stains you’ve found.

Pre-treaters and detergent can generally be left on clothes for a day or two before they start to foster mildew growth or cause discoloration. Regardless of the method you use, though, if you haven’t done it before, make sure you test it on a part of the fabric that can’t be seen first – like an interior seam – to make sure it won’t damage anything.

Here are a few things you can try:

• Commercial pre-treatment sprays are a good option for stuck-on stains and should be used right before tossing the laundry in the wash. Stick pre-treaters can be applied ahead of time and left on a bit longer.
• Rub a little bit of detergent onto the stain and let it sit. Using an enzyme-based detergent can also be effective.
• White vinegar can be applied to T-shirt stains. Just make sure it’s soaked in.
• If you’ve got some time, you can apply a paste of baking soda and water. Let that dry on the stain before putting the item in the wash.

Step Three: Pick Your Cycle

Time to pick your wash cycle! To conserve water and protect your clothes from damage, you should generally err for shorter cycles unless your clothes are really soiled.

Here are some more general guidelines:

• Normal/regular settings work for sturdy clothes and towels. In spite of the name, “normal” is not the setting you’ll be using most.
• Permanent press is a fast wash cycle with a slow spin cycle. Most of your clothes and sheets should be washed on this setting.
• Delicate is there for clothes that might snag or tear, like knitwear, lingerie, and clothes with embellishments.
• When in doubt, wash on cold. Hot water will cause colors to fade, cottons to shrink, and certain stains to set in. Use hot when you need to break up body oil, sanitize something, or remove heavy soiling – like if you’re washing bed linens, very dirty clothes, or cloth face masks.

Step Four: Soap up

If you have a top-loading washer, it’s generally best to let the tub fill most of the way with water before adding your detergent. Your washer may have a detergent drawer, which will automatically dispense cleaning agents at the appropriate times. Make sure you’re putting them in the right spot!

Now, let’s talk about your options!

• Liquid detergent is tried and true. You can use it to pre-treat, it dissolves well in water, and it does its job well.
• Powder detergent is shelf-stable, so they can be bought in bulk and will last for a long time without losing effectiveness. They generally use less packaging, too, making them the most environmentally-friendly option.
• Laundry pods are convenient, but consider that they are a great deal more expensive per load than the other options. They are also pre-measured, and while one may not be enough to get your laundry completely clean, two in one load will almost certainly lead to scummy build up on your clothes and in the appliance.

No matter which detergent you’re using, make absolutely sure you’re using an appropriate amount for the load of laundry you’re cleaning, and that it’s been put in the appropriate receptacle. Too little detergent, and your clothes won’t get clean. Too much, and you’ll cause a host of problems, from leaving your clothes dingy and itchy to actually damaging the interior of your dryer.

Read the packaging for your detergent closely, and check your appliance’s manual, as well. High efficiency washers usually have strict guidelines about what detergent to use, how much is needed, and where it should be added.

What about fabric softener? While fabric softener does work, it isn’t really necessary unless the clothes you’re washing specifically call for it. It can potentially damage some items – like water resistant clothes and towels. It’s also the most expensive of the three fabric softening options. You may find that using cheaper and more eco-friendly wool balls in the dryer serves you just as well.

What about bleach? Bleach comes in two types and can be used to brighten whites and remove tough stains. Take care when using it, though.

• Chlorine bleach is highly effective as brightening whites and removing stains, but used incorrectly, it can actually cause some serious damage to clothes. Read the labels on your clothes and the bleach bottle before using. Don’t add it to laundry loads with clothes that don’t play nice with bleach, and pay attention to any instructions about diluting it.
  • If you’re adding it to an entire load of laundry, allow the wash cycle to go for about five minutes before pouring the bleach in. This will better protect your clothes.
• Color safe or oxygen bleach is much gentler and can be added to most laundry loads. However, it isn’t as powerful as chlorine bleach and will not have the same dramatic brightening effect on white clothes.
  • Color safe bleach should generally be added to the wash before the clothes have been added.

