Getting your laundry ready for collection

01Why a little preparation helps

Pickup and delivery laundry is meant to save time, and it does. But the few minutes you spend before the collection make a real difference to what comes back. A laundry service sees your clothes for the first time when it opens your bag. It does not know that the blue shirt is new and might run, that the cream jumper is cashmere, that the mark on the sheet is red wine from last night or that the jacket should be dry cleaned rather than washed. You do.

Most problems with laundry services, from a shrunken jumper to a stain that was not treated, come from information that never reached the people doing the washing. A clear bag, a short note and empty pockets solve most of them before they happen.

This guide covers how to sort and bag your laundry for collection, what to point out, what not to send, how to make the handover easy in a London flat or house, and what to check when it comes back.

02One bag per service

Most laundry services offer several services, each with its own process. Keeping them apart from the start avoids confusion.

03What usually goes in a wash and fold bag

• T-shirts, tops and casual shirts.
• Underwear, socks and pyjamas.
• Jeans, chinos and casual trousers.
• Gym kit and sportswear.
• Towels, bath mats and tea towels.
• Sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers.
• Children's everyday clothes.
• Jumpers and cardigans that are machine washable.

Items that usually go elsewhere include suits, structured jackets, silk, wool coats, leather and anything labelled dry clean only.

04Checking care labels before bagging

A quick look at care labels helps you put items in the right bag and spot anything that needs a note.

05Delicates and special items

Anything that needs special care should be easy to spot.

• Put delicates in a separate small bag inside the main bag, or in a clearly labelled bag of their own.
• Include silk, lace, fine knits, cashmere, lingerie and anything with beads or sequins.
• Mention new items that might release dye, especially dark and bright colours.
• Mention anything that must not be tumble dried.
• For valuable or sentimental items, mention them in your note and consider whether they should be sent at all.

06Pointing out stains

Stains are much easier to treat when the laundry knows they are there and what caused them.

• Look over each item before bagging.
• Mark stained items with a safety pin, a piece of tape or a note.
• Write what caused the stain: wine, coffee, blood, make-up, oil, grass, ink.
• Say roughly how old the stain is.
• Do not try to treat stains with strong household products first; some make stains harder to remove.

07Home treatments to avoid

It is natural to want to deal with a stain straight away, but some home remedies make the laundry's job harder.

• Hot water on blood, egg or milk, which sets protein stains.
• Rubbing hard, which spreads stains and damages fibres.
• Bleach on coloured items, which removes colour.
• Hairspray, salt, white wine or other folk remedies, which can leave residues.
• Strong solvents on delicate fabrics.

Blotting, rinsing protein stains with cold water and telling the laundry is usually the best approach.

08Empty every pocket

Pockets are the source of many laundry disasters.

• Tissues shred and cover a whole load in white flakes.
• Pens and lip balm can stain everything in the drum.
• Coins and keys can damage machines and other items.
• Receipts, cards and cash may be lost.
• Earphones, phones and small electronics are destroyed.

Check every pocket, including the small coin pocket in jeans, inside jacket pockets and the pockets of children's clothes.

09What not to send

Some items should not go into a laundry bag at all.

• Items soaked in petrol, oil, paint thinners, solvents or other chemicals, unless agreed in advance.
• Items with sharp objects attached.
• Anything you would be devastated to lose, without speaking to the laundry first.
• Valuables, jewellery and money.
• Items that are badly damaged and may fall apart.
• Heavily soiled items with bodily fluids, unless the laundry has agreed how to handle them.

10Valuable and sentimental items

Some items are worth more to you than any replacement could be: a christening gown, a wedding dress, a grandparent's quilt, a vintage jacket.

• Talk to the service before sending them.
• Ask how they would be cleaned and whether there is any risk.
• Consider specialist cleaners for very delicate or historic items.
• Photograph the item before it goes.

11Telling the laundry your preferences

A short note helps the laundry return items the way you like them.

• Folded or on hangers for shirts and trousers.
• Any items you want washed at a lower temperature than usual.
• Any allergies or sensitivities, such as preferring a fragrance-free detergent if offered.
• Whether to separate one person's items from another's in a shared household.

Keep the note short and attach it to the outside of the bag or put it at the top inside.

12Examples of helpful notes

A good note is short and specific. Here are some examples of the kind of information that helps.

• "Blue shirt with pin on cuff: red wine, Saturday. Please treat."
• "Grey jumper is cashmere: delicate wash or hand wash, do not tumble dry."
• "Navy towels are new: may release dye, please wash separately."
• "Sheets: please wash at 60 if the label allows; someone has been ill."
• "Bath mat has rubber backing: cool wash, no dryer."
• "Shirts on hangers, please; everything else folded."
• "Child's school jumper: felt-tip on sleeve."

Notes like these take seconds to write and make a big difference.

13Estimating the weight

Wash and fold is often priced by weight, with a base price for a standard bag weight and a price per extra kilo.

14Choosing bags

• Use strong, closable bags that will not split when lifted.
• Reusable laundry bags are ideal; bin bags can be mistaken for rubbish.
• Do not overfill bags; they should close and be easy to carry.
• Use smaller bags for delicates.
• If the service provides its own bags, use them, as they help with tracking.

15Never send wet laundry sealed

Wet laundry sealed in a bag for hours develops smells and can grow mildew.

• Hang wet items to dry a little before bagging.
• Bag wet swimwear and gym kit separately and tell the laundry.
• Do not leave bags of damp laundry in a warm hallway for days.

16Making the handover easy

In London, collection often happens while you are out. Plan where the bag will be.

