Torn sheets, persistent stains, and stubborn wrinkles are just some of the issues you might encounter in the laundry room. However, with these five tips, you can save your linens and reduce unwanted damage and product loss.

Let’s Sort Things Out

Sort your soiled items by product type, for example, terry, sheeting, or top-of-bed. Each fabric type requires specific wash and dry cycles, timing, and chemicals, which might damage other fabrics.

Get a Load of This

90% of cleaning is due to mechanical action of the washer and water flow. Load machines to 70%–80% of rated capacity for optimal results. To determine if you are at proper load capacity your laundry load will drop at the 11 o’clock position during clockwise rotation and at the 1 o’clock during counter-clockwise rotation.

Better Washing through Chemicals 

100% cotton, poly blends, synthetic, terrycloth—each fabric type requires its own chemical mix and machine cycle programing. Work with your chemical supplier to ensure that the formulations and machine programing are accurately set up for your products.

Dryer, Dryer, Pants on Fire

You do not want items to come out of the dryer hot to the touch or bone dry. It is critical that the dyer not be overloaded and to avoid over-drying, which can result in a harsh hand, unwanted wrinkling, and reduced product life.

You Gotta Know When to Fold ‘Em

Folding your linens immediately after processing is very important. You do not want your products to sit in the washer, dryer, or laundry cart developing wrinkles or other wear and tear. Once folded and stored, products should be allowed to rest for 24 hours before use to maximize product life span.

We have created an attractive, at-a-glance laundry room poster that makes it easy to remember these and many other best practices. You can download it at bestwestern.standardtextile.com/laundry.