WASHING HINTS
Before Loading The Laundry
Removing Stains
Follow the wash code symbols on
each garment label and the
manufacturer’s washing instructions.
Rub particularly soiled areas with a
special detergent or detergent paste.
Remove hooks or tie them up in a
bag or net.
Treat curtains with special care.
Sort the laundry as follows: whites,
coloureds, synthetics, delicates,
woollens.
Never wash whites and coloureds
together. Whites may lose their
“whiteness” in the wash.
New coloured items may run in the
first wash; they should therefore be
washed separately the first time.
Button up pillowcases, close zip
fasteners, hooks and poppers.
Tie any belts or long tapes.
Remove persistent stains before
washing.
Make sure that no metal objects
are left in the laundry (e.g. hair
clips, safety pins, pins).
Sorting The Laundry
Blood: treat fresh stains with cold water.
For dried stains, soak overnight in water
with a special detergent then rub in the
soap and water.
Oil based paint: moisten with benzine
stain remover, lay the garment on a soft
cloth and dab the stain; treat several times.
Dried grease stains: moisten with
turpentine, lay the garment on a soft
surface and dab the stain with the
fingertips and a cotton cloth.
Rust: oxalic acid dissolved in hot water
or a rust removing product used cold.
Be careful with rust stains which are not
recent since the cellulose structure will
already have been damaged and the
fabric tends to hole.
Mould stains: treat with bleach, rinse
well (whites and fast coloureds only).
Grass: soap lightly and treat with bleach
(whites and fast coloureds only).
Ball point pen and glue: moisten with
acetone (*), lay the garment on a soft
cloth and dab the stain.
Lipstick: moisten with acetone (*) as
above, then treat stains with methylated
spirits. Remove any residual marks from
white fabrics with bleach.
Red wine: soak in water and detergent,
rinse and treat with acetic or citric acid,
then rinse. Treat any residual marks with
bleach.
Stubborn stains may not be removed by
just water and detergent. It is therefore
advisable to treat them prior to washing.
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