How Often Should I Do Laundry?
A general rule of thumb is that you should do laundry every week. However, how often you do your laundry is more dependent on what kind of clothes you’re wearing.
For example, you’ll want to wash workout clothes more frequently to help get rid of sweat stains and odors. Conversely, you probably don’t need to wash your jeans until after a few wears. The same probably goes for bras, unless they experience more sweat stains and odors. Similarly, you probably want to wash sheets and towels every week. Different fabric materials may require more frequent washing, so check your fabric care label before proceeding.
Something to note: it’s a good idea to do smaller loads of laundry whenever possible. Your clothes have more room to move around in the washer when you do laundry in smaller loads, which in turn allows the washer to clean your clothes more thoroughly.
How Much Laundry Detergent Should I Use?
The amount of laundry detergent you use depends on how soiled your clothes are and the size of the load. Follow label directions for your laundry detergent of choice. For normal loads, use the dosage recommended for a “medium” or “regular” load. For larger loads, use more.
How Do I Get Stains Out of Clothes?
An important part of getting tough stains out of clothes is taking the time to pretreat your laundry items and consider what kind of laundry detergent you’re using. Let’s take a closer look at some of the steps you should take to help ensure you can remove stains from your clothes so you can keep your items looking fresh.
Use a Laundry Pretreater Spray
Although your washing machine can remove some stains after an initial wash with detergent, tough set-in stains and organic stains, like blood stains, may necessitate a little extra work on your part. That’s where laundry pretreaters come in handy.
Some laundry pretreatment methods include laundry stain remover sprays that help to loosen stains and make them easier to remove in the wash. OxiClean™ Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray uses enzymes to help lift soils and loosen some of the toughest set-in stains. Plus, with OxiClean™ Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray, you can treat your clothes and wash them up to seven days later. That means you can set yourself up for success even if it isn’t laundry day just yet.
1. Spray
Shake OxiClean™ Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray before use. Spray directly onto stain or spot until saturated.
2. Wait
Let stand for 5 minutes or up to a week, depending on the severity of the stain. For fabrics prone to color change, do not let the spray stand longer than 5 minutes. For dried or set-in wine stains, allow the spray to penetrate overnight or for up to a week.
3. Wash
Wash with laundry detergent in the warmest water the fabric will accept.
Test OxiClean™ Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray on an inconspicuous area prior to use. Do not use on silk, silk blends, wool, wool blends, leather and fabrics labeled dry clean only.
Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray can tackle that grease stain that has been glaringly noticeable on your favorite sweatshirt after a pizza party or the drips of wine that remain on your shirt after a date night. It’s easy to use on your kiddos’ clothes, too, which is particularly useful after they rolled around in the grass all day at summer camp or spilled some of their lunch while at school. Plus, it comes in a travel-sized 2 FL OZ. spray bottle, so you can address any stains you pick up when you’re on the road and wash them away upon your return!
Soak with a Powder Laundry Booster
Laundry stain remover sprays can work well for spot cleaning or when you have smaller stains. However, larger stains may require a soak. OxiClean™ powder laundry boosters have you covered here, too!
OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover Powder has over 101 uses and can help you remove stains in the wash. It also works well to remove carpet stains and can even help you spot clean water-washable upholstery. Meanwhile, OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™ Versatile Odor & Stain Remover Powder can help clean stains from laundry while also eliminating odors from sweat, body odors, and musty towels. And if you’re trying to help restore the brightness of white clothes, bedding, and more, you can use OxiClean™ White Revive™ Laundry Whitener & Stain Remover Powder!
Make sure to follow the instructions on the back of the product label for the soaking method before use on laundry items.
1. Mix
If you’re using OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover, fill the scoop to Line 2-4 per gallon of the warmest water recommended by the garment care label to make a solution. If you’re using OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™ Versatile Stain & Odor Remover or OxiClean™ White Revive™ Laundry Whitener & Stain Remover, fill one scoop per gallon of water. Mix until fully dissolved.
2. Soak
Submerge tough stains and heavily soiled clothing for up to 6 hours.
3. Wash
Wash as normal with laundry detergent and your OxiClean™ powder laundry booster of choice.
Test OxiClean™ powder laundry boosters on an inconspicuous area before use. Do not use OxiClean™ powder laundry boosters on wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends, leather, or fabrics labeled dry clean only. Do not heat or boil. Do not mix OxiClean™ powder laundry booster with detergent in the dispenser. Do not store the solution of OxiClean™ powder laundry booster and water in a sealed container. Always follow the manufacturer’s garment care instructions.
No matter the need, use OxiClean™ powder laundry boosters to help power out stains so you can keep your favorite clothes in rotation regularly.
Choose an Enzymatic Laundry Detergent
We mentioned how enzymes work in laundry stain remover sprays. Some laundry detergents contain enzymes, such as Amylase and Protease, and are called enzymatic laundry detergents. The enzymes in these laundry detergents have very specific aims in removing dirt from fabrics or targeting fats and proteins to remove stains from things like blood, grease and more. Like other laundry detergents, enzymatic detergents also help prevent soils from spreading to other items through redisposition.
Enzymatic detergents also work well in both hot and cold water, so you can use them regardless of the washing temperature recommended by the garment care label. Check the ingredients on the back of the product label whenever you’re perusing laundry detergents at the store. They will explicitly state which enzyme(s) the detergent contains and should also detail how much detergent to use depending on if you’re washing in cold or hot water.
