Getting good results from your washer isn’t too hard if you use common sense and follow basic guidelines about sorting, reading care labels, and following the manufacturer’s instructions. Here are less obvious steps from our experts to help you get better washing results.
Delay adding bleach. Chlorine bleach loses effectiveness if added to the wash too soon, so wait 5 minutes or so into the wash cycle. Consider a washer with an automatic bleach dispenser that will release the bleach at the proper time.
Don’t use frigid water. If water is too cold, liquid detergent may not work well and powdered detergent may not dissolve. Get a washer with automatic temperature control to prevent this. Otherwise, if the water feels too cold, run a warm wash.
Maximize color, minimize lint. To preserve the like-new appearance of colored fabric, use cool water on the delicate cycle and liquid detergent. Wash towels and sweatshirts separately from fabrics that attract lint, such as corduroy, and from permanent-press items likely to pill. Turn any garment you want to protect inside out, and use net bags for delicate items.
Watch out for bleeding. Bright colors, especially red, may bleed. To test for color-fastness, wet a garment and blot it with an old white cloth. If color bleeds, wash the item on its own or have it dry-cleaned.
Don’t overstuff the washer. Clothing needs room to move so it can be properly cleaned and rinsed, especially in a top-loader. You can fill the tub of a front-loader, but don’t jam clothes in.
From consumerreports.org