PREPARE

001: Always check the labels on your clothing first. The international clothing symbols can tell you everything you need to know about how to wash an item.

• side view of a bucket with water in it: (washing)
  • number means the ℃ temperature that should be used
  • hand means it should be hand washed
  • X means it should not be washed
• triangle: (bleaching)
  • white triangle means the item can be bleached
  • black triangle or X means it should not be
• box with a circle inside: (dryer use)
  • 1 dot means low temperature
  • 2 dots means normal
  • X means a dryer should not be used
• plain box: (traditional drying)
  • parenthesis at the top means the item should be dried on a line
  • solid stroke is through the middle means the item should be dried flat
  • three vertical lines in the box means the item should be drip-dried
• iron: (iron use)
  • more dots means higher the temperature
  • X means an iron should not be used

002: Sort out the dirty clothes into different piles, each of which will be washed separately:

• White clothes
• Light clothes (pastel colors, and similarly light colored)
• Dark clothes (black, navy, dark green, or any shade of red)
• Towels and sponges (when washing these items, add two tablespoons of white vinegar as the water fills the machine to kill bacteria and get rid of that musty towel smell)
• Colored aprons
• Underwear
• Delicates

003: Prepare all of your clothes. Empty all of your pockets of any pens, money, or important papers. Also, turn chef coats inside out, to eliminate buttons from hitting the inside of washer/dryer.

004: Treat any heavy stains with stain remover before washing.