How to Do Laundry: An Expert-Approved, Step-by-Step Guide

By Stephanie Sisco

Reviewed by Mary Marlowe Leverette

Updated on Oct. 03, 2024

Here's everything you need to know about how to do laundry—from sorting to removing stains to drying—so your clothes stay in tip-top shape

Love it or hate it, laundry is a chore we all have to do. I learned how to do laundry at a young age and honestly somewhat enjoyed it. Then I moved to New York City and had to schlep my dirty clothes down multiple flights of stairs and across numerous city blocks to get them to the laundromat before making the trek back with a clean load. I began to let the laundry pile high and take less time to sort and care for my garments, filling the commercial-sized drums as much as I could to maximize “efficiency.” But that careless treatment did my wardrobe no favors.

Over my 15 years as a cleaning editor, I’ve researched and tested a variety of tips and tricks to make the task less cumbersome and started implementing them in my own routine. These days, I’m no longer a city gal, but I am a mother of two young boys who leave an impressive pile of dirty laundry in their wake, and it’s all too easy to veer back toward those bad habits.

When laundry day comes around again (as it inevitably will), make sure you’re ready to handle anything your laundry pile throws at you. Whether you need to hand-wash clothes, want solutions for how to remove stains or are looking for a refresh on the basics, we’ve got you covered. The key to doing laundry the right way? Knowing the general rules but also taking each load’s specific needs into account. “What you do [while wearing your clothes], the fabric type and even the weather can play a deciding factor in how often an item needs to be washed,” says Nathan Sell, Senior Director of Sustainability at the American Cleaning Institute.

Ahead, you’ll find easy-to-implement, step-by-step laundry tips from Sell and fourth-generation dry cleaner Zachary Pozniak that will totally transform the way you wash your clothes.

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While a giant pile of laundry can seem daunting and make you want to shove it into your machine all at once and cross your fingers that everything comes out OK, it’s important to remember that different fabrics require different care. Make sure to check each item’s care label, typically found at the neck, waist or side seam. The laundry symbols found here will tell you the best method to wash, dry and iron your clothes.

If an item is missing a care label, there are some general best practices to follow, depending on the type of fabric you’re dealing with, according to Pozniak.

Once you determine which items are machine washable, sort them into piles of like with like. Start by separating laundry by color: whites and lights, colored fabrics, and dark garments. Within each of those piles, separate items by fabric type or care instructions. Items that require a cold-water wash and delicate dry, for example, should not be washed with fluffy towels, which will need a hotter and longer drying time. Also, pull out items that might require extra care, like heavily soiled workout clothes. Those should be treated separately.

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Pre-treat stains as soon as you notice them to allow the stain remover time to work before the item is washed—anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours, depending on the severity and stubbornness of the stain. How you treat the discoloration depends on what type of stain it is, and we have a comprehensive stain-removal guide to help you with each of them.

In general, though, there are a few tidbits you should keep in mind:

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If you have a high-efficiency (HE) washing machine, make sure your detergent has the HE label on it. This detergent is specifically formulated for these machines and is vital to keeping them working properly. You can use HE detergent in a standard machine, but you cannot use standard detergent in a high-efficiency machine because it may bubble up and overflow.

Beyond this, your detergent choice is up to personal preference and budget. According to Sell, liquid detergents are particularly good on greasy, oily or food-based soils, and they can be used as a pre-treater for stains. Powder detergents, on the other hand, are “especially effective at lifting out ground-in dirt” and can be cheaper than other options. There are also concentrated ultra detergents, combination detergents with built-in bleach or fabric softener, and laundry pods to consider.

No matter which option you go with, always read the directions and use only the amount indicated for your load size. Using too much detergent could leave residue on your garments and too little might not clean your clothes completely, particularly if they are heavily soiled.

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If you’re using anything other than detergent in your load, now’s the time to add it. Fabric softener should go in the machine’s designated fabric-softener dispenser or a specially made dispenser ball to ensure it gets released at the appropriate time (if added too soon, it will get washed away). Experts recommend using fabric softener only with natural textiles, like cotton or linen. Avoid it on water-repellent or fire-retardant fabrics, as it can alter their effectiveness since it essentially adds a coating to a garment’s fibers.

