Tips to make laundry easier

Rapid results:

1.     Check the label, using this guide to help decode the symbols. The numbers generally refer to temperatures for washing, which are set on the machine.

2.     Deal with stains before you wash. Use cold water on any deep-set stains.

3.     Empty pockets before washing to avoid shredded train tickets, receipts, and golden opportunities to find some money you thought you had lost.

Here are our tips to getting the laundry out of the way:

• Get it sorted: Piles are the beginning of great laundry results. Divide piles into lights and darks. Consider getting bags or baskets for different categories of laundry and then wash separately.

• Perfect match: Not on that new dating app I’m afraid… Check the labels on clothing for special instructions to help you keep your clothing looking their best. Align temperatures on the label with temperatures on the machine. Unsure? Choose the cold water wash.

• On the run: This might sound like a pretty accurate description of your life right now, but the dye in black clothes can run during washing, so sorting your whites from darks really is important. There are also a couple of other precautions you could take. Read the labels for guidance, and non-colourfast clothes should be washed on their own in cold water. But it’s easy to make clothes colourfast: add 1 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of salt to 6 litres of water in a bucket, add the clothes and leave overnight. Next day, rinse in fresh water – repeat the salt and vinegar treatment if dye is still coming out.

• Stain game: You will be a pro by the time you’ve finished Uni life. Deal with stains as soon as you can, and always before washing. Hot water sets protein-based stains such as blood, so use cold water on those. First step is blot up the source of the stain, then try applying a small amount of detergent directly to the stain. For more detailed info, consult a stain removal guide. Then wash with Sunlight Auto Washing Powder 2in1.

• Feeling ill: Nobody enjoys being ill, especially when you’re away from the creature comforts of home. Fresh sheets will give your spirits a lift. Deal with any vomit stains and smells by rinsing it out of clothes (from the back) with cold water. Then launder in the machine with Sunlight Auto Washing Powder 2in1.

Sort your laundry as you go where possible. Collect worn whites in one area, and darks in another. Wash when the piles are enough for a full load.