Laundry 101 and Clothing Care

The 4 Steps of Laundry

Step 1- Sort out the laundrySort into colors

Darks, Brights, Whites/PastelsSort by type

Towels should go together because of the pillsDenimClothing care labels- ex. Hand-washing or dry cleaning

Degree of SoilingDon’t put nice clothes with dirty work clothes

The 4 Steps of Laundry

Step 2- Pre-treat fabricso To avoid damages in the wash prepare clothes so

they don’t get tangled, knotted, caught or ruined.– Emptying pockets– Shaking out loose dirt from cuffs– Zipping zippers, buttoning buttons, hooking hooks,

etc.– Tying sashes and strings loosely– Mend rips and tears so they don’t get worse– Remove any trims that cannot be washed

The 4 Steps of Laundry

Step 2 Continuedo Pre-treat any stains- most of the time you can just

spray with a pre-treater but here are some other tricks.o For gum issues-o For ink problems-o Deodorant Stains-o Vinegar Smells-o Blood Stains-o Everyday typical stains like ketchup-

Ice cubes

Hair spray

Vinegar

Baking Soda

Saliva (Spit)

Laundry Detergent

The 4 Steps of Laundry

Step 3- Washing the Clothes• Use the right amount of detergent.• Don’t overload the washer.• Set the temperature and appropriate cycle.• If using bleach, use the proper kind and the proper

amount at the right time. Add the bleach to water, don’t pour it on clothes. If you don’t, clothes will yellow and it will eat holes in the fabric.

• If using fabric softener, add it toward the end of the wash cycle. Adding it too early will prevent cleaning and softening.

The 4 Steps of Laundry

Step 4- Drying and Ironing• Before you put clothes in the dryer, check to make

sure stains have come out- heat will make them permanent.

• Clean out the lint filter.• Don’t overload the dryer.• Set the correct heat and time.• Remove clothes promptly from the dryer and if they

are forgotten simply place a damp towel in and dry for a few minutes again to get out the wrinkles.

The 4 Steps of Laundry

Step 4 continued• It is hard to iron really dry clothes so use a little mist to

help even out the wrinkles.• Read the clothing care labels carefully because not all

fabrics are able to be ironed. Especially those with glitter (glitter=plastic)

• If you are unsure of what the fabric is, always start with the lowest setting and then work your way up.

• Hang shirts up immediately after ironing to keep them from wrinkling.

• If an iron ever gets gummed up clean it before it destroys other fabrics.

Care Label Symbols

• All tags must have laundering directions written on them. Since not everyone speaks English there are symbols that say the same thing.

• Tip: the more dots there are the hotter it will be.• Guess what each of these symbols mean:

Wash: Very HOT Do NOT Bleach

Dry: Delicate, Low

Iron: High Do NOT Dry-clean

Video Quiz1. Top-loading washers are more efficient than front-

loading washers, because they use less water and soap.

A. TrueB. False

2. Detergents contain an ingredient that dissolves surface dirt enabling water to carry it away. What is this ingredient called?

A. Brightening or whitening agentB. PhosphateC. SurfactantD. Ionic or non-ionic phosphors

Video Quiz

3. A detergent cleans primarily by…A. Softening the fabric to release dirtB. Whitening the fabricC. Making water wetterD. Using boosters and additives

4. When cleaning wool…A. Avoid using a detergentB. Always dry cleanC. Dry by hanging outdoors or in a room with good circulationD. Use the “gentle” cycle on the washing machine

Video Quiz5. When working with a stain:

A. Work from the back of the fabric if possibleB. If a liquid is the cause, blot up as much as you can with a

paper towel or absorbent clothC. Do something right awayD. Don’t rub a stain deeper into the fabricE. All of the above

6. Many detergents contain optical brighteners. These:A. Are dyes that reflect ultraviolet light to give a “glow”B. Are a type of ultraviolet bleaching agentC. Brighten clothes by lifting ground-in dirtD. Work much like non-organic boosters

Video Quiz7. Which would work best to clean a wool sweater or

other delicate garment:A. Laundry detergent without phosphatesB. Any laundry detergentC. A non-chlorine bleachD. Dishwashing soap

8. If you don’t remember to remove permanent press clothes form the dryer in time, you can toss a damp towel in the dryer and rerun the clothes for a few minutes.

A. TrueB. False

Video Quiz

9. According to the video, the most important person in the dry cleaning process is:

A. The spotterB. The presserC. The ownerD. The sorter

Textiles

Fabric Layout

Parts of the fabric

Warp

WeftBias

Selvage

Piece of Fabric with Parts

SelvagesFold

Frayed Edge

WarpBias

Weft

Fabric Layout• Crosswise Fold– Hamburger Style

• Lengthwise Fold – Hotdog Style

Selvages

Selvages

Types of Weaves

• Plain Weave

• Satin Weave

• Twill Weave

• Basket Weave

Fabrics to Sew With

Plain Weaves• Does not stretch• Satin weaves are soft

but if you make a mistake it shows!!!

• Plain weaves are easiest to work with and cotton

Knit Fabric• Stretches• Great for wearing- this

consists of your t-shirts• Hard to sew with

because it stretches and rolls