11

ENGLISH

Washing hints

Sorting 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, delicates, woollens.

• 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.

Temperatures

60°-95°

for normally soiled white cottons and
linen (e.g. tea cloths, towels,
tablecloths, sheets...)

60°

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).

(cold)

for delicate items (e.g. net curtains), 

30°-40°

mixed laundry including synthetic
fibres and woollens bearing the label
«pure new wool, machine washable,
non-shrink».

Maximum loads

Recommended loads are indicated in the
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.

Laundry weights

The following weights are indicative:

Bathrobe

1200 g

Napkin

100 g

Quilt cover

700 g

Sheet

500 g

Pillow case

200 g

Tablecloth

250 g

Towelling towel

200 g

Tea cloth

100 g

Night dress

200 g

Ladies’ briefs

100 g

Man’s work shirt

600 g

Man’s shirt

200 g

Man’s pyjamas

500 g

Blouse

100 g

Men’s underpants

100 g

Removing stains

Stubborn stains may not be removed by just water
and detergent. It is therefore advisable 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 turpentine, lay
the garment on a soft surface and dab the stain with
the fingertips and a cotton 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 (*),
lay the garment on a soft cloth and dab the stain.

Lipstick: moisten with acetone as above, then treat
stains with methylated spirits. Remove any residual
marks from white fabrics 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.

124972380 FJS 974 N gb  28-06-1999 10:09  Pagina 11