18 of Our Best Laundry Tips to Keep Your Clothes and Linens Looking Good as New

Nashia Baker is a skilled writer and editor in the journalism industry, known for her work interviewing global thought leaders, creatives, and activists, from Aurora James to Stacey Abrams. She has over five years of professional experience and has been a part of the Martha Stewart and Martha Stewart Weddings teams for the last 3 years.

How to Do Laundry in 10 Easy Steps

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry’s most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Katherine is a professional home organizer and certified KonMari consultant with over 5 years of experience helping clients get their homes in order. She launched her own professional organizing business, Tidy Milso, in the summer of 2020, to help reorient those feeling overwhelmed with both clutter and disorganization in their homes. To date, she has logged over 500 hours of organizing with her clients using Marie Kondo’s KonMari method.

Learning how to do laundry is not difficult. Today’s fabrics, detergents, and machines take most of the mystery and mistakes out of the process. Determine first if every item of clothing really needs to be washed. Though it’s great to stay on top of your laundry, you can wear many items more than once before they need to be washed. Also read the labels for any washing instructions and to make sure the item is not dry-clean only.

The Spruce’s “Cleaning Made Easy” Print Issue Is Here!

Follow these 10 basic steps and laundry hacks for washable clothes and you’ll always have clean laundry.

Read the Labels

Place all clothes that are labeled “wash separately” or “hand wash” into separate piles. If the label says, “dry clean only,” believe it and place it in a bag to take to the dry cleaner.

There’s no need to risk damaging any special fabrics by trying to save time or money and tossing them in the washer. In the future, try to avoid buying delicate items if you prefer not to deal with special laundry care.

Sort

Start by sorting the laundry by color:

• Whites, pastels, light grays, and white background prints will go in one pile.
• Deep colored clothes—black, red, navy, brown, dark gray—go in another pile.
• Heavily soiled clothes should be washed separately.

Sort Again

Sort each pile one more time by type of fabric. For instance, in the whites pile, separate towels, and sheets from apparel. In the dark colors, separate t-shirts and jeans from lighter weight items like blouses and dress shirts. Washing by fabric type allows you to use different water temperatures and keeps drying cycles simple. To reduce lint, never wash lint producing fabrics and lint attracting fabrics together! If there are not enough items for a full washer load of each type of fabric and you are in a hurry, you can wash all items of each color together. Just be sure to choose the washer cycle to fit the most delicate garments in the load.

Pick a Detergent

Select an all-purpose laundry detergent. Read the directions to determine how much to use based on the size of the load. If your clothes have stains, pre-treat them before washing so it doesn’t set in. Simply apply a stain remover or rub in a bit of laundry detergent. Add the detergent to the washer drum or dispenser before loading it. This will prevent residue on your clothing.

Pick a Water Temperature and Cycle

Unless your clothing is caked with dirt and heavily stained, washing in cold water will serve your needs and prevent most laundry disasters. The exception is cotton underwear and bedsheets that need hot water to remove body oil. Bed linens and towels need to be washed at the highest recommended temperature at least every other wash to sanitize them. No matter the temperature, always rinse in cold water. You will also want to choose the best washer cycle for the fabrics in the load. The “normal” cycle will be fine for most loads, but you may also need to use “permanent press” or “delicate” for certain fabrics. “Heavy-duty” is great for articles like jeans and towels.

Final Check

Take a bit of time to double-check everything before you load the washer. This will save you from any last-minute mistakes. Look for any stains and pretreat them. Certain types of stains require special techniques to remove them, while many can be handled with a spot treatment. There’s also a proper approach for mystery stains when you’re not sure what caused it. Also, check that all pockets are empty—no tissues or paper, either—to prevent disasters. Remove any accessories such as belts and jewelry. Close all zippers, VELCRO, and buttons to prevent them from catching the fabrics.

Load the Washer

Load items into the washer one at a time, making sure they are not in a wad. Do not cram the washer too full. The clothes need room to move about in the water. To protect fabric finishes and reduce the “washed out” look, turn knitted items, corduroy, textured fabric, and dark colors inside out.

Unload the Washer

Promptly remove wet laundry from the washer to lessen wrinkles and prevent mildew. Hang items to air dry, lay flat to dry, or place them in the dryer.

Load the Dryer

If you did not separate loads by fabric type when washing, do it now before placing items in the dryer. It’s important to dry all lightweight items together and all heavy fabric items together and choose the correct dryer cycle for each. This will help prevent shrinking and protect your clothing. There are many good reasons why you might consider line drying your laundry. Chief among those are saving energy (and money) and less damage to your clothes. Not everyone can do this, though, because of space and weather restrictions. If you are able, be sure to get a few tips for hanging clothes on the line.

