Learning to do laundry is an essential life skill. Even if you regularly take your clothes to the launderette or dry cleaners, there may come a time when you have to do your own laundry- for instance, if you are travelling, or if you have moved into an area where there are no professional laundry services available.

In this article, we will outline exactly what are the 5 steps to doing laundry, as well share some of our favourite cleaning hacks, which we hope you find useful.

What are the 5 steps to doing laundry?

Doing laundry might seem like an overwhelming task if it is the first time you are doing it by yourself. But not to worry, we are here to break down the household chore into 5 steps, to simplify the process for you.

So, what are the 5 steps to doing laundry, using a washing machine?

• Place all your dirty laundry in a basket.

This is the easiest step! Simply place all your dirty clothes, bedding or soft furnishings inside a basket or hamper.

Remember to read the care label on each item, as this will tell you whether the item is machine washable, or ‘hand wash only’, or ‘dry clean only’. If any of your items are not machine washable, then don’t put these in the basket or hamper.

• Separate your clothes into lights, darks, and whites.

Now, split up your garments by colour. The whites can be washed together, in a separate load from black clothes and coloured clothes. Lighter, pastel shades can be washed together, but bright, vibrant colours (such as reds, oranges, blues, yellows and greens) can go in another load.

You can also wash heavy fabrics in a separate load- for instance, denim garments can be washed separately from other fabrics.

If you are washing household furnishings such as towels, bedding, blankets, or tablecloths, then wash these separately from your clothes.

Do not wash heavily soiled garments in the same load as other dirty laundry items- this should be washed separately, to avoid cross-contamination of germs.

Before you wash your clothes, give them a shake, which will help reduce wrinkles. Also, unroll any cuffs, socks, or collars, so the entire garment is washed properly. Remember to zip up all zippers and unbutton any buttons, as these can snag and tear your other clothing. Additionally, you should remove any objects remaining inside the pockets, especially tissues and fluff.

• Place your dirty clothes in the washing machine

Next, put a load of laundry inside your washing machine.

Do not overload the washing machine with too many clothes. It is best to load your washing machine until is it about three quarters full, because an overly heavy load can damage the fabrics as they rub against the agitator. (The agitator is made up of tall spindles inside the washing machine, which twist back and forth and rub against the clothes, to help break down dirt and grime.)

Add laundry detergent (in powder, liquid or capsule form) to the drum of your washing machine, by following the instructions provided on the packet or bottle. A single load of washing typically requires around 110ml of powder, or an extra 100ml if your garments are very heavily soiled.

Select the correct wash cycle and heat setting for your load. The care label of your garments will tell you which is the correct water temperature. Allow the wash cycle to run, but be careful that you don’t lean on the washing machine and accidentally press any other buttons on the appliance.

• Dry your wet clothes

Remove the wet clothes from the washing machine and allow them to dry on a drying rack in a well-ventilated spot indoors. Alternatively, hang your wet clothes on a washing line outdoors, as long as it dry and sunny outside.

Do not leave your wet clothes to dry on a radiator, and don’t put away garments that are still wet. The damp clothes can encourage the growth of mould and mildew on your radiator, wardrobe or cupboard, which can trigger flare-ups of allergy symptoms and asthma.

Another neat trick is to place your wet clothes on a clean towel, and then roll the towel up. Leave it for a couple of hours, and once you unroll the towel, your clothes will be almost completely dry!

You can also put your wet clothes inside the tumble dryer, to dry.

To use a tumble dryer, follow the steps below:

• Read the care label of your items, to check that they can be tumble dried.
• Place your freshly washed clothes inside the tumble dryer, making sure the clothes are not sopping wet. Don’t overload your tumble dryer with too many clothes.
• Choose a low heat setting, as this is more energy-efficient and it helps to reduce wear and tear on your clothes.
• Press ‘Start’ and run the cycle.

• Put away your dry clothes

Once your clothes are fully dry, store them away by hanging or folding them. You can also iron your garments if you want to remove any wrinkles or creases.

Can you leave your clothes in the washing machine overnight?

No, we strongly recommend you remove your freshly washed clothes from the washing machine as soon as the wash cycle has ended. If you allow your wet clothes to sit for hours, then you might come back and find a pungent odour in the machine, due to bacteria and fungus growing in the damp environment. This would mean you would have to wash your clothes all over again, which defeats the whole objective.

As soon as your clothes are washed, take them out of the washing machine and start the drying process.

Is there an app for someone to do your laundry?

So, now you know what are the 5 steps to doing laundry. But what if you don’t have the time, energy, or motivation to do your laundry yourself?

Well, one alternative is to turn to an online laundry service.

Here at Love2Laundry, we are an on-demand laundry service, serving London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bolton and Bury.

We provide a door-to-door service, so we will collect your dirty laundry and we will wash, dry and fold or hang them up, and then deliver them straight to your door!

We also offer ironing services across London, as well as dry cleaning, shoe repairs, upholstery cleaning and alterations.

All you have to do is make an order online on our website, or through our mobile app (which is available on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.)

You can choose a location and time slot that works for you, and our friendly couriers will collect your laundry items. We will then professionally clean your items and return them to you- all within 24 hours!

How much does the Love2Laundry service cost?

Our prices are affordable- for example, the ‘wash, dry, and fold’ package starts from £2.65 per kg.

See the prices on our website here.

At Love2Laundry, we are not your typical launderette. We operate a cashless system, so you will pay for your order via our mobile app or online via our website.

No more worrying about finding the correct change, or physically dropping off your laundry items. Simply input your order with just a click of your fingers, and the rest is up to us!

Using an online laundry service is a huge time-saver because you can choose whichever time slot works for you. You won’t have to leave your home to drop off or pick up your dirty laundry, and your clothes will be cleaned to a brilliant, professional finish.

We at Love2Laundry try to keep our prices as affordable as possible for our customers. That is why we offer a 25% discount for new customers and lots of offers for existing clients, meaning you can always stand to save money by being a loyal client.

Read more content like this

To learn helpful hacks about laundry, dry cleaning, washing clothes, and more, click here to read our blog articles on:

• What Is the Fastest Way to Do Your Laundry?
• Is There an App for Someone to Do Your Laundry?
• Can I Wash Duvet at Launderette?
• What Is Triangle Laundry?
• What Is Flipping Your Laundry?
• How Do You Get Your Laundry Done While Travelling?
• Is There Any Laundry App for Dry Cleaning?
• What Is the Difference Between a Dry Cleaners and a Launderette?

About Love2Laundry

Love2Laundry is one of the leading laundry service providers in the UK, serving London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bolton and Bury.

We have an array of services to make things easy for you: from laundry and dry cleaning to linen services, ironing, shoe repairs, upholstery cleaning and alterations.

We provide exceptional services and we are proud of our expert cleaners and our state-of-the-art workshops where your laundry and dry cleaning are done.

Find out more about Love2Laundry’s dry cleaning and laundry services by visiting our website here.

Download our Love2Laundry app on the Apple App Store here or on Google Play here.

Contact us at 0203 600 0296 or info@love2laundry.com

We hope this article has provided the answer to the question ‘what are the 5 steps to doing laundry?’

For more content like this, check out our blog here to read more articles.