Steps to successful laundry
Sort it out: Sort by color, fabric type and soil content.
Water temperature: Wash in the hottest water fabric will allow. Follow directions on care label.
Colorfastness: Find a hidden area of the garment (such as the inside seam) and apply a 'pre-treatment concentration' of detergent. Allow to sit for 30 minutes and rinse. If color remains fast, proceed on whole garment.
Pre-treat: Treat stains early. Fresh stains are easier to remove than old ones. Always test an inside seam for colorfastness.
Drying: Do not put garments with a stain in dryer. The dryer heat will set stains and make them permanent. Repeat pre-treatment/washing techniques above. If this doesn't work, send garment to cleaners. Some stains, however, may be permanent.