How to Do Laundry and Wash Clothes

Before you fire up your machine, take a moment to get your laundry ducks in a row.

The Staples

For laundry success, you’ll need the right tools:

• Dry detergents can be more effective than liquid detergents.
• Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach is a stain-fighting boost to your detergent for white, bleach-friendly fabrics.
• Clorox 2® for Colors Stain Remover and Laundry Additive removes stains and brightens colors when added to your detergent.
• Topical soil and stain removers, available in pen, wipe and spray forms, are applied exactly where you need them.
• Fabric softeners make fabric feel softer and reduce static. They are available in liquid and dryer-sheet forms.

Sorting Suggestions

The main ingredient in any laundry recipe is the laundry. Whites, light colors and darks: Most of us have learned to separate our laundry into these three piles.

Here are some less obvious but equally helpful sorting tips, in case your piles are still mountainous:

• Separate lint producers (towels & blankets) from lint magnets (corduroy & fleece).
• Natural fibers from synthetic fibers, because they dry at different rates.
• Tough fabrics (jeans) from delicate fabrics (lace camisole).
• Keep lingerie and hosiery in a mesh bag — straps and stockings won’t tangle up in the washer.
• Wash garments with bright colors on white (for example: red-and-white-striped shirt) separately for the first wash. If the dye runs, it only ruins one garment. Then you can call it a design element.