How to properly wash in a top-loading washing machine?

A washing machine is a real lifesaver for a modern person. Thanks to “smart” machines, a lot of time is saved for millions of housewives. Washing today is as simple and straightforward as possible - load the drum, pour the product into the powder receptacle, start the mode and wait for the end of the cycle. However, there are still principles in using washing machines that are best known and followed. If you wash it correctly in a top-loading washing machine, you can achieve high quality cleaning and significant savings in resources. Let's look at some of the nuances of using machines of this type.

Storing and sorting dirty items

Before entering the drum, soiled items spend some time in the laundry basket, waiting for it to be filled. And so, when day “X” comes, the housewife stands in front of a container filled to the top with clothes that need to be refreshed. The first rule of successful washing is sorting things by color and type of fabric.

You can’t just throw all your laundry into the washing machine indiscriminately. You need to follow the instructions. Batches are formed according to the shade of the material: light, dark, bright. Also by sewing material: cotton, woolen items, synthetic items, silk. Separately, you should set aside heavily soiled wardrobe items, and also sort items that may fade.

Preparing things for washing

Immediately before putting laundry into the drum, be sure to check all pockets. Perhaps there are coins, hairpins, buttons, tickets, bills, plastic cards, etc. left in them.Under no circumstances should these items get into the washing machine; they can damage the machine.

Also, preparation will consist of fastening zippers, buttons on things, and tying shoelaces. As for buttons, on the contrary, it is recommended to leave them undone. The sleeves of men's shirts should be straightened, the legs of trousers and jeans should be turned inside out. If you have decorative brooches or pins, you should unhook the elements. Be sure to remove the belts from your trousers.

Bedding - pillowcases and duvet covers - should be turned out and their corners cleaned of any lumps that have accumulated there. It is also worth washing tights, leggings, stockings, knitwear, and terry cloth items inside out. It is recommended to place small wardrobe items - socks, underwear - in a special bag before cleaning.

If there are stains that are difficult to remove, it is better to additionally treat them with a special compound before loading them into the SMA.

Filling the drum with things

Even when filling the machine’s drum, certain rules must be followed, which, unfortunately, not everyone knows about. When loading laundry into the machine, it is important to follow the instructions from the equipment manufacturer, namely, not to exceed the maximum permissible load weight. You cannot fill the drum to capacity; it is better to divide this amount of washing into two cycles.

It is not recommended to place large and small items at the same time, for example, duvet covers and underwear, socks. This may cause the drum to become unbalanced.

How to determine the weight of things? After all, few people weigh a load of laundry before loading it into the drum. It's actually very easy:

• when washing cotton clothes, this is a full, but not compacted drum;
• for synthetic fabrics – half drum load;
• when cleaning wool products - the main capacity of the washing machine, loaded to one third.

There is nothing unusual about the filling process of a top loading machine. The lid is lifted, the locking flaps are opened, and clothes are placed in the drum. You don’t have to put things one at a time; you can put the whole lot in at once.

Before you turn on the washing machine, you must remember to add powder. The detergent dispenser is located on the top cover of the unit. The composition for the main wash is poured or poured into the largest compartment, the conditioner-rinse aid should be poured into the cell marked with the “Flower” symbol.

Setting the mode

The next stage is starting the washing machine. It is important to decide which washing mode is most suitable for the laundry loaded in the drum. Everything here is quite simple, because you can look at the care instructions for each specific item on the product label. General recommendations for choosing a cleaning program are:

• Cotton and linen items in light shades can be washed at a water temperature of up to 95°C. It is allowed to wring out such resistant fabrics at maximum speed;
• colored cotton fabrics can be “twisted” in water heated to 60°C. Spinning at the highest possible speed is also not scary for them;
• It is recommended to wash synthetics at a temperature not exceeding 50°C. The optimal number of revolutions during spinning is up to 800 per minute;
• Woolen and silk items should be washed in water no hotter than 40°C, optimal heating is 30°C. It is better not to use the spin cycle at all, but if necessary, use no more than 600 revolutions.

Items that can fade should be washed in cool water no hotter than 30°C.

Set the optimal mode, press the start button. The machine will carry out the command given to it and after a while you can remove things from the drum and hang them to dry.

What are we going to wash it with?

It is important to avoid hand wash products. They can lead to excessive foaming. You should choose a powder or liquid gel based on the type of fabric and stain resistance. The dosage of the product is determined in accordance with the instructions specified by the manufacturer on the packaging.

Sweat, dirt, stains from cosmetics, dust, sand, and grease can be easily removed with standard products. If you “plant” a stain from coffee, wine, or herbs on an item, you will have to pre-treat the affected area with a special stain remover. Blood, cocoa, and egg stains can be removed from fabric only by resorting to formulations with enzymes. These natural catalysts will do an excellent job of removing protein-type contaminants.

Advice for young housewives

Before you start using SMA, be sure to read the instructions. Perhaps the manufacturer will describe certain nuances that you are not aware of. Before putting a colored item into the drum, check to see if the fabric is fading. It's very simple: wet a small area with water and wipe the area with a white cloth. If the fabric does not get dirty, you can throw the product into the machine.

When rinsing terry towels and bathrobes, add a little salt to the water. This way things will become soft and pleasant to the touch. To prevent the slits (for pockets, buttons) on knitted clothes from losing their shape, sew them up with large stitches before washing, and then carefully open them.

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