Step Five: Wash Time!

Time to get the clothes in the washer. Load up, but don’t overload! If there’s too much in your washer, whether you have a top-loading model with an agitator or a front-loading washer with an impeller, your clothes won’t get as clean as they could.

You may think you’re saving time, but overloading is less efficient. Clothes will take longer to get clean, using more water and electricity. The heavier load will also be more taxing on your washer’s mechanical parts, wearing them out a little faster than if it’d been a normal load.

Once your laundry’s loaded up, set the wash to go.

Step Six: Dry!

Don’t let your clothes sit too long in the washer. Mildewy smells can bloom in just a few hours, and those can stick on clothes through multiple washes if they’re particularly bad.

Now, how about your drying options:

• Line drying is a great eco-friendly option that is kinder to your clothes’ colors, elastics, and fabric fibers.

• Outdoor line drying in the right conditions will leave your clothes with a fresh, cozy, sun-baked scent and feeling. The weather has to be just right, though, and we’re not just talking about rain. Humid days can leave line-dried clothes smelling just a bit off, and lack of direct sunlight will make your clothes take a lot longer to dry.
• Indoor line drying is a good alternative if you have the space for it. You can find affordable retractable clotheslines online, or hang a curtain rod from the ceiling.

• Machine drying is probably what you’re going to go with, though. Choose the shortest and coolest option you can for your clothes to avoid damage, and the moisture sensor feature if your appliance has one.
  • Load items into the dryer individually, not in clumps, and shake them out before putting them in. This will shorten dry time.
  • Using wool dryer balls in lieu of fabric softeners or dryer sheets is not only eco-friendly in the sense that you’re reducing waste, it can also massively cut down on the time it takes to dry your clothes.

Step Seven: Put It All Away

Okay, time for the worst part: folding and putting everything away. You want to do this soon after your drying is done to avoid wrinkles. Now, how do you store your clothes?

• Flowy fabrics, like dresses, blouses, and silks, should be hung up. If you have a pet that is prone to destruction, invest in a clothing bag to keep things like this in, too.

• Linens, slacks, skirts, and jackets should all be hung up. This will prevent creasing.

• Heavy knitwear should be folded up and stored, whether it’s dresses or sweaters. If they’re hung up, they could stretch out of shape.
• Activewear, athleisure, shorts, bras, and underwear can all be folded and stored in drawers.
• T-shirts, jeans and other casual pants, and scarves can be folded or hung up – whichever works best for your space needs.
• Don’t roll your socks! It’ll stretch them out.

A Few Final Tips

• Mesh laundry bags will protect your delicates in the wash! If you toss your delicates in a hamper with a mesh laundry bag, it’s that much easier to get them washed.
• Take the extra step to organize your clothes. You don’t necessarily need to wash every single thing after one wearing, but put stuff away in specific order so that you know if you’ve already worn something.
• Take care of your washer. It’s an expensive appliance, and damaging it can damage your clothes, too.
• Clean your washer and dryer regularly to avoid mildew and bacteria blooms that can impart bad smells on your clothes. Make sure to pay attention to detergent dispensers and the gasket seals around doors and lids, especially.
• If you’ve got a lot of lint on your clothes, it might actually be a problem with one of your appliances. You may need to replace the filter plugs in your washer, or a seal on your dryer.
• Is your washer leaving marks on your clothes? That could be a problem with one of the appliance’s components.

Wrapping Up

Don’t be afraid to do it yourself! You’ll have laundry mastered in no time, so what’s the next step? If you’re having issues with your washer or dryer, chances are, the fix is actually pretty easy. Why not head back our way the next time you need appliance advice? At AppliancePartsPros.com, we’ve got tips, tutorials, and genuine replacement parts to keep your appliances in tip-top shape!

If you need any replacement parts for your appliances, you can enter your model number at AppliancePartsPros.com to locate and order them quickly. Most orders arrive in just two business days, and we have tons of great information in our repair help section and YouTube videos to help you troubleshoot.

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