17Security and peace of mind

• Do not leave bags in view of the street for long periods.
• If you leave bags outside, use a place that is out of sight.
• Be cautious about sharing door codes; give them only to services you trust and change them if needed.
• Keep a quick list or photo of what you sent, especially for valuable items.

18Timing your preparation

• Prepare bags the evening before an early collection.
• If you are out all day, leave bags in the agreed place in the morning.
• Do not leave bags outside overnight in rain or in view of the street.
• If plans change, tell the service as early as possible.

19Your first collection

The first time you use a laundry service, a little extra care helps both of you.

• Start with everyday items rather than your most precious clothes.
• Write a slightly longer note about preferences and any special items.
• Check everything carefully when it comes back.
• Give feedback, good or bad, so the service learns your preferences.

After a few collections, the routine becomes quick and you can send more confidently.

20Setting up a regular collection

Many households book a regular weekly or fortnightly collection.

• Keep a laundry bag in the same place all week and add to it as you go.
• Keep a separate bag for dry cleaning and one for shirts, if you use those services.
• Set a reminder the evening before collection to empty pockets and write the note.
• Keep a few spare bags so you always have one ready.

21Different households

22Children's clothes and school uniforms

Children's clothes tend to have more stains, more pockets full of treasures and more name labels.

• Check pockets carefully: stones, crayons, sweets, small toys and tissues are common.
• Point out stains from paint, felt tips, grass, mud and food.
• Keep school uniforms together so they are easy to find and put away.
• Name labels help if items get separated.
• Bag sports kit separately if it is very muddy.

23New parents

New babies bring a surprising amount of laundry: muslins, sleepsuits, cot sheets, bibs and parents' clothes with milk and sick on them.

• Keep a separate bag for baby items and mention them so they can be washed gently.
• Rinse milk and sick from items with cold water before bagging if you can.
• Mention any preferences for fragrance-free detergents.
• Point out nappy leaks and stains.
• A regular collection during the first months can lift a big weight off tired parents.

24Helping older relatives

Many people arrange laundry collections for older parents or relatives who find heavy washing, carrying baskets or hanging laundry difficult. A little planning makes it easy for them.

• Set up a regular collection day so it becomes routine.
• Provide labelled bags they can fill through the week.
• Write a simple card for them: empty pockets, keep dry cleaning separate, leave bags by the door.
• Make sure the service knows if they may be slow to answer the door.
• Check that bedding, towels and heavier items are included, since these are hardest to manage at home.
• Ask the service whether it can carry bags to and from the door, if stairs are an issue.

A regular service can make a real difference to independence, and to how often clean bedding and towels are used.

25Hosts and guest laundry

If you host guests or run a short let, you may send linen and towels as well as personal laundry.

• Keep guest linen in separate, clearly labelled bags.
• Count items into each bag and note the numbers.
• Mark stained items and say what caused them.
• Keep wet towels apart from dry sheets.
• Tell the service where bags will be left, especially if a cleaner or concierge handles them.

26Bedding, duvets and curtains

Large items need their own preparation.

• Bag duvets and pillows separately, one or two per bag.
• Check care labels; some duvets and pillows need specialist cleaning.
• Remove duvet covers and pillowcases and put them in the wash and fold bag.
• For curtains, take them down, remove hooks if you can, measure them if they are priced by area and label which window each came from.

27Dry cleaning items

Dry cleaning has its own preparation.

• Empty pockets and remove pins, badges and brooches.
• Point out stains and what caused them.
• Keep suits together: jacket and trousers on one hanger or in one bag.
• Mention any buttons or embellishments that are delicate.
• Remove belts from coats if they are not attached.

28Items with strong smells

Clothes from a bonfire, a smoky venue, a damp storage unit or a pet's bed can carry strong smells into the bag and onto other clothes.

• Bag strongly smelling items separately and mention the smell.
• Air them first if possible.
• Do not pack them with clean or delicate items.

29Pet hair

Pet hair transfers from one item to another and can be hard to remove.

• Shake or brush off as much pet hair as you can before bagging.
• Bag pet bedding and blankets separately and mention that they are for pets, if the service accepts them.
• Mention heavy pet hair so the laundry can deal with it.

30Sports clubs and team kit

Parents and club volunteers often end up with a whole team's kit after a match: muddy shirts, shorts, socks and sometimes goalkeeper gloves.

• Let mud dry and knock off as much as possible outside.
• Turn shirts inside out to protect printed numbers and badges.
• Bag socks in mesh bags so pairs stay together.
• Keep goalkeeper gloves, boots and shin pads out of the bag; they are not usually machine washed.
• Mention that it is team kit, with printed numbers, so it is washed cool and dried gently.
• Count items into the bag, since team kit is easy to mix up.

31Moving house and holidays

32When your laundry comes back

• Check the bags arrived and match what you sent.
• Unpack promptly; do not leave clean laundry in bags for days.
• Check a few items, especially ones with stains you pointed out.
• Hang shirts and items on hangers straight away.
• Report any problem quickly, with a photo if possible.

33Giving feedback

Laundry services work better when they know what you like.

• Say when something came back exactly as you wanted.
• Report problems quickly, with a photo.
• Mention preferences you forgot in your note.
• If a stain did not come out, ask whether another attempt is possible.

Clear, prompt feedback helps the service get it right next time.

34The collection checklist

• Separate bags for wash and fold, dry cleaning, ironing and bedding.
• Empty every pocket.
• Put delicates in their own labelled bag.
• Mark stains and say what caused them.
• Mention new items that may run and items that must not be tumble dried.
• Do not send chemicals, valuables or irreplaceable items without asking.
• Use strong, closable, labelled bags.
• Tell the laundry exactly where to find the bags.
• Unpack and check promptly when laundry returns.