Today front load washing machines are becoming more and more popular, and they are gradually starting to take over the old top load washing machine. Because they are such different machines, the way you wash with a top load is much different to washing with a front load, and yet if you asked the average person in the street, 9 times out of 10 I bet you they would say there is no difference.
This articles aims to provide you with the best way to wash your clothes in a front load washer, in order to get the best results.
1. Separate laundry into whites, light colours, dark colours, also into different fabric groups: cottons, delicate woolens/hand wash.
2. Load washer. For cottons full capacity, for delicates, woolens 1/3 to ½ is recommended. Easy care mixed fabrics should not exceed ¾ full to avoid creasing. The use of fabric conditioner is also advisable as this will relax the fabric and make ironing easier.
3. Use appropriate low suds front load detergent, these are available in various forms: Tablets, powder (regular or concentrate), or liquid.
4.Liquid detergent is recommended for colours as they contain no bleaching agents;
Liquid wool detergents for delicates and woolens
Powder and tablets which contain oxygen based bleaching agents are suitable for whites and heavily soiled washing.
For lightly soiled washing you can reduce the amount of detergent by 1/3.
5. Wash temperatures is important for good wash results, as a rule of thumb:
60 degrees for whites
40 degrees for colours
30 degrees for dark colour reds, delicates, woolens, silks
Cold water washes are not recommended as they do not allow the detergent to work effectively and gives you poor soil and stain removal. Detergent enzymes activate at 30 to 40 degrees.
Front loaders allow you to wash at very high temperatures 90 degrees this is only reserved for whites and laundry you want to sanitise eg. Sheets, towels, table line and tea towels.
6. Wash options: For light to normal soiling without visible staining a ‘short’ or ‘quick wash’ option should be sufficient as this saves you time when an extended cycle is not required.
If you normally soak laundry before washing the extended wash times with pre wash option will allow you to eliminate the need for this. In this case divide detergent between compartments 1 and 2.
7. At the end of this programme leave the door and detergent dispenser ajar to dry them out.
