Reading the tag
Care symbols follow a simple code. The washtub is washing, and the dots inside it are temperature: one dot for cold, two for warm, three for hot. The triangle is bleach, the square is drying, and the circle is dry cleaning. A square with a circle inside is the tumble dryer. An X through any symbol means do not. A tub with a hand in it means hand wash, which most machines can approximate on a delicate cycle, in cold water, inside a mesh bag.
Before the load goes in
Empty every pocket, because one pen or one tissue ruins a whole load. Zip the zippers so their teeth do not saw at other fabrics, and unbutton the shirts so the buttonholes do not tear. Turn jeans, dark items and printed shirts inside out to slow fading. Put bras and anything with straps or lace in a mesh bag. Wash new dark jeans and bright towels alone the first few times, since that is when they bleed dye.
Fill the drum loosely to about three-quarters. Clothes need room to tumble through the water, and a packed drum gives you dirty clothes that are merely wet.
Detergent and temperature
Almost everyone uses too much detergent. A high-efficiency machine needs roughly two tablespoons of liquid for a normal load, which is usually the lowest line on the cap, not the brim. Extra detergent does not rinse out; it leaves clothes stiff, holds odor and irritates skin. Cold water suits most loads. Use hot for sheets, towels, cleaning cloths and anything from a sickbed. Skip fabric softener and dryer sheets on towels and athletic clothes, because the coating they leave reduces absorbency and wicking.
Drying
Heat and tumbling do the shrinking, not the water. Use low or medium heat for nearly everything, and take clothes out slightly damp if you plan to hang them. Lay sweaters and knits flat on a towel, since hanging stretches them. Hang-dry bras, swimwear, athletic fabrics and anything with elastic, which high heat kills. Clean the lint screen before every load: a clogged screen lengthens drying time and is a leading cause of house fires.
How often
Underwear, socks and workout clothes get washed after every wear. T-shirts get one or two wears, bras three or four, and jeans five or more.
Tip Leave the door of a front-loading washer ajar between loads and wipe the rubber gasket dry once a week, which prevents the sour smell those machines are known for.
