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Take Your Temperatures First and foremost, follow the item’s care label. Generally, the rules are as follows: Cold is for fine fabrics, items that might shrink, and sensitive dark colors. Warm is for moderately soiled stuff and man-made fabrics. Hot is for whites, really dirty clothes, and colorfast items. Keep Whites Bright When your whites start going gray (or yellow), consider these factors: You might not be using enough detergent to get clothes clean; the water temps might be too low (whites do best in hot water); and you could be contaminating the laundry with really dirty clothes that are making the mildly soiled clothes even dirtier! Make the contaminated load a do-over and try a bleach product that’s safe for the fabrics in the wash. Prevent Fading It’s a sad day when your perfect black pants don’t look so black and crisp anymore. Turn dark-colored clothes inside out before washing and drying to reduce abrasion and dulling. Also, check the water temperature -- it might be too hot for your richly colored pieces. Check the care label to see what the manufacturer suggests. Prevent Shrinking Stop blaming your dryer. Most shrinkage happens in the washer when fabric relaxes (usually about 1 to 3 percent). The best way to avoid turning your large into a small is to follow the care label. If it permits machine washing, use a cold water setting and either hang the item to dry or turn the dryer down to its lowest setting. Be careful -- once something has shrunk, you’re stuck with it. Avoid Bleeding Never turn your clothes an icky shade of pink again. To find out if something is colorfast, drop a little water on an inside corner or seam, and see if the dye runs. To be safe, wash it alone the first time and check if the water has turned a different shade.
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