HELPFUL HINTS AND TIPS
SORTING OUT THE LAUNDRY
Follow the wash code symbols on each
garment label and the manufacturer’s
washing instructions. Sort the laundry as
follows: whites, coloureds, synthetics, deli-
cates, woollens.
TEMPERATURES
95° or 90°
for normally soiled white cot-
tons and linen (e.g. tea cloths,
towels, tablecloths, sheets...)
60°/50°
for normally soiled, colour fast
garments (e.g. shirts, night
dresses, pyjamas....) in linen,
cotton or synthetic fibres and
for lightly soiled white cotton
(e.g. underwear)
40°-30°-
Cold
for delicate items (e.g. net cur-
tains), mixed laundry including
synthetic fibres and woollens
bearing the label «pure new
wool, machine washable, non-
shrink»
BEFORE LOADING THE LAUNDRY
Never wash whites and coloureds together.
Whites may lose their «whiteness» in the
wash.
New coloured items may run in the first
wash; they should therefore be washed
separately the first time.
Make sure that no metal objects are
left in the laundry (e.g. hair clips, safety
pins, pins).
Button up pillowcases, close zip fasteners,
hooks and poppers. Tie any belts or long
tapes.
Remove persistent stains before washing.
Rub particularly soiled areas with a special
detergent or detergent paste.
Treat curtains with special care. Remove
hooks or tie them up in a bag or net.
MAXIMUM LOADS
Recommended loads are indicated in the
washing programme charts.
General rules:
• Cotton, linen: drum full but not too
tightly packed;
• Synthetics: drum no more than half full;
• Delicate fabrics and woollens: drum
no more than one third full.
Washing a maximum load makes the most
efficient use of water and energy.
For heavily soiled laundry, reduce the load
size.
REMOVING STAINS
Stubborn stains may not be removed by
just water and detergent. It is therefore ad-
visable to treat them prior to washing.
Blood: treat fresh stains with cold water.
For dried stains, soak overnight in water
with a special detergent then rub in the
soap and water.
Oil based paint: moisten with benzine
stain remover, lay the garment on a soft
cloth and dab the stain; treat several times.
Dried grease stains: moisten with turpen-
tine, lay the garment on a soft surface and
dab the stain with the fingertips and a cot-
ton cloth.
Rust: oxalic acid dissolved in hot water or a
rust removing product used cold. Be careful
with rust stains which are not recent since
the cellulose structure will already have
been damaged and the fabric tends to hole.
Mould stains: treat with bleach, rinse well
(whites and fast coloureds only).
Grass: soap lightly and treat with bleach
(whites and fast coloureds only).
Ball point pen and glue: moisten with
acetone
1)
, lay the garment on a soft cloth
and dab the stain.
Lipstick: moisten with acetone as above,
then treat stains with methylated spirits.
Treat any residual marks with bleach.
Red wine: soak in water and detergent,
rinse and treat with acetic or citric acid,
then rinse. Treat any residual marks with
bleach.
Ink: depending on the type of ink, moisten
the fabric first with acetone
1)
, then with
acetic acid; treat any residual marks on
white fabrics with bleach and then rinse
thoroughly.
Tar stains: first treat with stain remover,
methylated spirits or benzine, then rub with
detergent paste.
DETERGENTS AND ADDITIVES
Good washing results also depend on the
choice of detergent and use of the correct
1) do not use acetone on artificial silk
12 electrolux