We use the washing machine for cleaning all type of fabrics and sizes of clothing. Every piece of clothing comes with a specific laundry care instruction and we can prolong the life of the clothing by reading the wash instructions carefully. It is easy to just put everything in the washing machine together, run the normal cycle and later blame it on the machine for any damage caused. But the time carefully spent in sorting laundry according to the different types and cleaning them separately choosing the proper cycle is what most of the wise homemakers do.

Using the washing machine properly and utilizing the various features that it offers will add life to your clothing and keep them looking the way they should without spoiling their shape. There were days, when in spite of having a washing machine we needed to spend hours hand washing clothing that were too special or too delicate for the harsh washing machine cycles. Thankfully, today we have the most advanced designs and features available, we can now trust them with the most delicate clothing of ours.

Before you put them into the washing machine, it is important to sort your clothing into different piles. Clothes usually come with a small tag with washing instructions that indicates what the cloth can handle and what it cannot. This information usually includes the temperature, the wash cycle, whether it can be machine washed or not, when you need to iron it or not and whether it should be dry cleaned only.

You can sort your clothes based on these instructions. It is also advisable to wash white clothes, light-colored clothes, dark-colored clothes and delicate clothes in separate wash cycles. Some dark clothes might leave mild color and this might affect the white clothes. So it is best to wash them in different cycles.

Use delicate cycle for woollen clothes, lingerie, baby clothes, soft T-shirts and other fabrics marked delicate. This cycle is softer and does not get the clothes out of shape. The normal cycle is good for linens, jeans and stronger clothes.

Some other basic things to keep in mind before using your washing machine are:

• Checking the pockets for papers, bills, coins or any metal accessories
• Turning the clothing inside out
• Add small items into a wash bag or a pillow cover
• Look for spots and stains and pre-treat them

These days, washing machines come up with a variety of features but even the most basic ones have a few cycles for regular load, delicate load and a soak feature. If you have the most expensive washing machine with all the latest features, take out the time to go through the user manual to know what all the settings mean and how can you use them for your perfect laundry experience. A little care and knowledge of few laundry basics can help your clothes stay new and look fresh for a long time.

My name is Aline Miller and I love to talk about home improvement. You can visit my website to learn more about washing machines.

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