How to Do Your Own Laundry

For whatever reason, I have been hearing that people graduating from high school or moving out on there own don't know how to cook, clean, do their own laundry, or go grocery shopping. Most of these people are younger relatives of mine whose parents didn't find it necessary to teach them or let them do these things. So I have decided that I could write about the basics of doing laundry to help out anyone on their own, mommy won't always be there do it for you!

First off you should sort all the clothes into piles of darks, whites, and light colored clothes. Make sure if you have more expensive clothes they may have to be dry cleaned or hung out to dry. It is also good to do your towels seperatly so you don't have fuzz balls all over your shirts. Remember to wash your bedding at least once a week too to keep good hygiene. You should also pretreat any stains that you may have gotten on your clothes. You will need the basic things to get your laundry done like detergent, fabric softner if needed, dryer sheets, bleach, and a stain pretreater. Unless you are allergic to certain brands go for the generic brands to save some money.

You should always wash clothes with like colors and take caution when washing anything red, the dye tends to bleed in the first wash, having pink clothes may not look so good. Follow the directions on whatever detergent or bleach you use to make sure you don't use too much, sometimes clothes can still be soapy if you have too much detergent. Read the tags on your clothes if you are unsure if they can be dried in the dryer.

Make sure not to leave your clothes sitting in the washer, they can start to smell and get mildew if left in there. Don't leave them in the dryer either because they will wrinkle and you will have to start all over. It is nice if you can hang dry your clothes outside on a clothes line in the warmer months. They have a fresh clean smell that the dryer just doesn't do the same.

For all the parents out there with teenagers, make sure you teach them basics of living on their own. Chores are important to teach kids of all ages how to be responsible and independent. In the world we live in today, cleaning and cooking is no longer a woman's job, men are just as capable to do these things as well.