Martha Stewart: No need to get agitated doing laundry

REGULAR WASHING can take a toll on your garments. Here's how to keep your clothes and linens in near-original condition.

Wash whites separately: The best way to retain whiteness is to launder white items together in the hottest water the fabric will tolerate (water that is at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit is most effective at removing soil). Choose detergent with a bleach alternative and/or enzymes, using the maximum amount recommended.

Add a laundry booster: Increase the cleaning power of a detergent by adding a booster, such as borax, oxygen bleach or washing soda to help maintain whiteness. Before washing, soak heavily soiled items using an enzyme detergent (available at many supermarkets) or oxygen bleach, and launder them separately.

Pretreat stains: To remove perspiration and greasy stains, pretreat with liquid detergent, dishwashing liquid or shampoo (use colorless ones to avoid dye transfer). Gently rub the liquid into the fabric with a toothbrush.

Tackle colored stains: Address food spills, such as coffee or juice, and underarm yellowing by applying undiluted liquid oxygen bleach directly to the fabric immediately before laundering.

Use a color remover: Once a month or when your whites become dull, wash them with a color remover. Or, soak fabrics that won't shrink in boiling water and oxygen bleach in a basin.

Accept less than perfect: Even with meticulous sorting, don't expect whites to stay bright forever. Most white fabrics are manufactured with chemicals that boost whiteness, but eventually wash out and that cannot be replaced.

Minerals and water: If your water has a high iron content (look for reddish stains in the shower and toilet), launder with an iron-removing product.

Don't use chlorine bleach: Combined with iron and hot water, it can yellow clothing. Instead, use oxygen bleach, which is more effective (and more environmentally friendly). If your water is particularly hard, you may not be able to get whites pristine unless you install a water softener, which removes minerals.

Wash darks separately: To help preserve dark items' original colors and prevent bleeding onto lighter clothes, wash darks together using the cold-water cycle (60 to 80 F).

Use the shortest cycle: As far as detergents go, experts say that they don't really contribute to fading. While some formulas are designed specifically for darks, any liquid detergent without a bleach alternative is suitable (liquids work better in cold water; powders may not dissolve fully).

Minimize abrasion: Prepare your clothes by closing zippers, fastening hooks and turning items inside out. Also, wash items of similar weight together.

Avoid the dryer: Whenever possible, hang dark items to dry (out of direct sunlight). When you use the dryer, use the lowest temperature suitable for the material, and don't overdry your clothes. Remove them from the machine while they're slightly damp.

Washing in winter: Frigid outdoor temperatures may cause the washer's water temperature to fall below 40 F, rendering detergents designed to work in cold water ineffective. If you live in an area with particularly frigid winters, don't use the cold-water wash setting during that time of year. Instead, select a warm-water wash and a cold rinse.

Separate by color intensity: Launder colored items in two groups: brights and pastels. Wash new brights on their own for the first few cycles, when they're most likely to bleed dye.

Turn items inside out: Keep brights looking good longer by reversing them before washing. Choose the shortest cycle appropriate for the soil level and fabric.

When colors run: If brights do bleed onto other clothing in the wash, don't put the stained items in the dryer. The heat will set the dye, making any discoloration permanent. Instead, launder the clothes again separately. As long as you don't apply heat, the dye should come out.

Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 601 West 26th St., 9th floor, New York, NY 10001. Questions also may be sent by e-mail to: mslletters@marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number.