In The Laundry Room
1. Sort your washing... 2. Pre-treat stains 3. Load the machine or wash tub 4. Dose your detergent 5. Machine wash cycle How to use it...
ADVERTORIAL Nothing beats the smell of fresh laundry. And yet, the act of washing your garments is a daunting task: it needs to be handled frequently during the week, and it’s a chore no-one enjoys doing. The last thing you need is for your garments to come out of the machine stained. Here is some sensible advice from MAQ Washing Powder that will help you take the load out of wash days. ...into loads of whites and lights, brightly-coloured, darks, and a separate load for very dirty clothes. Towels should be washed in a separate load to prevent fluffing. Check garments before loading into your tub. Either pre-treat specific stains with a paste of MAQ Washing Powder, or pre-soak garments for an hour before washing. Whether washing in a machine or by hand, loading is very important. Load one garment at a time, taking care to ensure that the drum or tub is not tightly packed – clothes must be able to move loosely during the wash. Check the dosage instructions on your MAQ Washing Powder. Remember to use MAQ Auto for your front-loader machine. MAQ Handwash is suitable for top-loaders, as well as hand-washing. Under-dosing will not give you a clean wash, and overdosing is wasteful. Select the cycle most suited to the load you are washing. If in doubt, wash in cool water (a 30-degree wash). See the recommended temperatures for fabrics below. Fabric conditioners perform a very important function in caring for garments. They are not just a perfume to keep your clothes and cupboards smelling fresh; they are an integral part of the laundry procedure, much like using a conditioner after you’ve washed your hair. During the wash process, the fibres of clothes become entangled and quite harsh to the touch, making them uncomfortable to wear, particularly when it’s dry. Fabric conditioners lubricate and care for the fibres of the garment, making them feel softer against your skin. It also reduces excessive creasing, which makes ironing easier.
• Never overdose fabric conditioner, because this can leave an ‘oily’ feel to fabrics.
• Make sure that towels are fabric conditioned regularly, but do not overdose, as towels may become less absorbent.
• Natural fabrics – wool, linen and cotton – benefit from fabric softening because these fibres need to be re-aligned and conditioned to ensure that the garment retains its shape and feel.
• Acrylics and polyesters need fabric conditioning to prevent static build-up. But be sure to use the right dose.