Do Your Laundry on Your Own
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What you will learn
- 1Read care labels and explain what the symbols mean
- 2Sort a laundry pile into loads by color and fabric
- 3Measure detergent and choose the right washer setting
- 4Dry, fold and put away a load of clean clothes
- 5Do a whole load of laundry with a grown-up checking at first
Mini Lesson
In Grade 3 you helped a grown-up do a load of laundry. Now you can learn to run the whole job yourself, from the dirty pile to the drawer. The first few times, a grown-up checks each step with you. After that, doing your own laundry is a real way to take care of yourself and help your family.
🏠 The Life Skills Way (step by step)
- READ THE CARE LABEL: the tag inside each item uses symbols. A tub means washing (one dot = cold water, a hand = hand wash), a square with a circle means the dryer (one dot = low heat), a triangle means bleach, and an X over any symbol means do not. Clothes that say hand wash or do not wash go to your grown-up.
- SORT INTO LOADS: put whites and light colors together, darks together, and delicate items in their own small load.
- CHECK POCKETS: empty every pocket of tissues, coins, pens and lip balm, and close zippers so they do not snag other clothes.
- PRE-TREAT STAINS: treat any stain before the wash, the way you learned in Grade 4 "Remove Stains and Care for Clothes".
- MEASURE DETERGENT: pour it into the cap up to the line the label shows for your load size. More detergent does not mean cleaner clothes.
- PICK THE SETTING: choose the water temperature from the care labels and a cycle that fits the load, like normal for everyday clothes or gentle for delicates.
👕 Dry, Fold and Put Away
- MOVE IT SOON: take clothes out of the washer when it finishes, so they do not smell musty or wrinkle.
- DRY OR HANG: use the dryer only for clothes whose label allows it. Hang the rest, and lay sweaters flat so they keep their shape.
- CLEAN THE LINT SCREEN: pull the fluff off the dryer’s lint screen before or after every load.
- FOLD AND PUT AWAY: fold while the clothes are still warm from the dryer, then put them in the right drawers.
A grown-up checks your work the first few times and shows you how your machines work. Detergent is strong - keep it away from your eyes and mouth, and wipe up spills. Keep detergent pods up high and away from younger children and pets, and never play with them. Never climb into a washer or dryer, and tell a grown-up if a machine makes a strange noise, leaks or smells hot.
Words to know
care label
The tag inside clothing that shows how to wash and dry it.
e.g. The care label on my sweater said lay flat to dry.
load
A group of clothes washed together in one cycle.
e.g. I washed a load of darks on Saturday.
delicates
Thin or soft clothes that need a gentle wash.
e.g. My silky scarf went in with the delicates.
detergent
A strong soap made for washing clothes.
e.g. I measured the detergent with the cap.
cycle
A washer or dryer setting, like normal or gentle.
e.g. I picked the gentle cycle for the delicates.
pre-treat
To work on a stain before the clothes go in the wash.
e.g. I pre-treated the grass stain on my pants.
💡 Handy Tip: turn jeans, dark shirts and anything with a print inside out before washing. The colors and prints stay bright longer, and zippers and buttons do not rub other clothes.
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