Taking Care of Clothes: English Vocabulary List

a container typically made of wicker, plastic, or cloth material used for storing and transporting laundry or dirty clothes to a washing machine

"The clothes basket overflows."

"She carried a large wicker clothes basket filled with damp laundry out to the backyard to hang on the line."

a device used to hang and organize clothing items in a closet or storage space

"She uses a wooden clothes hanger."

"He hung his freshly ironed shirt on a wooden clothes hanger to prevent wrinkles."

a long rope or wire that washed clothes are hung on in order to get dried

"The clothesline flaps in wind."

"The wet sheets flapped in the breeze on the clothesline drying quickly in the hot afternoon sun."

a device used for hanging and drying clothes outdoors, typically consisting of a pole or frame with lines or ropes for suspending clothing items

"The clothes hoist is tall."

"She turned the crank on the rotary clothes hoist and the metal arms opened like an umbrella to hold the laundry."

a freestanding rack used for indoor clothes drying, typically made of wood, metal, or plastic, and often collapsible for easy storage

"Hang clothes on clothes horse."

"She draped the damp sweaters over the wooden rungs of a clothes horse to air dry indoors."

a small device, typically made of wood or plastic, used for fastening clothes on a clothesline to dry

"Use a clothes peg."

"She used a wooden clothes peg to hang the wet shirt on the washing line."

a device used for hanging wet clothes on a clothesline to dry

"She needs a clothespin."

"The wooden clothespin had a metal spring to provide pressure to hold the wet laundry securely on the line."

a device, typically made of wood, plastic, or wire, used to hang and store clothing

"Hang coat on hanger."

"He hung his winter coat on a wide wooden coat hanger to help it keep its shape."

a laundry product used to reduce static cling, soften fabrics, and add scent to clothes during washing or drying, typically in liquid or dryer sheet form

"Fabric softener makes clothes fluffy."

"She added a capful of liquid fabric softener to the washing machine to make the towels feel fluffy and smell good."

a cleaning agent that is used to remove dirt, stains, and odors from clothing and other fabrics

"She buys scented laundry detergent."

"He poured a scoop of powdered laundry detergent into the machine before adding the dirty clothes."

a large basket with a lid, typically used for laundry, storage, or transport

"The hamper is full."

"She threw her dirty socks and shirts into the plastic laundry hamper in the corner of her bedroom."

a device, typically made of metal, plastic, or wood, designed to hold clothing by the shoulders and keep it wrinkle-free

"Hang clothes on hanger."

"He took an empty hanger from the closet rod and hung his damp towel on it to dry."

a long narrow table, usually padded and supported by foldable legs, designed to hold clothes flat while they are being ironed

"She sets up ironing board."

"She set up the ironing board next to the window and plugged in the iron to remove wrinkles from her work shirt."

a container used for storing and transporting dirty clothes to and from the washing machine or laundromat

"She carries laundry basket downstairs."

"He carried the full laundry basket down to the basement to wash the towels and sheets."

a warm and enclosed storage space in a house, usually containing a hot water cylinder, used to dry or air clothes

"The airing cupboard dries towels."

"She stored the clean sheets in the warm airing cupboard where they would stay dry and fresh smelling."

small, thin pieces of soap that are used for washing clothes and other household items

"Soap flakes dissolve in water."

"The washing machine was filled with soap flakes instead of liquid detergent as was common many years ago."

a powdered detergent that is used for washing clothes, and typically consists of a mixture of soap and synthetic detergents

"He buys soap powder."

"She used a box of soap powder for white clothes and a separate one for colors to avoid fading."

a laundry product used to stiffen fabrics, reduce wrinkles, and facilitate ironing by spraying it onto clothes for a crisp and polished appearance

"Spray starch stiffens collars."

"She used spray starch on his cotton shirts before ironing to make the collars and cuffs stiff and crisp."

a tool used to manually wash clothes by rubbing them against its ribbed surface while they are wet with soap and water

"Grandma used washboard and tub."

"She scrubbed the dirty socks against a metal washboard in the sink to remove the ground in mud."

an outdoor cord or rope used for air-drying clothes by hanging them for drying in the open air and sunlight

"The washing line sags."

"The children ran between the flapping sheets on the washing line playing hide and seek in the backyard."

a type of cleaning agent in the form of a dry powder or granules used to wash clothes

"He buys washing powder."

"He bought a large box of washing powder at the supermarket because it was on sale and cheaper than liquid detergent."

an electric machine used for washing clothes

"The washing machine is noisy."

"Our washing machine needs repair."

a machine used to remove moisture from clothes, hair, or other items through heat or airflow

"She put the wet clothes into the dryer."

"The dryer buzzed loudly to signal that the clothes were finished and ready to be folded."

a fabric or paper sheet used in dryers to reduce static cling, soften fabrics, and add scent to clothes during drying

"Dryer sheets reduce static."

"She tossed a scented dryer sheet into the machine with the wet clothes to reduce static cling and add fragrance."

a strong chemical compound used for removing stains, whitening clothes, and disinfecting surfaces

"Bleach whitens white clothes."

"She added a capful of chlorine bleach to the white load to remove stains and brighten the fabric."

to use a heated appliance to straighten and smooth wrinkles and creases from fabric

"She irons her clothes every morning."

"You need to iron your shirt before the meeting because it is very wrinkled from being in the suitcase."

describing the state of a garment that has been pressed and smoothed with an iron

"My shirt is ironed."

"My shirt is ironed and wrinkle free so I look professional for the meeting today."

a shop where one can do their laundry and dry cleaning

"Go to the cleaner's."

"I need to go to the cleaner's to pick up my suit before the important meeting tomorrow morning."

to allow wet clothes to dry by hanging them up without wringing them out

"Drip-dry the shirt on a hanger."

"After washing the delicate sweater by hand she hung it on a plastic hanger to drip dry in the bathroom away from direct sunlight."

cleaned with a solvent instead of water

"The coat is dry-cleaned."

"The coat is dry cleaned because the fabric is too delicate for a regular washing machine."

the activity of making clothes, etc. smooth using an iron

"She hates ironing shirts."

"She hated ironing because it was tedious but she loved the look of freshly pressed clothes."

a place where one can wash and dry one's clothes using coin-operated machines

"The launderette has washing machines."

"She went to the launderette because her apartment building did not have its own washing machines."

able to be safely cleaned with water or other cleaning agents without being damaged

"The fabric is machine washable."

"The fabric is machine washable so you can clean it at home without going to the dry cleaner."

marked or discolored by a substance that is difficult to remove

"The shirt is stained."

"The stained carpet had to be replaced because the red wine would not come out."

to make something damp or moist by applying water or another liquid

"Please wet the cloth."

"He decided to wet the sponge thoroughly before wiping down the dusty surfaces."

having stains, bacteria, marks, or dirt

"My shoes are dirty."

"The dirty dishes piled up in the sink because nobody wanted to wash them after the big family dinner last night."

an individual who works or owns a business specializing in the cleaning and maintenance of garments and textiles using methods that do not involve water

"He picks suit from dry cleaner."

"He picked up his suit from the dry cleaner where it had been professionally cleaned and pressed."