By Cathy Spaulding
As a laundry owner, Floyd Cooper said he sees all sorts of customers use the washers and dryers.
Cooper said he also sees customers make laundering errors that could end up costing them money.
“Probably using too much soap in our new equipment we got is the main thing,” said Cooper, owner of Leisure Way Laundry, 301 S. York St. “Our machines use less water, and with less water you use less detergent.”
Whether at the laundry, the dry cleaners or at home, there are things you can do to save money and keep your clothes clean and in good shape for years.
The key to making your clothes last and look good is to follow manufacturer’s washing instructions on the garment’s label, said Alta Crockett, manager of Archer Cleaners and Shirt Laundry, 700 W. Okmulgee Ave.
That’s what employees at the cleaners must do with nearly every garment they wash, she said.
“If we are unsure of what is on the label, we may have the customer sign a release or we may turn it down,” she said.
Crockett said that when employees get clothing to be washed in regular fashion, not dry cleaned, they first sort the clothing according to darkness level.
“We wash the jeans together, the light clothing together, the dark clothing together and the dark jeans together,” she said.
Crockett disagrees with the money-saving advice of always washing clothes in cold water.
“You want to wash white clothes in the warmest temperature the label allows,” she said. “Dark clothing you can wash in cold water and never use chlorine bleach. We recommend Biz Bleach, but it is a powder.”
The Web site Thriftyfun.com suggests washing dark clothes in cold water with tablespoon of salt in the water.
The site offered other money-saving tips, including using white vinegar as a substitute for fabric softener.
Thriftyfun.com also said many items tagged as “Dry Clean Only” can be hand washed by using mild soap such as Woolite and cold water.
However, Crockett said clothes marked as “Dry Clean Only” must always be dry cleaned.
Dry cleaning also helps with other tough cleaning challenges.
“If it’s a greasy stain, dry cleaning is the best method,” she said. “Dry cleaning is a safer process and it’s a much gentler cycle.”
Dry cleaning uses a solvent instead of water to wash clothes.
Clothes that get soiled or sweaty should be washed after wearing, she said.
Still, there are some instances in which clothes can be worn a few times before having to be washed, she said.
“If you wear a dress to church but didn’t get anything on it, you can wait,” she said.
Crockett said winter clothes or summer clothes also should be washed before they are put away for the season.
Cooper said one problem he sees with his customers is that “they try to overload the equipment.”
As for drying clothes, Cooper said people must keep the lint filter clean.
He said he prefers drying with a clothes line rather than a dryer.
“If you have a clothes line and you get used to it, there’s nothing better to lay on than a freshly dried sheet,” he said.
7 ways to wash clothes inexpensively
• Unless you can adjust the water level, wait until you have a full load before running washer or dryer.
• Wash in cold water whenever possible, especially dark colors.
• Keep lint traps clean.
• Many garments labeled "Dry Clean Only" can be safely hand washed using mild soap such as Woolite and cold water.
• Wash everything on the same day to take advantage of the dryer’s heat.
• Follow directions on clothing label.
• If they’re not soiled or sweaty, clothes do not have to be washed each time they are worn.
Sources: Thriftyfun.com, thegreenestdollar.com, Alta Crockett, Floyd Cooper.
