5 Ingenious Ways to Use Your Washing Machine

You’ve been doing laundry for a long time, but are you doing it correctly? Try these methods for consistently clean clothing (and a pleased machine!).

1. Reduce the size of your load.

Cramming the tub isn’t a quick fix; clothing needs to move in order to get cleaned! Adjust the water level (newer machines do this automatically) and drying time as needed, and if your washer and dryer have different capacities, use the smaller one.

2. Make use of the presoak cycle.
This setting agitates the contents and may dispense detergent before beginning the main cycle, allowing extra-dirty loads to be cleaned without having to go through the cycle twice.

3. You must add the bleach yourself.

You don’t have a timed bleach dispenser, but you want the extra cleaning power it provides. Add chlorine bleach to the load five minutes after the cycle begins (any sooner and the stain-fighting enzymes in the detergent will be killed).

4. Choose the proper detergent.

On high-efficiency machines, only items with the “HE” mark should be used. Regular cleansers might produce excessive suds, which can damage these items.

5. Wash the machine.

Fill the tub with hot water and a cup of bleach, then run a cycle (with a modern machine, just pick the self-cleaning cycle). Remove the dispensers and drawers and clean them under hot water while brushing away any residue.