Snaza
The Snaza Journal

Washing and ironing

Read the care label, wash wool, silk, denim and down properly, and get wrinkles, pilling and odors out without damaging the fabric.

33 guides, page 1 of 2

A navy knit soaks in clear water inside a white ceramic basin beside a neatly folded white towel

Most laundry problems begin before the wash: a care label that was not read, colors that were not sorted, too much detergent or too much heat. These guides start with the label and then explain how to wash, dry and iron each fabric properly.

You will find step by step methods for wool, cashmere, silk, linen, denim and down, plus practical fixes for wrinkles, pilling, odors, shrinking and small repairs.

Guides

  1. A ceramic bowl of white baking soda and wooden scoop rests on a folded gray waffle towel

    Washing and ironing

    Baking soda in laundry: what it can and can't do

    How to use baking soda in laundry: how much to add, where to put it, what it does for odors and stiff towels, and why it cannot replace detergent on its own.

  2. A hand holds a translucent detergent cap with clear liquid at its lowest fill line beside folded linen towels.

    Washing and ironing

    How much laundry detergent to use per load

    How much detergent to use in a washing machine: reading cap lines, pods and powder, adjusting for load size, soil and hard water, and the signs you use too much.

  3. White drying rack with shirts and a rust sweater beside an open sunlit window

    Washing and ironing

    How to air dry clothes indoors and out

    How to air dry clothes indoors or outside: spin well, hang each piece the right way, keep air moving, avoid stiffness and musty smells, and dry clothes faster.

  4. Gloved hands pull back and wipe the gray seal of an open white front load washing machine

    Washing and ironing

    How to clean a washing machine

    How to clean a washing machine step by step: the drum, rubber seal, dispenser and filter, with bleach, vinegar or a washer cleaner, for front and top loaders.

  5. A hand brushes the chest of a charcoal wool overcoat hanging against a softly textured off white wall.

    Washing and ironing

    How to clean a wool coat at home

    How to wash a wool coat or clean it at home: read the label, brush and air it, spot clean stains, hand wash only when allowed, and know when to use a dry cleaner.

  6. An open white washer stands beside a woven basket holding separate piles of white, dark and neutral laundry.

    Washing and ironing

    How to do laundry: a complete beginner's guide

    How to do laundry from start to finish: reading labels, sorting, choosing the cycle and water temperature, measuring detergent, loading the washer and drying.

  7. A gloved woman dips a white cotton shirt into a large tub of indigo dye in a softly lit utility room

    Washing and ironing

    How to dye clothes at home

    How to dye clothes at home: check the fiber, choose the right dye, and dye evenly in a bucket, washer or pot. Covers black, permanence and cleaning up after.

  8. Two hands darn an oatmeal wool sweater over a wooden egg with neat yarn crossing the small hole.

    Washing and ironing

    How to fix a hole in a sweater

    How to fix a hole in a sweater: secure loose loops, close a small hole, darn a larger one, try no sew options, and keep moths from making the next hole.

  9. A navy wool coat and white cotton shirt air on wooden hangers beside an open sunny window.

    Washing and ironing

    How to get smell out of clothes

    How to get smell out of clothes, whether it is sweat, a musty washer smell or smoke: airing, better washing, careful use of baking soda and vinegar, and prevention.

  10. A woman smooths a light blue shirt hanging on a bathroom door in softly steaming daylight.

    Washing and ironing

    How to get wrinkles out without an iron

    Five ways to get wrinkles out without an iron: a clothes steamer, shower steam, the dryer, a spray bottle and smart hanging, matched to the fabric you have.

  11. Two hands gently squeeze a pale blue knit garment in lightly sudsy water in a white ceramic sink.

    Washing and ironing

    How to hand wash clothes properly

    How to hand wash clothes in a sink or basin: which detergent to use, water temperature by fabric, how long to soak, how to rinse and how to dry without stretching.

