Before you wash, This, Sorting, Loading

This section reviews proper laundering techniques, gives you additional washing information, and discusses solutions to common laundering problems.

Before you wash

lTurn down cuffs and brush away lint and dirt. l Turn synthetic knits inside out to avoid pilling.

lClose zippers, snaps and hooks to avoid snagging other items. Remove pins, buckles and other hard objects to avoid scratching the washer interior.

l Remove unwashable trim and ornaments.

lTie strings and sashes so they will not tangle.

lMend tears, loose hems and seams.

lTreat spots and stains. (See page 12 for pretreatment and stain removal information.)

lStained or wet garments should be washed promptly for best results.

l Separate dark from light colors, colorfast from non-colorfast.

l Sort by fabric and construction (sturdy cottons, knits, delicate items).

l Separate heavily soiled items from lightly soiled ones even it they would normally be washed together.

l Separate lint givers (towels, chenille) from lint takers (corduroy, synthetics, permanent press). When possible, turn lint givers inside out.

l Load washer properly. Overloading or packing can:

-cause poor cleaning. -increase wrinkling. -create excessive lint.

-wear out items faster (because of pilling).

lLoad by the amount of space items take up, not by their weight.

lDrop items into washer loosely. Fill to the top of the basket, but do not pack or wrap items around the agitator.

lItems should move easily through wash water for best cleaning and wrinkle-free results. Watch for rollover. Items should sink and reappear later.

lMix large and small items in each load. Load evenly to maintain washer balance. An off- balance load can make the machine vibrate during spin.

l To reduce wrinkling, permanent press and synthetic knits should have more room to move in the water than heavy items (towels, jeans).