Hang or Fold and Store

As soon as your clothes are dry, you’ll want to take care of them right away. Hang or fold each piece of clothing as it comes out of the dryer to prevent wrinkling. And, of course, iron your clothes if you must. As soon as possible, return clothes and linens to the proper closet or drawer.

Final Tips

Mistakes happen. Everyone makes them but here’s some help to save the day—or your favorite shirt.

Laundry is much less overwhelming if you do it frequently. If you let a mountain of dirty laundry accumulate, it can become scary. It may feel like a hassle to go to the laundromat, so find ways to make the trip better like using the time to read, relax, and enjoy the scent of your fresh laundry.

18 of Our Best Laundry Tips to Keep Your Clothes and Linens Looking Good as New

Care for your home’s fabrics with this comprehensive guide to good washing and drying habits.

Nashia Baker is a skilled writer and editor in the journalism industry, known for her work interviewing global thought leaders, creatives, and activists, from Aurora James to Stacey Abrams. She has over five years of professional experience and has been a part of the Martha Stewart and Martha Stewart Weddings teams for the last 3 years.

Blythe Copeland is a contributing writer with more than a decade of experience as a freelance lifestyle writer.

When it comes to laundry, working smarter—not harder—is better for your schedule and your clothes. After paging through years of expert laundry how-tos and innovative tips from Martha, we’ve pulled our best advice for solutions that cut the time you spend on laundry while extending the life of your clothing. Keep linens and cloth napkins, sheets and comforters, workout gear and baby clothes, and all the other fabrics in your home in like-new condition with this detailed guide.

Always Sort Before Washing

While it may be tempting to stuff your washer with all your clothes at once (and then move on with your day), sorting laundry by material or color helps preserve your clothes.

Common loads might include one that is based on fabric type (workout gear in one, towels in another), color (yes, you really should separate white T-shirts from colors and darks), or soil level (keep grease-stained clothes away from baby laundry).

How (and When) to Wash Your Sheets

Plan to wash your sheets at least once a week—or more often if you’re a hot sleeper. Use a hot cycle for white or stained sheets, and a warm or cold setting for prints or dark colors. Let the sheets have the washer all to themselves to prevent twisting and snagging, and dry on medium to low heat.

Prep Clothes Before Placing in the Washer

Before you toss items into the washing machine, remove pins or buckles, zip zippers, close snaps and hooks, and secure Velcro to prevent snags and abrasions. But don’t button buttons—this can stress the buttons themselves and buttonholes.

Next, empty pockets and turn them inside out, unfurl socks, and unroll cuffs. Tie sashes and strings to prevent tangling. Place delicate items like lingerie and fine knitwear in zippered mesh bags. Turn delicate items, sweaters, and cotton T-shirts inside out to prevent pilling.

How (and When) to Wash Down Pillows and Comforters

Clean down pillows in the washing machine every three to six months to remove bacteria and odors. Comforters should be laundered only as needed—up to twice annually. (Each washing strips feathers of their natural oils, causing them to lose their loft.)

Dry both on the lowest heat setting—along with a clean tennis ball—to help evenly redistribute the feathers.

Between washings, air out down items, preferably outdoors on a clothesline, once or twice a year to keep them smelling fresh, and spot-treat stains with mild dishwashing liquid and water.

Try DIY Fabric Softener

Residue from fabric softeners and their fragrances can aggravate allergies and sensitivities, as well as leave buildup on lint screens, which can block air flow. To remedy this, create your own DIY fabric softener with vinegar or conditioner.

Blue Your Laundry to Brighten Whites

Once a laundry room staple, bluing is an old-fashioned product added to the wash or rinse cycle to give whites a very subtle blue tint. Bluing makes some white fabrics that already have a blue-white hue appear even brighter, cleaner, and whiter.

Bluing fell out of use as fabric detergents became more effective, but even with improved formulas, whites gradually begin to look dingy after repeated washings. And while chlorine bleach is an effective whitener, it can weaken fabrics and fibers. Martha likes to use Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing particularly on antique linens and lace.

Remove Stains Like an Expert

The best way to fix a stain is to treat it before it sets. Quickly scoop up solids with a dull edge, and blot liquids with a clean white cloth from the outside in to avoid spreading. Treat stains before washing, and always make sure stains have been removed before putting items in the dryer as heat sets stains into fabric.

Increase Your Laundry Detergent’s Efficacy With Borax

Use a gentle, nontoxic soap or detergent in every load of laundry and boost the cleaning power as needed by adding 1/2 cup of borax. This naturally occurring mineral has antiseptic, antibacterial, water-softening, and whitening properties.

