Laundry disasters — the pink socks, the shrunken jumper — almost always come from skipping two steps: sorting, and reading the label. Get those right and the rest is easy.
Sort into three piles
- Whites — wash together, warm.
- Darks / colours — wash together, cool, to stop dye running.
- Delicates — anything wool, silk, or labelled delicate; cold, gentle cycle, or hand-wash.
Read the care label
Those little symbols tell you the max temperature, whether it can be tumble-dried, and whether it can be ironed. A minute reading them saves a favourite shirt.
Simple rules that prevent disasters
- New brightly-coloured items: wash separately the first few times — they bleed.
- Cold water is safest for almost everything and saves energy.
- Air-dry anything you're unsure about — heat is what shrinks and warps.
- Don't overload the drum; clothes need room to actually get clean.
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Stains first
Treat stains before washing and never tumble-dry until they're gone — see removing common stains.