How to wash lingerie and delicates

I've been meaning to write some 'how to' posts for a while now as many readers have been requesting them and today is the first of what I hope will be a useful series of posts and perhaps even a reference point of sorts.

I'm going to start this series by talking about washing.  It's really crucial to wash all clothing, whether lingerie, delicates or regular items, according to the instructions on the label.  These laundry symbols can be really tricky to decipher but I've found a great site called Super Savvy Me that has a post explaining what they all mean.  I had no idea about some of them so I will be examining my garment labels much more closely from now on to ensure I wash everything as per the instructions to prolong the life of my clothing and lingerie.  I also found this post very useful as it explains how to keep different fabrics in great condition, and this post on how to solve some common laundry issues.