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Occasionally, you may want to sanitize your washer and laundry. Many complaints about unsatisfactory washing results can be traced
Sanitizing isdesirable during periods of family illness to help prevent directly to hard water. Water hardness is measured in grains per
the spread of infections from one family member to another, gallon.
To Sanitize Your Washer Hardness Grains Per Gal.
Fillwasherwithhot water,pour 1-1/4c. of)iquJdchlorinebJeachinto the Soft 0 - 3 grains
bleach dispenser or directly into the washer. Turn TIMER DIALto 12 Medium 4 - 6 grains
minutes; close lid ordoor, and start washer. Let washer complete the Hard 7 -10 grains
cycle. Very Hard over 11 grains
Sanitize Your Laundry The local water company or County Extension office can supply
Select adisinfectantthatsuits the loadof laundry (fiber and color),and informationabout water hardness in your area.
carefully readthedirectionsonthepackage. Followthe manufacturer's
directions for amount to use, and note any precautions. Carefully IdealJy,softwatershouldbeusedbothforwashingandrinsing. Ifyour
measurethe recommendedamount of disinfectant, andadd it directly water is hard, it can be softened in several ways:
to the tub at the proper time in the cycle. Do not put any disinfectant
other thanliquid chlorine bleach intothe dispenser as itcould damage 1. Increasingtheamountofdetergentisaneffectivewaytotieupthe
the dispenser, water hardness minerals.
2. Add a non-precipitating water conditioner to the wash and rinse
water.
Bleach helps to whiten clothes, remove certain stains and soil, 3. Consider installing in your home a mechanicalwater softener
disinfectand deodorize, Bleach shouldbe used in the wash cycle, whichwillsoften the wateras itflows throughthe faucet.
The two basic types of bleach are: CMorine-Liquid and Oxygen-
Type-Dry.
Chlorine-Liquid
Chlorinebleach can beusedwhenwashingmostfabrics. Donotuse The correctwatertemperatureinsuresgoodwashingresults. Select
chlorine-bleachwithacetate,rayon,silk,wool,Spandex,ornoneoloffast the watertemperatureaccordingtothe fabricsbeingwashedandthe
fabrics. When in doubt,checkgarmentmanufacturer'scare label degree of soil present.
Alwaysfollowthe bleachmanufacturer'sdirectionsfor theamountto HOT
use. Usuallyitisbesttoaddbleachtothedispenserbeforeloadingthe HOT water is effectivefor washingmost whiteitemsor for washing
washer in order to prevent any undilutedbleachfrom accidentally heavilysoiledcolorfastitems. Itisalsohelpfulin removingbodysoil,
spilling ontoitems in the washload. perspiration and greasy soils. If your water heater is located a great
distance from the washer, it may be necessary for you to set the
Fabric damage related to misuse of chlorine bleach may not appear thermostat on the water heater to its hottest setting because water
untiJseveraJlaooderingslater. If undiJutedbleach comes intodirect cools as it travels from the water heaterto the washer.
contact with fabrics, it will show up as rips, tears, holes, overall
yellowing orcolor loss. WARM
WARM water is recommendedfor washing normal to lightlysoiled
regular,permanentpress, knitand some delicateitems. It reduces
the amountoffading andtheamountof wrinkles.
Oxygen-Type-Dry
Oxygentype bleachesare mild,containnochlorine,andare consid- COLD
ered safe for most washable colodast fabrics. They may be added COLD water minimizes shrinkage and gives best color retention.
directly to the wash water along with the detergent. Follow directions Usingcold water can provide less effective cleaning, so be sure to use
on the package for the correct amount to use. Oxygen bleaches are a detergent especiallyformulated for cold water. Since the tempera-
more effective in hot water. They are not designed for heavy stain tureof ooldwatervarieswiththeseasons, someitems maynoflookas
removal, clean as in warmer water. Follow these steps for best results when
using cold water:
• Increase amount of detergent to about 1-1/2 times amount
normally used.
• Dissolve detergent in warm water before adding to the washer.
• Pretreat spots and stains.
• Increase the length of washing time to maximum provided.
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