When it comes to cleaning tip one of the most valuable you can get has to deal with cleaning clothes. Surprisingly, the technology that is supposed to make life easier just causes more confusion. All those settings on washing machines and all those instructions on the tags of clothing can quickly convince you that you will be spending hours just separating your wardrobe into appropriate loads. It doesn’t have to be that laborious, though. Here are some quick cleaning tips for choosing washing machine settings!

Cotton, linens and everything but permanent press and delicates

Washing your cotton and linen and everything but “delicates” and “permanent press” means using either warm or cold water for the prewash soaking. Use hot water for white clothing or that which is particularly dirty and use cold water for bright clothes, dark clothes and very lightly soiled clothing. The wash cycle should be set to “regular” and it should take only about 15 minutes for these types of clothes to complete the cycle. Adjust the water level according to the load size. Use just about any detergent when washing with hot water, but use a liquid or dissolved granular detergent if washing in cold water. Add either chlorine or non-chlorine bleach. You can go with a fabric softener if you desire as well.

Permanent Press and No-Iron Fabrics

Washing “permanent press” clothing and fabrics that don’t require ironing means using hot water for whites and clothing that is heavily soiled, and warm water for everything else. The rinse water should be cold and it should take only about 15 minutes to run the entire washing cycle. You can use nearly any detergent on the market for cleaning permanent press and no-iron fabrics.

Delicates

Delicates is a washing machine category of clothing that includes lingerie, sheer fabrics, lace, embroidered clothing and any items recommended to wash by hand. Bright colors mean washing in either warm or cold water. For two-speed washers, the time spent should be about 12 minutes. For all-fabric washers, go with a maximum of 10 minutes of cleaning time. Using warm water means using any kind of detergent. If you wash your delicates in cold water, go with a liquid or dissolved granular detergent. You can use chlorine on anything except spandex, and you may decide to go with a fabric softener here as well.

Wool

Washing machine-washable wool and hand-washable woolen means turning up the warm or cold water. For best results, give your wool clothing just two minutes with the washer’s agitator and then follow that up with a long soaking period. Use liquid or dissolved granular detergent. The key to washing wool really lies in the drying process. If the wool is machine dryable, stick it in the dryer with a regular cycle temperature. For all other wool clothing, allow it to air-dry.

We hope these quick tips help you speed up laundry! If you’re looking for more help keeping the house clean, feel free to contact us for your quote on custom house cleaning in Cincinnati Ohio.