Looking for an enzymatic laundry detergent that is tough on stains and odors? Try the ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ line! All the laundry detergents in this line are enzymatic and can give you a much-needed boost for a variety of laundry needs. You might choose ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™ to neutralize smelly odors. If you’re trying to limit fading on jeans and other laundry items, you might opt for ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ with Fade Defense. All ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ laundry derergents help to effectively remove stains. Additionally, ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ laundry detergents also come in both liquid and powder formats, giving you added optionality.
Pair Your Detergent with a Laundry Booster
Laundry boosters help improve your laundry detergent’s performance during the washing process. For example, adding a scoop of OxiClean™ powder laundry booster to the wash can help boost your detergent’s stain-fighting power. When used in a soak, OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™ Versatile Stain & Odor Liquid Laundry Booster can help eliminate tough odors from sweat, body odor, and musty towels.
Other laundry additives might suit more targeted needs. You can find laundry scent boosters, like ARM & HAMMER™ In-Wash Laundry Scent Boosters, that work to add a fragrance to your clothes so they smell fresh when you pull them out of the wash. Adding fabric softener with your detergent might enhance the softness of your clothes.
Regardless of how you want your clothes to look, smell, and feel, laundry additives and booters can add a little extra oomph to your laundry process so you can get the desired results.
Laundry Tips & Hacks
Now that you know more about how often you should do laundry and how to get stains out of your laundry items, you might want some additional tips to help extend the life of your clothes. Heed some of the following laundry hacks to prevent shrinking, avoid fading, and maintain the integrity of your clothing items.
Separate Lights from Darks
Clothes with darker colors can bleed in the wash. To learn how to stop clothes from bleeding color, you should separate light and dark items to avoid possible damage to other clothing. And if some of your white items are showing darker shades, you can use OxiClean™ White Revive™ Laundry Whitener & Stain Remover, which is safe to use on colors and offers 40 percent more whitening power than chlorine bleach per load.
Lastly, you might also choose to wash similar fabric types together, since you’ll likely be using the same washing temperature—more on this in a second.
Zip-Up Zippers, Button-Up Buttons
Loose items with zippers or buttons can sometimes snag onto other items in the wash and prevent them from getting maximum cleaning. So, any items with zippers should be fully zipped up. And if you have button-up shirts or washable dress shirts, you should button them up before throwing these items in the wash. This can also help limit the stress on the fabric around the zippers or buttons.
Shake Off Your Clothes
It’s a good idea to shake off your clothes before you throw them in the wash. Doing so can help to loosen any excess dirt and debris while also helping your clothes maintain their shape during the wash cycle.
Use a Mesh Laundry Bag When Applicable
Small items such as socks and lingerie can occasionally get tangled or lost within other items during the laundry process. Keeping these items in a mesh laundry bag can keep them in a safe place and also protect some of the delicate fabrics from the rougher ones. You might also consider washing your fabric or canvas shoes in a mesh bag to keep the laces from getting tangled up.
Wash Clothes Inside Out
Turning your clothes inside out can help prevent agitation and color fading on the exterior of your fabrics because the inside of your garments take that on. This is especially valuable when it comes to darker fabrics, like dark wash jeans, black blouses, and more. Additionally, turning your clothes can help reduce the amount of pilling you might see on the outside of your fabric after washing.
Choose the Right Wash Temperature
You should avoid choosing the same wash temperature for all your clothes if you can. Hot water cycles may cause some fabrics to shrink and fade. In some cases, washing in cold water can help prevent fading or shrinking, which is why it’s usually a good idea to wash jeans and delicate items (like bras, underwear, and swimsuits) in cold water.
Conversely, it’s better to wash sheets and towels in hot water because they absorb a lot of sweat, dirt, and skin cells. You might also wash heavily soiled items in warm water to get the most out of your detergent’s stain-fighting power. Understanding what temperature to wash clothes can help maintain their quality and longevity.
Air Dry Clothes to Prevent Shrinking
Air drying clothes can help conserve energy. Moreover, the fabric care label on some items may explicitly state to air dry to prevent shrinking or possible damage to the fabric. If you’re looking for tips on how to prevent clothes from shrinking, consider air drying using a foldable drying rack in a location with some natural sunlight and decent air circulation.
Something to Fluff Your Items
You may have heard of dryer sheets as an additive that can help reduce static cling and add scents to your clothes. But using dryer balls and tennis balls in the dryer can also help fluff items and, in some cases, may also speed up the drying time by improving air circulation in the dryer.
Choose the Right Dryer Setting
If you aren’t air drying your items, the safest bet is to run them through the dryer on low heat. Opting for a cycle with lower heat can help prevent shrinking. Alternatively, as is the case with washing temperatures, towels and other bulky or heavily soiled laundry items should run in high heat and on a tumble dry setting, if possible.
Unlock Your Laundry Routine with OxiClean™ Products!
Setting some time aside and embracing some of the laundry tips we’ve discussed can help you become a laundry pro in no time, and OxiClean™ products are here to help! Whether you need a trusty pretreater or a laundry additive, OxiClean™ sprays, powder laundry boosters, liquid laundry boosters, and laundry power paks can help you get rid of stains and keep your items clean so you can feel good about wearing them—and maximize the lifespan of your clothes!