“There’s a common misconception that suds do the cleaning,” says Lucinda Ottusch, senior home economist for the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science. But excess suds actually inhibit proper cleaning because they hold the soil in the water and redeposit it on clothes, rather than help it rinse away. Don’t use more than soap manufacturers recommend, and if you have a lightly soiled load, use less.

Your machine can wash most delicates.

The washers available now are designed to wash delicates, and some front-loaders even have special cycles for washable wool and silk. “You can turn off the spin cycle on some front-load models so they just rock the clothes in shallow water,” says Dan Pigatto, a Sears laundry expert. Use Woolite Fine Washables Bags, $4, containerstore.com, to keep loose knits, bras and hosiery from stretching out, especially if you have a top-loading machine.

A stuffed machine won’t clean.

For a top-loading washer, loosely pack clothes to the top row of holes. Fill a front-loader to just above the circular front opening, says Ottusch.

A top-loading washing machine may shorten the life of your clothes.

Top-loading washers with agitators are more aggressive on your clothes. “But you can choose a gentler wash by using the delicate cycles for knits and dressy tops that show wear fastest,” says Peggy Fey, a research consumer scientist with Maytag. And that’s just one reason to replace a top-loading washer with a front-loading model when the time comes — it will also save you money on your energy bill. Front-loaders use about five gallons of water per wash; top-loading washers use nearly 20! That’s a lot of water to heat.

Not all fading is caused by washed-out dyes.

When clothes are jammed in the washer, the garments rub against one another — that’s what causes color loss. And if there’s not enough water and space for clothes to be agitated and cleaned properly, your clothes will get dingy. “You want clothes, especially darks, to float a little in the washer so they’re not crowded,” says Jane Rising, manager of education and training at the International Fabricare Institute.

The right detergent makes a difference.

About 85 percent of people with front-loading washers use the wrong detergent, according to a study by Procter & Gamble. All front-loading washers are considered high-efficiency (HE) machines because they use less water and electricity, so they require a special HE detergent that generates less suds. (The major detergent brands now offer HE versions.) According to the Soap and Detergent Association, “HE detergents are formulated to be low-sudsing and quick-dispersing to get the best cleaning performance with HE washers.”

For the best clean, timing is everything.

The right sequence for loading your washer: water, detergent, then clothes. “Adding water first helps dissolve detergent,” says Norma Keyes, director of fiber quality research for Cotton Inc. Liquid detergent dissolves easily but it can leave spots if poured directly onto fabric, explains Brian Sansoni, spokesperson for the Soap and Detergent Association. Most front-loaders and some top-loading washers have dispensers that automatically add detergent, fabric softener and bleach at the right time.

The worst armpit stains aren’t caused by just sweat.

“As soon as deodorant touches fabric, its chemicals start staining,” says Steve Boorstein, author of The Ultimate Guide to Shopping & Caring for Clothing. “When you sweat, your perspiration and any deodorant on your underarm seam mix and discolor the fabric.” Plan your a.m. routine to give deodorant enough time to dry before you get dressed, so less rubs off on clothes.