Washing and drying hints

Sorting the laundry

Follow the wash code symbols on each garment label and the manufacturer’s washing instructions. Sort the laundry as follows:

whites, coloureds, synthetics, delicates, woollens.

Temperatures

90°	for normally soiled white cottons
	and linen (e.g. tea cloths, towels,
	tablecloths, sheets...)
60°	for normally soiled, colour fast
	garments (e.g. shirts, night dresses,
	pyjamas....) in linen, cotton or
	synthetic fibres and for lightly soiled
	white cotton (e.g. underwear).
(cold)	for delicate items (e.g. net curtains),
30°-40°	mixed laundry including synthetic
	fibres and woollens bearing the
	label «pure new wool, machine
	washable, non-shrink».

Before loading the laundry

Never wash whites and coloureds together. Whites may lose their “whiteness” in the wash.

New coloured items may run in the first wash; they should therefore be washed separately the first time.

Make sure that no metal objects are left in the laundry (e.g. hair clips, safety pins, pins).

Button up pillowcases, close zip fasteners, hooks and poppers. Tie any belts or long tapes.

Remove persistent stains before washing. Rub particularly soiled areas with a special detergent or detergent paste.

Treat curtains with special care. Remove hooks or tie them up in a bag or net.

Maximum loads

Recommended loads are indicated in the programme charts.

General rules:

Cotton, linen: drum full but not too tightly packed;

Synthetics: drum no more than half full;

Delicate fabrics and woollens: drum no more than one third full.

Washing a maximum load makes the most efficient use of water and energy.

For heavily soiled laundry, reduce the load size.

Laundry weights

The following weights are indicative:

bathrobe	1200 g
napkin	100 g
quilt cover	700 g
sheet	500 g
pillow case	200 g
tablecloth	250 g
towelling towel	200 g
tea cloth	100 g
night dress	200 g
ladies’ briefs	100 g
man’s work shirt	600 g
man’s shirt	200 g
man’s pyjamas	500 g
blouse	100 g
men’s underpants	100 g

Removing stains

Stubborn stains may not be removed by just water and detergent. It is therefore advisable to treat them prior to washing.

Blood: treat fresh stains with cold water. For dried stains, soak overnight in water with a special detergent then rub in the soap and water.

Oil based paint: moisten with benzine stain remover, lay the garment on a soft cloth and dab the stain; treat several times.

Dried grease stains: moisten with turpentine, lay the garment on a soft surface and dab the stain with the fingertips and a cotton cloth.

Rust: oxalic acid dissolved in hot water or a rust removing product used cold. Be careful with rust stains which are not recent since the cellulose structure will already have been damaged and the fabric tends to hole.

Mould stains: treat with bleach, rinse well (whites and fast coloureds only).

Grass: soap lightly and treat with bleach (whites and fast coloureds only).

Ball point pen and glue: moisten with acetone (*), lay the garment on a soft cloth and dab the stain.

Lipstick: moisten with acetone as above, then treat stains with methylated spirits. Remove any residual marks from white fabrics with bleach.