1. Laundry and Dry Cleaning
Chapter 15

2. Garment care label is your guide
Today washing clothes a lot different than a few years ago

3. Laundry Products and Equipment
Washing machine eats socks
Whites turn pink or blue after washing
Shirts shrink for some reason

4. Select Laundry Products
Follow label directions
Bleach if harmful to skin and eyes
Keep away from children

5. Laundry Detergents
Detergents – cleansing agents that remove soil from fabric and prevent it from returning to the fabric
Powders, liquids, premeasured tablets
Detergents have replaced soaps
Soap react with minerals in hard water
Form white, powdery curd that stiffens fabric

6. Detergents All purpose detergents – all washable fabrics
Powdered good for all types of laundry, lightly soiled to heavily soiled
Liquid work well on greasy or oily stains

7. Ultra detergents – both liquid and powder
Comes in concentrate
Packages are smaller
Use less product

8. Combination detergents – combine color safe bleach or fabric softener with detergent
Add bleach improves cleaning with stain removal
Add softener makes fabrics feel softer
Reduces static electricity
Powder and liquid

9. Fragrance and dye free detergents—
For people with certain allergies

10. Light duty detergents –
Work well for hand or machine washing delicates
Lightly soiled fabrics (hosiery/lingerie)

11. Many detergents are low foaming to work in newer front loading, high effeciendy washer
Use correct amount of detergent
Less detergent for small loads and lightly soiled fabric

12. Soil and Stain Removers
Prewash soil and stain removers
Applied to fabric before washing
Spray, liquid, stick, gel aerosol

13. Enzyme soaks – powder form
Prior to washing or added to wash cycle

14. Laundry Bleaches
Bleach removes stains, whitens, brighten fabrics, destroy bacteria
If used too often or too much bleach weakens fibers

15. Chlorine Bleach Labeled “chlorine” or “hupochlorite”
Most effective for whitening, disinfecting, deodorizing
Can’t be used on wool, silk, leather, spandex, and nonfast colors

16. Nonchlorine Bleach Oxygen bleach
“color safe” or “safe for all fabrics”
Mild, nonchlorine blean
Brightens whites and colors
Add bleach to water while machine fills, add clothes
Some machines have a dispenser

17. Other Laundry Products
Fabric softeners
Feel softer, less static electricity, fragrant
Liquid softeners added to water during final rinse
Pouring directly on clothes, can cause stains
Some machines have dispensers
Can make towels less absorbent
Nonwoven sheets for the dryer

18. Starches Gives body to fabrics Makes ironing easier
Dry and liquid starches mixed with water before using

19. Water Softeners
Mineral deposits that prevent thorough cleaning can be removed from hard water with water softeners
Powder form goes in wash or rinse cycle

20. Disinfectants Germicides in these products destroy bacteria on fabric
Available in liquid form, especially when family member is ill

21. Using Laundry Equipment
Washing machine
Dryer
Iron
Ironing board

22. Washing Machine Common top load
Agitator – jiggles clothes during wash cycle to loosen dirt and get soil out
Front loading
No agitator
Tumble action instead
Dispenser for both detergent, softeners, bleaches, etc

23. Clothes Dryer
Buttons/dials for controlling air temperature and drying time
Cycles: regular, wrinkle free, permanent press, or air dry
Air dry for freshening up fabrics

24. Irons and Ironing Board
Irons have a dial or control buttons
Cotton, linen, wool, rayon
Irons can be used dry or with steam
Sturdy, level board prevents iron from falling
Need a cover that is smooth, clean etc

25. Laundering Clothes
Laundering – means washing fabric by hand or machine with a soil removing product
Keep clothes in good condition longer

26. Sorting Clothes Read labels
Sort by color, amount of soil and fabric type
Color – prevent bleeding, like fabrics together
Amount of soil –heavily soiled VS light
Fabric types – cottons can be washed in hot temperatures and longer periods of time
Wools need cold water and short cycles
Delicate need gentle cycle
Fuzzy shirts not to be washed with fabrics that attract lint

27. Pretreating Pretreat heavy soil
Soak fabrics in water for up to 30 minutes
Add enzyme if necessary
use warm water for oil stains
Cold water for protein stains, blood, eggs, grass

28. Machine Washing Loading the machine Empty all pockets
Close zippers, fasten hooks
Add detergent according to machines’ manual
Avoid overloading

29. Water Temperature & Level
Hot water cleans fabric best, sanitizes
Can shrink fabrics
Warm water cleans manufactured fibers
Cold water doesn’t clean as well, saves energy and used for delicate fabrics, lightly soiled

30. Wash Cycle
Cycle type
Different lengths of time, agitation speeds, rinse temperatures
Normal cycle for sturdy fabrics
Gentle for short cycles

31. Time
2 to 10 minutes
Rinse Temperature
Cold rinse prevents wrinkles

32. Hand Washing
Recommended for many woolens, silks, other delicate fabrics
Wash one or two items together
Pretreat
Add laundry product and swish
Soak 15 minutes or longer for stains
Heavily soiled may need rubbing
Rinse garment in cold or cool water
Roll in absorbent towel to remove water

33. Drying Clothes Machine Drying Have temperature and cycle settings
Manufactured fibers are more heat sensitive
Heavier fabrics take longer to dry
Don’t overload
Don’t over dry to avoid wrinkles too

34. Line Drying Might shrink or stretch
Shake out item, smooth out wrinkles
Clothespins leave marks, put them where they won’t show
Hang clothes where air can circulate

35. Flat Drying Remove as much moisture as possible
Place garment on clean, dry towel and smooth it out
Roll garment and towel together
Press roll
Spread on a clean, dry towel and let it dry thoroughly

36. Ironing Clothes Heat, moisture, slight pressure removes wrinkles
Ironing – moving back and forth, gliding motion
Select correct temperature
Start at a low temperature and gradually increase temperature
Press on wrong side
Can iron with steam
see page 277 on how to iron a shirt

37. Dry Cleaning Clothes
Uses special liquids containing organic solvents to clean fabrics without water
Solvent –substance that dissolves another substance

38. Professional Dry Cleaning
Always point out stains
Don’t try to remove it yourself
Discuss any trim that might be affected
Items are separated by light or dark colors
Solvent releases and removes soil
Solvent spun away
Steam pressing take out wrinkles, smoothes seams, restores creases/pleats
Will do minor repairs/alterations

39. Coin Operated Dry Cleaning
Faster and costs less
Machines remove most soil
Clothes are weighed, pay by pound
Attendant puts clothes in machine and hangs them up when done

40. Summary
Choosing the right laundry products helps make washing clothes easier and more effective
The fabrics, the type of stains, and washing machine you use determine which laundry product you need

41. Adjustable settings on washers, dryers, and other laundry equipment allow you to tailor their use to your needs
Clothes should be sorted for washing by color, amount of soil, and fabric

42. Clothes can also be washed by hand and dried on a line or rack
Dry cleaning may be the best option for some garments

43. Read labels on laundry detergent and identify the ingredients.