Washing 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
95° 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), mixed
woollens.
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 |
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.
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.
Red wine: soak in water and detergent, rinse and treat with acetic or citric acid, then rinse. Treat any residual marks with bleach.
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