How to do laundry: 7 simple steps, from care labels to folding

The short answer: to do laundry, check the care labels, sort by color and fabric, pretreat stains, load the washer loosely, add the right amount of detergent, pick the cycle and temperature the labels allow, then dry and fold right away.

• Prep: empty every pocket, close zippers and turn dark tees inside out
• Washtub symbol: dots show temperature (1 dot = cold, 2 = warm, 3+ = hot)
• Tumble dry symbol: a filled circle means no heat
• Common mistakes and how to fix them are below
• Next step: Plan it with the Cleaning Schedule ($4.49).

To do laundry, check the care labels, sort clothes by color and fabric, pretreat stains, load the washer loosely, add the right amount of detergent, pick the cycle and water temperature the labels allow, then dry and fold right away. That's the whole job in seven steps, and every load you'll ever run is a version of it.

Below is the step-by-step version I'd give anyone doing laundry for the first time, whether that's a college freshman, a newly independent adult or a kid who just turned old enough to run their own load. You'll find a care-label cheat sheet, sorting and cycle tables, how much detergent to use, how to hand-wash, and the mistakes that shrink, fade or stink up clothes. As the oldest of three, I was the one who showed my younger sister and brother how things worked at home. Laundry is one of those skills that feels confusing until someone walks you through it once.

How to do laundry in 7 steps

1. Read the care label. It tells you the safe wash method, water temperature and drying setting.
2. Sort the pile. Separate darks, lights and whites, then pull out delicates, towels and anything very dirty.
3. Prep each item. Empty pockets, zip zippers, unbutton shirts, turn dark or printed clothes inside out and pretreat stains.
4. Load the washer loosely. Clothes need room to move, so fill a front-loader about three-quarters full and spread items evenly around a top-loader.
5. Add detergent. Measure by load size and soil level using the cap or scoop, and use HE detergent in an HE machine.
6. Choose the cycle and temperature. Match the gentlest setting any item in the load needs. Cold works for most everyday loads.
7. Dry and put away. Move clothes to the dryer or a rack within about an hour, clean the lint filter, and fold or hang everything as soon as it's dry.

The rest of this guide explains each step, so you know why it matters and what to do when a load doesn't fit the usual rules.

Step 1: Read the care label first

Every piece of clothing sold in the US has to come with care instructions. The FTC's Care Labeling Rule requires manufacturers to attach a label that gives at least one safe way to clean the garment and warns you about methods that could damage it. Many labels use symbols instead of words. Once you learn five shapes, you can read almost any of them.

An X through any symbol means "don't." A washtub with an X means don't wash it, and a triangle with an X means no bleach.

If a label says "dry clean only," take it seriously for structured pieces like suits and lined coats. "Dry clean" without the word "only" usually means the maker recommends it, but gentle hand-washing may also work. When you aren't sure, test a hidden seam first.

Step 2: Sort laundry by color, fabric and dirt

Sorting is how you keep a new red shirt from turning a load of white socks pink. Start with color, then split again by fabric weight and how dirty things are.

Keep towels away from your other clothes. They shed lint that sticks to dark fabrics and athletic wear. Wash brand-new dark or bright items alone, or with similar colors, for the first few washes, since that's when dye is most likely to run.

If you only have enough for one load, you can usually combine darks and brights in cold water. Leave out whites and anything new.

Step 3: Prep clothes and pretreat stains

A minute of prep saves you from ruined clothes and surprise repairs.

• Empty every pocket. One tissue can coat a whole load in lint. One pen can stain it.
• Close zippers and hooks. Open teeth snag other clothes. Bra hooks catch on everything.
• Unbutton shirts. Buttons strain their holes when shirts twist in the washer.
• Turn jeans, dark tees and printed shirts inside out. It cuts down on fading and protects graphics.
• Bag the small stuff. Socks, baby clothes and delicates go in a mesh laundry bag.
• Untangle drawstrings and straps so they don't knot around other items.

Then deal with stains while they're fresh. Rub a little liquid detergent or stain remover into the spot and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before washing. Blot; don't scrub. Hot water can set protein stains like blood, egg and dairy, so rinse those in cold first.

For specific stains, we have guides to getting out ink, grease and oil and red wine. Check a stain before anything goes in the dryer, because dryer heat can make it permanent.

Step 4: Load the washer the right way

Overloading is the most common reason clothes come out still dirty, wrinkled or soapy. Clothes need room to tumble through the water.

• Front-loader: Fill the drum loosely, up to about three-quarters full. Don't pack it down.
• Top-loader with an agitator: Spread items evenly around the agitator, not wrapped around it.
• Top-loader without an agitator (impeller): Add items in loose layers around the sides, not piled in the center.
• Bulky single items like a comforter or rug can throw the drum off balance. Add two or three towels to even out the weight.

As a rough guide, a load of jeans fills a drum faster than a load of tees. Go by space, not by item count.

Step 5: Use the right detergent, in the right amount

More detergent doesn't mean cleaner clothes. Extra soap leaves residue, traps odor in fabric and can build up in the machine.