  12. Charcoal trousers with a pinned folded hem rest beside sewing tools on a pale wooden table

    Washing and ironing

    How to hem pants by hand or with hem tape

    How to hem pants at home: mark the right length, cut and fold the hem allowance, sew an invisible blind hem by hand, use a machine, or fuse with iron on hem tape.

  13. A woman guides a steaming iron inward across the collar of a pale blue dress shirt laid fully on an ironing board.

    Washing and ironing

    How to iron a shirt in the right order

    How to iron a shirt the way shirtmakers do: set the heat for the fabric, start slightly damp, then work collar, cuffs, sleeves, yoke, back and front in order.

  14. A hand lifts a plain steam iron above a press cloth covering aligned navy wool trousers on an ironing board

    Washing and ironing

    How to iron pants with a crease

    How to iron pants step by step: set the right heat, find the old crease, press instead of sliding, and handle wool, cotton, jeans and polyester without shine.

  15. A woman passes a plain white fabric shaver across a gray wool sweater with pilled and smooth sections

    Washing and ironing

    How to remove pilling from a sweater, and lint too

    How to remove pilling from a sweater with a fabric shaver or sweater comb, clear lint with a roller, and wash and wear knits so the pills come back more slowly.

  16. Three tidy piles of white, pale and dark laundry sit below a divided woven hamper on a wooden floor.

    Washing and ironing

    How to separate laundry by color, fabric and soil

    How to separate laundry into whites, lights, darks and delicates, which colors can be washed together, what temperature to use and when sorting really matters.

  17. Two hands sew a white button onto a pale blue shirt using a toothpick as a thread spacer

    Washing and ironing

    How to sew a button back on, by hand

    How to sew a button back on by hand: two hole and four hole buttons, shank buttons, making a thread shank and tying a finishing knot that will not work loose.

  18. A plain white cotton shirt lies flat beside a cloth measuring tape and folded towel on pale wood

    Washing and ironing

    How to shrink clothes on purpose, and how to avoid it

    Which fabrics shrink, how to shrink cotton in the wash and dryer in careful stages, why wool felts, and how to keep clothes from shrinking by accident.

  19. A woman gently pulls a linen dress taut while steaming it against a white door in morning light.

    Washing and ironing

    How to steam clothes with a garment steamer

    How to steam clothes properly: set up a garment steamer, work each fabric, know what should never be steamed, and get wrinkles out with no steamer at all.

  20. A jar of white granules and metal spoon sit beside a bubbling enamel basin soaking a white shirt collar.

    Washing and ironing

    How to use oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate) on clothes

    What sodium percarbonate is, how oxygen bleach powder works, how to use it in the wash or as a soak on whites and colors, and the safety rules that matter.

  21. A faded navy baseball cap dries over a white ceramic bowl beside a sink and soft toothbrush

    Washing and ironing

    How to wash a baseball cap without ruining its shape

    How to wash a baseball cap by hand, when a washing machine is safe, why the dishwasher is a poor idea, and how to dry a cap on a form so it keeps its shape.

  22. White and nude bras rest on a folded towel beside a glass bowl of water

    Washing and ironing

    How to wash a bra by hand or in the machine

    How to wash a bra by hand or in a washing machine: how often, water temperature, mesh bags and hooks, padded and underwire bras, and why bras never go in the dryer.

  23. Two hands press a baffle of a dark green down jacket beside two gray dryer balls on a pale wood floor.

    Washing and ironing

    How to wash a down jacket without ruining the fill

    Wash a down jacket at home with a down specific wash, a front loader, low heat and dryer balls. What to check first, how long drying takes and how to fix clumps.

  24. Two hands press a soaked charcoal wool sweater above a white ceramic basin with light suds.

    Washing and ironing

    How to wash a wool sweater without shrinking it

    How to wash a wool sweater by hand or in the machine: read the label, pick a wool detergent, keep water cool and calm, then dry it flat so it keeps its shape.