Brighten Whites Without Bleach

The first step to keeping whites bright is to wash them separately in hot water. Smaller items like napkins, socks, and linens can be whitened on the stove in a solution of hot water and lemon slices. Fill a pot with water and a few lemon slices, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and add your linens. Soak for up to an hour and launder as usual.

Whites can also be lightened with 1/2 cup of borax or white vinegar mixed into one gallon of water during the wash cycle. For an extra brightening boost, hang laundry in the sun for natural bleaching.

Clean Baby Clothes With Mild Soap

Regular detergents are often too harsh for sensitive baby skin. To avoid irritation, use the mildest soap available without unnecessary additives and chemicals. Some of these are less alkaline than regular soaps, so they may not clean stains as well, but they will be safer for your baby. Avoid fabric softeners, and always pre-soak stains in cool water as soon as possible to prevent spots from setting.

Keep Up With Napkin Laundering

Though you may be worried about pulling out your good linens outside of holiday celebrations, they actually benefit from occasional use. Soak them in an ice-water bath after the meal (you can leave them there overnight). Pull them out and squeeze out the water, treat any remaining stains, and then submerge them in another soak with hot water and laundry detergent.

Gently squeeze the linens in the soapy water to ensure they’re getting clean. To dry, roll them in a large towel and gently pat them to sop up the water. Let them hang dry on a rack (in the sunlight, if possible). Before putting them away, Martha recommends ironing them.

Hand Wash Delicate Fabrics

Just because a clothing label reads “dry clean” doesn’t mean it can’t be hand washed, even if it’s made of natural fibers. Wool, silk, rayon, and linen can usually tolerate hand washing.

When hand washing, immerse delicates into a solution of lukewarm water and mild detergent, and swish for three to five minutes. Drain soapy water, rinse items until water runs clear, and then gently squeeze out excess water, but do not wring.

Reshape clothing flat on a towel, and roll up, pressing out excess water. Repeat with a dry towel, and then hang on a drying rack or another towel, flipping once.

Know When to Dry Clean

Some clothing items need truly professional care. Don’t chance washing very delicate fabrics yourself, especially if they include embellishments like beading, fur, or sequins. Leather and suede should also be left to professional handling.

Heavily soiled garments, especially those with difficult oil-based stains, should be taken to a dry-cleaner, who may be able to remove them with specialized solvents.

Choose the Right Wash Cycle

Selecting the correct washer settings is a primary step to ensuring your clothes are cared for properly. A regular cycle is best for sturdy and dirty clothes, while the permanent press setting is fine for the average load.

Use the delicate cycle for lacy and loosely woven fabrics. Use hot water for white loads, warm water for the average load, and cold water for bright colors.

Choose the Right Dryer Settings

Most dryers have a setting called “electronic” or “automatic dry” that lets you choose how dry you want the clothes to be, rather than how long you want them to dry. To avoid shrinkage, you can dry your clothes the old-fashioned way: on a clothesline or drying rack.

The permanent press setting has a cool-down cycle at the end to reduce wrinkling. On air fluff, the dryer circulates air but adds no heat, which is good for freshening pillows and reviving clothes.

Wash Bath Towels Regularly

There is nothing quite like a basket full of fresh, fluffy bath towels. For best results, launder towels every three to four days. For white towels, use non-chlorine bleach and wash on the hottest setting. Do not use fabric softener, which can actually stiffen towels with residual buildup over time. When drying towels, use one scent-free dryer sheet.

Maintain Your Washer and Dryer

Like all other household appliances, the washer and dryer must be cleaned and serviced.

Wipe the washer’s interior with a clean, damp cloth, then run a short, hot wash cycle with detergent. Next, rinse the empty machine with a plain water cycle. Occasionally disinfect with a solution of 3/4 cup chlorine bleach and 1 tablespoon powdered detergent for every gallon of warm water used. Let sit for a few minutes, then drain and rinse a few times.

To prevent the dryer from overheating, clean the screen or filter after every use, and remove accumulated lint from behind the dryer. Every so often, disconnect the exhaust duct to remove blockages.

Keep Clothing Clean Between Washes

Prevent unnecessary washing with practical clothing maintenance tips. Apply toiletries (deodorant, perfume, hair products) before getting dressed to avoid contact with chemicals that could cause fabric soiling. Address stains as soon as possible with the proper steps, depending on the type of spot. Finally, at the end of the day, change into something more comfortable and hang clothing up to allow wrinkles to release and fabric to air out.