Dads Doing Laundry (or: Domestic Dud to Domestic Hero)

Today is one of many laundry days around here. As I was gathering up the various outfits of the household, it occurred to me that maybe some people would like some assistance with this particual chore.  So here's my crash course. (It's not quite detailed enough to be called "Laundy 101". Sorry)

First off. Doing laundry isn't a terrible chore. Folding and putting away clothes, on the other hand, is. Some would argue that folding and putting away is part of "doing laundry". I disagree. I treat them as separate chores.

Next. Labels are important. I can not stress that enough. Nothing drops you from Hero to Zero faster than ruining clothes. It's one thing if your kids outgrow their clothes. It's something else entirely if you shrink them.  Do yourself a massive favour. If you have any control over it, READ THE LABELS BEFORE THE CLOTHES ARE BOUGHT.  I know you can't control gifts and hand-me-downs. You've got to control what you actually buy, though. I'm not saying don't buy "tough to wash" stuff. I'm simply saying "beware".  Same thing for ladies goods. That bra that does all the right things to your wife's front? Don't ruin it by washing it with your jeans!
Here's a basic chart explaining washing symbols.

Some clothing manufacturers are nice. They'll write it out in plain English for you. "Machine Wash Cold. Gentle Cycle. Tumble Dry Low."  Simple directions.  Lots of tags don't do that, though. Hence the chart above.  Watch out for the "Hand Wash" symbol.  It's probably the second most important symbol out there. Why only second? Well, chances are that the Hand Wash symbol is only going to be on 1 or 2 items in the whole closet. They're also usually items that you'd guess they were on, anyways.  That cashmere pullover? Probably Hand Wash. So what's the most important symbol? The Drying gang take that prize as a group. If it says "Hang", "Lay Flat" or "Drip Dry", then the Dryer will KILL it. I mean it. I've seen Large men's shirts become kids sized. Trust me.
You can cheat some of the system.  As long as the item in question isn't labelled "Hand Wash", you can almost never go wrong using a COLD WATER/GENTLE cycle.  For front loading machines, the Gentle Cycle relates to the spin speed.  Clothes come out a bit damper because the spin cycle doesn't mash them as hard against the drum. Really, though, this is for beginners. If you're doing a load of jeans & T-shirts, you probably know you can use the NORMAL cycle. You can still shift to COLD WATER to save on energy costs. It won't change the clean factor. (Exception to this rule: SHEETS. HOT WATER those bad boys. You're killing bugs here. Second Exception: You work as a Mechanic or in Trades. You're greasy. You can up your washing temp.) If you're doing all the lacey "goodies" you'd better have read those labels before they enter the machine.
Next is soap. You can use less than is "recommended" by the soap maker. (See "Second Exception" above, however.)  I'm not saying that two drops is sufficient. I am saying that you don't need half a cup to see results.  I find you get less fading with lesser amounts of soap.  I like "natural" stuff. Stuff that has bio-degradable elements and fewer chemicles. I don't like scents. They drive me bonkers. (Although I have had women compliment me when the "wrong" soap comes into the house.)  Watch for "BLEACH" symbols in your labels. Non-chlorine bleaches are a bit more forgiving if you make a mistake.  Think about that when you're buying your laundry stuff.

So that's my crash course on laundry. Hope you found it helpful. 

J

PS- I think I still owe Garage Loft pics.  Here they are.