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Ii Disi_ectahts i I _ HdnessI
Occasionally, you may want to sanitize your washer and laundry. Many complaintsabout unsatisfactorywashing results can be traced
Sanitizing isdesirableduringperiodsof family illnesstohelp prevent directly to hard water. Water hardness is measured in grains per
the spread of infectionsfrom onefamily member to another, gallon.
To Sanitize Your Washer Hardness Grains Per Gal.
Fillwasherwithhotwater,pour1-1/4c, ofliquidchlorinebleachintothe Soft 0 - 3 grains
bleach dispenser ordirectlyintothe washer. Turn TIMER DIAL to 12 Medium 4 - 6 grains
minutes; close lid or door, 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 adisinfectantthat suits the load of laundry (fiberand color),and information aboutwater hardness in your area.
carefully readthedirections onthe package. Followthe manufacturer's
directions for amount to use, and note any precautions. Carefully Ideally,softwatershouldbeusedbothforwashingandrinsing. Ifyour
measurethe recommendedamount of disinfectant, and add it directly water is hard, it can be softened in several ways:
to the tub at the propertime in the cycle. Do not put any disinfectant
otherthanliquidohlorinebleachintothedispenserasitcoulddamage 1. Increasingtheamount ofdetergentisaneffectivewaytotieupthe
the dispenser, water hardness minerals.
2. Add a non-precipitating water conditioner to the wash and rinse
I B|_ I water.
Bleach helps to whiten clothes, remove certain stains and soil, 3. Consider installing in your home a mechanical water softener
disinfect and deodorize. Bleach should be used in the wash cycle, which will soften the water as it flows through the faucet.
The two basic types of bleach are: Chlorine-Liquid and Oxygen-
Type-Dry. i_ W_t_ _t_: l
Chlorine-Liquid
Chlorinebleach canbe usedwhen washingmostfabrics. Do notuse The correctwatertemperatureinsuresgoodwashingresults. Select
chlorine-bleachwithacetate,rayon,silk,wool,Spandex,ornoncolorfast the watertemperatureaccordingtothe fabricsbeingwashed andthe
fabrics. When in doubt,checkgarmentmanufacturer'scare label, degree of soilpresent.
Alwaysfollowthe bleachmanufacturer'sdirectionsfor the amountto HOT
use. Usuallyitisbesttoaddbleachtothedispenserbeforeloadingthe HOT water is effectivefor washingmost white itemsor for washing
washer in order to prevent any undilutedbleach from accidentally heavilysoiledcolorfastitems. It is alsohelpfulinremovingbody soil,
spillingontoitems inthe wash load. perspirationand greasysoils. Ifyourwater heater is locateda great
distance from the washer, it may be necessary for you to set the
Fabricdamage relatedto misuseof chlorinebleachmay notappear thermostaton the water heaterto its hottestsetting becausewater
untilseveral launderingslater. If undilutedbleachcomes intodirect coolsas it travelsfrom the water heatertothe washer.
contactwith fabrics, it will show up as rips, tears, holes, overall
yellowingorcolorloss. WARM
I • _1 WARM water is recommended for washing normal to lightly soiled
...... I regular, permanent press, knit and some delicate items. It reduces
the amount of fading and the amount of wrinkles.
Oxygen-Type-Dry
Oxygen type bleaches are mild, contain no chlorine, and are consid- COLD
ered safe for most washable colorfast 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 watercan provide less effective cleaning, so besure to use
on the package for the correctamount to use. Oxygen bleaches are a detergent especially formulated for cold water. Since the tempera-
more effective in hot water. They are not designed for heavy stain tureofcoldwatervarieswiththe seasons, someitems maynotlookas
removal, clean as in warmer water. Follow these steps for best resultswhen
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.
• Increasethe length of washing time to maximum provided.
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