Laundry Guide

Updated
|
September 1, 2020

Checklists, resources, and details of the idiosyncrasies of our particular washer dryer set. Especially useful if you're not accustomed to using front-loading machines.

The Washer

Highlights

  • Don't overload it. Seriously, really, please, truly.
  • Leave the drum/front door open when done, this prevents mold and mildew from growing in the drum and prevents our clothes from smelling gross.
  • Leave the soap tray open when done, this prevents mold and mildew from growing in the soap tray and prevents our clothes from smelling gross.

Detergent

Laundry detergent is a shared house expense so we can all buy in bulk and save a little. The house currently uses Ecover Laundry Detergent in Lavender. If this doesn't work for you for any reason, please speak up and we can pick a new brand.

Loading your clothes

A front load washer should be loaded not by the pound of dirty laundry but by the amount of space they take up in the drum. Bulk is more important than weight. Load items into the drum loosely. Overfilling can result in clothes that are not cleaned correctly.

Large and small items should be included in each load to ensure balance. A load of small items will not tumble correctly and can even cause the washer to become unbalanced. Unbalanced loads cause noise, movement, vibration, and needless wear and tear on the machine. Washing one item is never a good idea.

Even though the tumbling action is more gentle than a center agitator, it is still important to follow all of the rules about getting clothes ready for the washer including checking pockets, closing zippers, and fastening hooks.

Defeating washer odor  

Proper maintenance is key to keeping a front load washer odor-free. Failure to keep the washer clean is going to result in odors that transfer to laundry. Clean the washer properly and regularly--everyone uses the washer and everyone should take turns doing this. Potential addition to the Chore Chart?

The Dryer

Highlights

  • Don't overload it. Yes, again. Really.

Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets are a shared house expense so we can all buy in bulk and save a little. The house currently uses Meyers Dryer Sheets in Lavender. If this doesn't work for you for any reason, please speak up and we can pick a new brand.

If your clothes keep coming out wet

You probably overloaded it. Try splitting the load and starting it again.

If it doesn't seem like the dryer wants to keep running

It probably got too hot trying to dry a load too large for it. If you've already tried dividing the load and/or think your load should be small enough, try drying on 'delicate' instead. Increase drying time on the delicate setting for larger loads, or run two delicate cycles.