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Comment: You know, I probably have to do some laundry right now…*

There are a few common traits that bind all men together. Firstly, we all hate asking for directions. Second, we want to do everything ourselves – as long as it’s not the laundry. But now that you’ve invested in that sleek 007 style suit and found that smooth pair of vintage rock ‘n roll jeans, you have hard time seeing those investments slowly go to waste.

University didn’t offer a Laundry 101 course and your mother is giving you dirty looks every time you bring a sack of stinkables home. Well, don’t worry, because TheSoko.com has heard the silent cry of men everywhere and compiled a list of laundry quandaries complete with solutions to keep your clothes styling so you can stay one step ahead of the next guy.

Every guy is probably wondering the same thing to start off with – what the deuce do the symbols on the tags of my clothes mean? If you are like most men you like things simple. Really simple. Laundry tags aren’t simple. They are strange hieroglyphs that unlock the secrets of your clothes.

Since, you don’t want to have to learn another language to do your laundry, just use this handy translation guide to clear up any confusion. In a moment, all those fancy dials on your local washing machine will make sense.

Now these are ten of the most common laundry symbols. There are others, but many use these symbols as origins. Learn these, and you’ll probably be able to figure out the others.

Keeping Colors Extra Bright

This is really simple. Wash your clothes with a gentle liquid detergent with cool water. If you aren’t sure which detergent to use, go lingerie shopping with your significant other and find out what the staff recommends for delicate garments.

When using the dryer and the washer, keep the loads small and sorted. Jeans and shirts dry at different rates so keeping them apart eases the wear that machine dryers cause.

Isn’t Dry Cleaning an Oxymoron?

Dry-cleaning can be an important tool in the battle against stains and wear. They know all the tricks of the trade and are able to effectively remove stubborn stains. Look for deals and two-for-one specials to save on the cash.

When choosing a professional cleaner find one that does not have a strong chemical smell when you enter the shop. This means they are using the newer style equipment. Remember only expensive and cherished items need to be dry-cleaned. Jeans and t-shirts are fine for the good old washing machine.

Here is a quick guide of some of those top-tier, dry clean only items:

Suits/Sport Coats: Clean every sixth wearing. Make exceptions for important events like weddings and business meetings. Also make exceptions if you sweat enough to put a Gatorade ad to shame.

Sweaters: Once a season. Unless food follows a straight trajectory to your chest and stomach.

Khakis/Wool Slacks: To maintain the crease in a solid pair of khakis, dry clean them every second or third time you wear them. For wool pants every third time is okay. Don’t forget to hang them up when not in use.

Getting Rid of the Odors

We all encounter this problem from time to time: what do you do if your clothes are clean but the smells in your drawer and closet, stinks something fierce? First things first. Try to find the source of the stink. Old jeans, ratty socks, underwear with broken waistbands all need to go the way of feng-shui.

You can also look into buying a cedar-lined closet. However, the most cost effective approach is to simply buy quality masculine scented soaps (pine and lavender) and put them in your drawers and closets.

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clean clothes for the clean man

That wraps up out crash course on laundry and I hope you’ve learned a thing or two. The bottom line is to understand how to handle each item and how often things need to be cleaned. Keep the blacks and whites separate when doing a load and remember to take advantage of the dry cleaner when the time is right. Now just take a shower, spray on some cologne, and you’ll be all set.

Original Post:

http://www.thesoko.com/thesoko/article506-0.html