Some people choose to add laundry-detergent boosters—such as borax, super washing soda or fabric rinses—to their loads instead, particularly those filled with athletic wear or highly soiled items. These boosters can help eliminate stubborn odors better than detergent alone. A liquid laundry rinse, like distilled white vinegar or Tide Clean Boost, should be added to the fabric-softener dispenser (these are alternatives to fabric softener), while others, like borax or baking soda, should go directly into the machine’s drum.

“When it comes to loading a machine, I recommend shooting for 75% filled at the max,” says Pozniak. “If you have a front loader, you should be able to fit your hand vertically from the top of the drum to the top of your clothes. Too many clothes can cause water and cleaning products to not dispense evenly, which can lead to less clean clothes or detergent staining.” As tempting as it may be, never fill the machine to the brim. Your clothes will come out cleaner if you split one large load into two smaller loads because they will have space to move around and ensure they come into contact with the detergent.

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Next, it’s time to select the load size and cycle setting. Modern washing machines typically have lots of bells and whistles, so check your owner’s manual to learn about the buttons on your specific model. Most machines typically offer load-size options from small to super. Small should be selected if your drum is only about a quarter full, medium is right for a half-full unit, and super is meant for a machine at maximum capacity (75% full, as Pozniak recommends above).

The cycle setting refers to the speed at which the machine agitates or tumbles the clothes around and then another speed at which it spins the water out of the clothes. These are the most common:

These days, most commercially produced detergents are just as effective in cold water as they are in warm. Plus, washing with cold water can prevent colors from fading and fabrics from shrinking, so it’s often preferred by fabric-care experts. As an added bonus, cold water is the most sustainable choice, saving energy and money. Once again, “follow the fabric-care labels on your clothes,” says Sell. “Those symbols contain a lot of useful information.” And that includes the ideal water temperature.

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When moving items from the washer to the dryer, separate pieces that may have gotten tangled together in the wash and shake loose any items that balled up to ensure they dry evenly. Also take care to examine items you pre-treated for stains. If not fully removed during the wash, stains can set in permanently when dried with high heat. If you notice a stain that remains, treat it again and rewash the garment.

If your items are too delicate for the dryer—think: cashmere, wool and silk—lay them flat and air-dry. “Tumble-drying will cause mass shrinkage,” warns Pozniak, “and hanging dry will cause stretching. However, silk should be hung dry.”

Although they can vary by machine, the most common dryer settings are:

Once again, refer to the care labels to determine the recommended method to dry each garment.

You may opt to use dryer sheets, dryer balls or nothing at all—it’s personal preference. Dryer sheets can help soften clothes and prevent static by coating them with fabric softener, while dryer balls soften garments by fluffing the textiles as they bounce around. They can also help speed up the drying process and prolong the life of certain pieces.

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To prevent wrinkles, hang or fold your garments while they are still warm from the dryer. Hang flowy and delicate fabrics like silk and lace, dresses (unless they’re made of jersey or performance fabric), blouses, jackets, dress pants, jumpsuits, and linen or other fabrics that wrinkle easily. Pretty much everything else—sweaters and sweatshirts, tees, jeans, activewear—can be folded.

As your garments cool down, by about 15 minutes after the dryer finishes its cycle, wrinkles will start setting in. If you don’t get to them in time and your items start looking less than stellar, try one of these wrinkle-release methods—no iron necessary!

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Even when you meticulously follow the laundry steps noted above, it’s easy to forget a few simple things that can lead to big problems. Make sure to memorize the checklist below to avoid some common laundry mistakes.

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field, in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. For this piece on how to do laundry, Stephanie Sisco tapped her experience as a longtime home and cleaning editor, and then Mary Marlowe Leverette, a fabric-care, stain-removal and laundry expert with more than 40 years of industry experience, gave it a rigorous review to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We also relied on reputable primary sources, including cleaning and health experts and reputable organizations. We verified all facts and data and backed them with credible sourcing, and we will revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

How to Wash White Clothes

How to Get Paint Out of Clothes

How to Remove Fabric Pilling