DIY Network

Laundry Basics Laundry Basics From "Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean" episode DQOC-101

Lipstick, grass, wine and blood: all difficult stains to remove from clothes. Today we head to the laundry room to sort clothes and remove stains. And later -- we'll learn what it means to dry clean clothes with an informative visit to a dry cleaners....

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Figure A

Laundry is a chore many people hate to tackle, but it's not that hard if you know how to sort the clothes properly, pretreat the stains and which wash cycle to use for the best results.

First, let's start with some questions from the audience about stain removal (figure A).

Q: How do you remove ink from a canvas purse?

A: To remove ink from fabrics apply rubbing alcohol to a Q-tip and blot the stain until it is removed. Never rub into the stain, since this will cause the stain to spread. You can also use a product called Ink Away, available at office supply stores.

Q: What is the best treatment for perspiration stains?

A: Dissolve 8 to 10 aspirins in a cup of warm water. Saturate the underarm area with the solution, let it set for 30 minutes and launder as usual.

Q: What is the best way to prevent white T-shirts from looking dingy?

A: Soak in warm water and lemon juice (you can also used sliced lemons in the water) or use approximately 2 tablespoons of automatic dishwashing detergent to a gallon of hot water.
Sorting and Preparing to Wash Laundry

1. Sort laundry (figure B) by color and fabric types. Here, we have separate piles for reds, darks, grays and whites.

2. Separate dress shirts from knits to prevent the shirts from picking up fabric "pills" from the other clothes.

3. Wash dress pants separately.

Figure B

Figure C

4. Always pretreat stains (figure C). Never rub the treatment into the fabric, since it will spread the spot and can cause harm to the fabric. Instead use a laundry blotter and blot the spots you are treating.

5. Turn clothes right side out before washing.

6. Always measure the detergent to match the size and needs of the laundry. Heavily soiled clothes may require a little more detergent while a small load of delicates may need less detergent.

Figure D

7. Whites should wash a little longer than colors.

8. Shake out clothes before putting them in the dryer. This helps prevent wrinkles and helps them dry faster.

9. Add a fabric softener sheet.

10. Pick a drying cycle that matches the clothes (figure D).