Frequently Asked Questions
We get many questions about laundry and how to use our services. We’ve answered many of them here as well as provided some helpful articles on how you can best do your laundry. If you have any further questions, please contact HSI Laundry today.
-
Do I need a laundry card?No, you can use your debit, credit card.
-
Where do I get my laundry card?If you would like a laundry card please click here and complete form
-
How do I load my card?Simply Scan QR code on your laundry card with your phone camera and it will take you to the www.hsilaundry.ca where you can replenish it within few clicks. Continue following Payment directions.
-
How much can I load to my Laundry Card?Your budget can be set at whatever level you like.
-
How do I use my card?Once the card is loaded you can do your laundry. Load your items into the Washer. Place your detergent products into the dispenser of the washer. Close the door. Select Cycle and then hold your laundry card to the card reader until it responds.
-
What if I lose my card?Send request through “Contact Us” form. We will deactivate your old card, transfer the funds to a new card and mail it to you.
-
What is a full load?2/3 of washer drum. Excessive loading can cause poor wash results.
-
What types of washers/dryers are used?We use front loading High efficiency commercial grade laundering machines.
-
What detergents are used for my laundry?Please use detergents with H/E symbol.
-
Can I use pods in the washer?Yes, but please put them inside the wash drum with your laundry. Do not put them in the detergent tray as they will not dissolve.
-
What temperatures are used for washing and drying?Please follow the instruction care label on your garments.
-
Do I need to separate my clothes?Separate your clothes into two categories - Lights and Darks. …..
Useful Laundry Tips
Learn the Difference Between Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Rinse & Refresh, and Conditioner
Let us take you through the differences between all these different products and how they work together during a laundry cycle.
Laundry Detergent
Your clothes get fairly dirty over an average day. They will pick up sweat, skin cells, food particles, dirt, hair, and more. Laundry detergent helps remove all these – just like shampoo cleans your hair, laundry detergent does the job of cleaning your clothes.
Fabric Conditioner
In the same way conditioner protects your hair, fabric conditioner protects your clothes. It helps to strengthen the fabric and reduce friction during the laundry process, which helps your clothing keep its original shape, reduce colour fading, and reduce pilling and fuzz.
Fabric Softener or Fabric Conditioner
Fabric softeners are formulated to do exactly what it says on the tin – soften and freshen your fabric! Fabric conditioner will do all that and more. In addition to softening your clothes, fabric conditioner will help prevent fading, pilling, and stretching, protecting the clothes you love.
What Does Rinse & Refresh Do?
Downey Rinse & Refresh is a breakthrough formulation with a low pH that dissolves odour-causing residue and other buildup on fabrics. It’s similar to a clarifying shampoo. By removing that excess building, your colours will stay more vibrant and your fabrics will feel softer.
What is Laundry and What Happens During the Laundry Process
Your washing machine will remove soils and odours from fabrics, but it can also strip your clothes of their lustre and longevity by stretching, fading, and pilling them. Learn more about the laundry process and how the right products can help.
It begins with water.
Use a high-quality detergent that contains ingredients to remove chlorine from the water, which helps protect your colours from fading in the wash.
What Happens in the Washing Machine?
The laundry process is not gentle with your clothes. First, the clothes are twisted back and forth during the wash cycle. After that, the spin cycle whirls clothes around at over 140km/h. All this movement can damage your clothes. Using a fabric conditioner can help protect your clothes in the washing machine.
What about the Dryer?
The dryer is another place where damage can happen to your clothes. The friction caused by the drying process causes some fabrics to pill and fuzz. Whenever possible, use the lowest heat setting on your dryer and be sure to read the label on the fabric to ensure you are using the right settings for your laundry.
How to Do Your Laundry Properly
Laundry is an important process in our daily lives. Whether you’ve had the same laundry routine for a long time or you’ve never done a load yourself in your life, you can follow these tips to do your laundry better.
1. Make sure you have the right products
Before you do anything, ensure you have a quality laundry detergent and any fabric softener you want to use.
2. Sort your colours
Separate darks from lights and delicate fabrics from the more durable clothes. When in doubt, use cold water to avoid shrinking, fading, and bleeding of dye, especially for dark clothes. Using cold water helps save energy and resources too. However, for more heavily soiled whites or light colours, warm or hot water might be the best bet.
3. Pre-treat stains
The quicker you address splotches and spills, the easier it will be to get them out. Keeping an instant stain remover, such as Tide To Go, with your laundry supplies to dab dirt, grease, or other spills away before they set. Just make sure the stains are gone before putting clothing in the dry as the heat will cause the stain to set and make it much harder to remove.
4. Prep your clothes
Get your clothes ready for the washer and dryer by closing any zippers, hooks, or snaps, and fastening any Velcro. Make sure all buttons are unbuttoned, as button holes can tear in the washer. Empty your pockets and turn them inside out. Unbunch your socks and unroll any cuffs on pants or shorts. Tie any sashes or bow to prevent tangling (we all hate tangled bows). Any delicate items, such as lingerie or fine knitwear should be put in a zippered mesh bag.
5. Choose the right detergent
There is a wide range of detergents on the market to choose from, so you should consider your specific needs. Do you want your colours to stay true? Do you want to avoid dyes and perfumes? Or do you need to fight sports-related stains and odours? No matter what your needs are, we suggest reading the usage instructions on the labels of your clothes to ensure you can find the right product for you.
6. Protect against odours
If you want laundry that stays fresh all day, and who doesn’t, then you should add a freshener such as Downey Fresh Protect, to neutralize and protect against bad odours. It’s like a deodorant for your clothes!
7. Add fabric conditioner
Detergent cleans and fresheners protect against odours, a fabric conditioner will soften, freshen, and protect your clothes. Top loaders and front loaders behave differently, so make sure you check how to use the product with your washer. It will condition your clothes, softening them and protecting them from stretching, fading, and fuzz.
8. Fight static with a dryer sheet
Determine which clothes can go in the dryer and which need to hang dry. Add your machine-dryable clothes to the dry and add a dryer sheet on top of them. This will help fight static cling and also add even more softness and freshness to your laundry.