How to Adult: Laundry

One of the most common chores that must be done in your household is the washing, drying, folding and putting away of laundry. Over the years, laundry has advanced in so many different ways. Believe it or not, those pretty stainless steel machines that took you three minutes to load didn’t use to exist.

Here are some of the supplies and basic steps in the process of getting freshly clean clothes:

What you need:

1. Dirty laundry
2. Liquid/powder detergent
3. A washing machine
4. Motivation to get the job done

Steps:

1. Separate your dirty clothes into piles
2. Use the dial on the washing machine to start it
3. Load the washing machine
4. Add detergent
5. Close lid
6. Wait

If these steps still are too broad for you, here is a more in-depth understanding of the art of laundry.

Separating:
Stick to the three categories. Lights, darks, delicates and towels(optional).
Lights- Wash these clothes separately. Light clothes may begin to turn gray or pink when washed with dark colors. Wash light clothes in warm water to keep their softness.
Darks- The dye in these clothes tend to bleed. Wash dark clothes in cold water to prevent this from happening.
Delicates- With delicate clothing, make sure to check the tag. Most delicate clothes need to be washed in cold water and only with other delicate clothing.
Towels- (Separating towels is optional. If you choose to not separate your towels, wash them with your whites) Towels should be washed in warm or hot water. Keep towels away from things like jeans and dark colored shirts.

If you are unsure about any items of clothing, the tags should give proper washing instructions.

Detergent:
Fill one cup of liquid detergent and pour it into the washing machine after you’ve loaded your laundry. Some good brands of detergent are Tide, Downy and Arm and Hammer.

Drying:
When drying clothes, I recommend checking the tags if you are not sure how to dry a certain thing. Most tags will tell you whether something can be machine dried or needs to air dry. Following the rules recommended will give you longer lasting clothes as well as keep them as good as new for as long as you can.

Folding:
The last step to doing your laundry (besides putting it away) is folding the clothes you dried. Folding your laundry is probably the most time-consuming task that is involved with cleaning your clothes. The best way to get you through a mountain of laundry that needs to be folded is to turn on your favorite movie or playlist and have fun while you do it.

I know some people do not have to worry about doing laundry until they move out of their house because their mom may do it for them. However, laundry is an essential household chore that can’t be ignored as you grow up. Learning how to do it now and practicing can save you a big headache in the future.