If you have kids in the house, store pods carefully. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that single-load liquid laundry packets are toxic and can seriously injure young children. Keep them sealed in the original container, out of sight and reach, and handle them with dry hands. If a child swallows one or gets it in their eyes, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away.

What about bleach, softener and boosters?

• Chlorine bleach is for whites and colorfast cottons only, and only when the label allows it. Never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar.
• Oxygen bleach is gentler and safe for most colors. It helps with dingy whites and set-in stains.
• Fabric softener goes in the softener dispenser. Skip it on towels and athletic wear, since it reduces absorbency and traps odors.
• Vinegar isn't a must, and it shouldn't be mixed with bleach.

Step 6: Pick the cycle and water temperature

Choose the gentlest setting that any item in the load needs. If one blouse in the pile says "gentle, cold," the whole load goes on gentle and cold, or the blouse gets washed separately.

Water temperature:

• Cold works for most everyday clothes, darks and brights, and anything that might shrink or bleed. According to ENERGY STAR, heating water accounts for about 90% of the energy a washer uses, so cold water saves money on every load.
• Warm is good for moderately dirty clothes, kids' clothes and many whites.
• Hot is for towels, sheets, cloth diapers and heavily soiled whites, if the label allows it. Hot water can shrink cotton and fade colors.

Once the cycle starts, set a timer on your phone. Wet clothes left sitting in the washer for hours start to smell musty.

Step 7: Dry, fold and put it away

Move clothes out of the washer as soon as the cycle ends. Before you load the dryer, check for stains you missed. Pull out anything labeled "lay flat" or "line dry," along with bras, swimsuits and stretchy athletic wear.

Dryer heat settings:

• High: towels, jeans, heavy cottons, bedding.
• Medium: everyday clothes, sheets, permanent press.
• Low or air fluff: delicates, synthetics, workout clothes, anything you're worried about shrinking.

Clean the lint filter before or after every load. The U.S. Fire Administration notes that failure to clean is the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires, so this habit matters. If clothes start taking longer to dry, the vent may be clogged. Our dryer vent cleaning guide walks through it.

Fold or hang clothes while they're still warm, and you'll barely need an iron. Shake each item out, smooth it flat, and hang shirts and dresses right away. For anything that air-dries, a rack or hanger in a spot with good airflow works. Lay sweaters flat on a towel so they keep their shape.

How to hand-wash clothes

Some delicates and wool pieces do best by hand. It only takes about 15 minutes.

1. Fill a clean sink or basin with cool or lukewarm water.
2. Add a small squirt of gentle detergent and swish it in.
3. Submerge the item and gently squeeze suds through it. Don't twist or wring.
4. Soak for 10 to 30 minutes.
5. Drain, refill with clean water and squeeze until no suds remain.
6. Press out water. Then roll the item in a dry towel and press again.
7. Lay flat or hang to dry, away from direct heat and sun.

Common laundry mistakes (and how to fix them)

That last one surprises people. If your clean clothes smell off, the machine may need attention. Our guide to cleaning a washing machine covers front-loaders and top-loaders.

Laundry tips that make it easier every week

Knowing how to do laundry is half of it. The other half is not letting it pile up.

• Do one load start to finish. Wash, dry, fold and put away before starting the next one. A half-finished load turns into a mountain on the couch.
• Give each type of load a day. Towels on one day, sheets on another and kids' clothes on a third keep the basket from overflowing. Our free laundry schedule printable has a weekly plan and a how-often-to-wash guide.
• Keep two or three hampers. Sorting as you undress means you skip Step 2 on laundry day.
• Teach everyone their part. Kids can match socks, carry baskets and put away their own clothes. Older kids can run their own loads using the steps above. Our household chores list shows how to split the work.
• Keep supplies stocked. Running out of detergent mid-week throws off the whole plan.
• Wash bedding and pillows on a schedule. Pillows need washing too. See how to wash pillows.

Something I learned working as an ABA technician applies to chores too: big changes come from small, repeatable steps, and from making the next step obvious. A laundry routine works the same way. When the plan is written down where everyone can see it, nobody has to remember whose turn it is.

For help choosing a formula, compare our best laundry detergent by need, with the source behind each pick.

Put laundry on the same page as the rest of the house

Laundry is easier to keep up with when it lives on the same plan as every other chore. The Cleaning Schedule ($4.49) has a Weekly Cleaning Schedule page where you can write in your laundry days. It also has daily, monthly and seasonal checklists, plus the Room-by-Room Checklists above, whose laundry and entry section covers wiping the machines and cleaning the lint trap. A Family Chore Chart page lets you put a name next to each job. It's a 9-page PDF in US Letter and A4, so you can print a fresh week whenever you need it.

If you're organizing the whole household, the Home Management Bundle ($16.99, $32.94 if bought separately) includes the Cleaning Schedule plus the Household Binder, Home Maintenance Log, Home Inventory, Moving Planner and Password & Accounts Log. The maintenance log is handy for tracking washer and dryer service dates. You can browse all Printables or the Bundles.

Ready to make the space itself work better? Our laundry room organization guide has a 6-step plan and 30 ideas for small rooms and closets.