How to do Your Laundry Like a Pro

There’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do your washing, but there are ways to lighten the load.

Simple steps that can help – whether you’ve managed laundry for a family for years or are setting up your first home.

Life’s hard enough as it is. Here’s how to make laundry easy and save money on your energy bills.

1. Sort your laundry pile

With laundry, a little sorting goes a long way. Separate dirty white laundry from other items to avoid colours running. This will also ensure you use the best detergent for each type of load.

Some items (like gym kit) should be washed more often, so don’t let them fester for long.

Towels should be washed alone if you want to keep them soft.

2. Check fabric care labels

Check fabric care labels to see which clothes can go in your washing machine or tumble dryer. The care label also shows which temperature and laundry programme to use.

Delicate machine-washable fabrics such as wool need a cool and gentle cycle while jeans and towels should be fine on a main cottons wash.

3. Pre-treat any stains

Pre-treat any stained laundry before washing to avoid stains setting in.

Check the fabric care label again and, if using a pre-wash stain remover, follow the product instructions. Some stained items may need extra pre-soaking and a cooler wash.

4. Don’t overload your washing machine

Overloading your washing machine stops the water and laundry detergent from doing their job.

The result? Clothes look/smell dirty, feel claggy and you waste time and money splitting the load before washing again.

This is why it’s important to choose the right kg capacity washing machine.

For standard family-size loads, an 8kg capacity washing machine – like the Blomberg LWA18461W 8kg 1400 SpinSave Washing Machine, with its A energy rating, handy Fast Full Load and Crease Ease programmes – is ideal.

If you’re a larger family, the best washing machine will have a 10kg to 12kg capacity. Smaller households should be fine with a 7kg washing machine.

Explore our range of Beko, Bosch, Haier, Hoover, Hotpoint, LG, Miele and Samsung washing machines.

5. Use the right laundry detergent and washing cycle

Different laundry detergents and washing machine cycles are designed to clean different fabric types and colours – at different temperatures and speeds.

As before, always check the fabric care label before washing.

For sparkling white laundry, consider a detergent with optical brighteners and wash in warmer water. Find out how to wash white laundry.

To protect coloured laundry, choose a detergent designed for bright colours and wash inside out.

For delicate items (any colour), choose a detergent for delicates. If washable, use the gentle and cool delicates cycle.

Whatever you’re washing, always follow the dosing guidelines. Adding too much detergent is as bad as adding too little. Read our laundry tips for hard water.

6. Don’t leave clothes in your washing machine

Want to avoid smelly laundry? Unload and get washing dry as soon as you can.

Airing the washing machine’s drawer and drum between washes will also prevent mildew and mould build-up.

Read our article on how to keep laundry smelling good.

7. Dry clothes thoroughly after washing

Whether you dry your laundry inside or out, get everything fully dry before putting away.

Not everyone has the budget or space, but a tumble dryer can really ease the load if you’re a busy family. You know how it is – everyone needing clean, dry clothes at different times (and sometimes short notice!).

So, as with washing machines, make sure your tumble dryer has the kg capacity and programmes you need – like the Haier HD90-A3959 9kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer with A+++ energy rating and useful Quick Dry and Sensor Dry cycles, as well as hOn app connectivity and a Hygiene function to remove up to 99% bacteria.

Always check the fabric care label before tumble drying and dry at the lowest recommended heat. Dry laundry outside if you can.

8. Choose energy-efficient laundry times and cycles

Finally, setting your washing machine or tumble dryer to run off-peak will help stretch your budget. Choosing energy-efficient washing/drying cycles and lower temperatures will also reduce your energy bills.

Heat pump tumble dryers cost more to buy than vented or condenser dryers, but they are up to 50 percent more energy efficient to run.

Read our guide to choosing a tumble dryer.

If you need help choosing a new product to help you tackle all your laundry needs, pop in store for advice, or check out our laundry range.