trousers  for  foreign  objects.  Although  it  is  the responsibility of the crew member to remove all foreign objects from the pockets, some may forget to check. An ink pen left in a pair of trousers can cause havoc in a washer or dryer and result in a large  laundry  claim.  Conducting  this  inspection on  individual  lots  may  be  practical  but,  due  to time  constraints  and  lack  of  manpower,  it  is impractical for laundry personnel to check every piece  of  clothing  in  larger  bulk  lots.  A  note  should be  placed  in  the  Plan  of  the  Day  (POD)  aboard ship asking crew members to check their pockets carefully for foreign objects before sending their clothes  to  the  laundry  to  eliminate  chances  of damage during the laundering process. This note should   be   inserted   in   the   Plan   of   the   Day periodically  to  remind  crew  members. The receiving laundryman is also tasked with the  job  of  classifying  all  clothing  according  to color, fiber content, and degree of soiling. He or she  should  separate  colors  from  whites  to  prevent color transfer, and always separate heavily soiled items  from  lightly  soiled  items  to  prevent  the further  deposition  of  soil  on  garments,  causing them  to  look  gray  or  dull.  Laundry  personnel should also check all individual lots and make sure there are no colored items mixed with whites in the  laundry  net  bags.  Laundry  net  bags  should not be overstuffed or they will not wash properly due   to   lack   of   mechanical   action.   Net   bags delivered  to  the  laundry  overstuffed  should  be split  into  two  laundry  net  bags. DAMAGE  TO  CLOTHING  ON  THE WASH  DECK The  majority  of  clothing  damage  occurs  on the  wash  deck;  however,  with  proper  receiving procedures   many   of   these   problems   can   be eliminated. Navy wash formulas must be posted on the wash deck and followed. The Navy wash formulas  I  through  III  are  shown  in  figures  7-7 through  7-9.  The  proper  use  of  these  formulas  will eliminate  the  majority  of  the  problems  on  the wash  deck. Although the washer extractor can operate in the manual mode, always use it in the automatic mode.  The  Navy  wash  formulas  and  washer extractor   were   designed   for   operating   in   the automatic  mode  and  not  manual  mode.  Manual operation leads to an unsanitary wash and poor quality   of   the   finished   product.   Mechanical problems  may  also  occur  during  the  manual  mode when the extractor motor is energized before all the  water  is  drained  from  the  wash  drum. If the washer extractor is extracting properly, it removes all water from clothing except for an amount equal to 55 percent of the dry weight of the  laundry.  If  the  clothing  is  underextracted, there  will  be  an  increase  in  drying  time  and work   backlog   will   occur.   On   the   other   hand, overextraction causes severe wrinkling in clothes that  will  make  pressing  difficult. NOTE:  Laundry   supervisors   should   make sure   operating   instructions   for   the   washer extractor  in  automatic  mode  are  posted  on  the wash  deck  for  all  personnel  to  read  and  follow. Do not exceed the manufacturers’ load limits for  equipment.  An  overloaded  washer  extractor will  not  wash  or  extract  properly.  Washer extractors with three pockets should be loaded to make  sure  equal  weight  is  distributed  in  each pocket.   Clothes   should   be   weighed   properly before  reaching  the  wash  deck  to  eliminate  any problems in loading. Synthetic, synthetic blends, and certified Navy twill should be loaded at rated capacity of the washer extractor. This will improve mechanical action for a better wash and help to avoid  wrinkling. Two-Shot  Detergent The   new   two-shot   detergent   consists   of   a detergent  and  oxygen-based  bleach.  Since  it  comes premixed  the  laundryman  does  not  have  to measure  chemicals.  The  two-shot  detergent  is  safe for  use  on  all  fabrics,  finishes,  or  colors.  At  the time  of  the  writing  of  this  manual,  limited information  was  available  on  the  effects  of  the two-shot detergent in the laundering process. As information  is  released  and  military  specifications are prepared, new information will be available. Sour Sour  is  used  to  brighten  and  freshen  the clothes. Sour does this by neutralizing remaining alkalies and dissolving iron and other metallic salts that  cause  rust  or  a  yellow  discoloration.  If  you omit sour from your wash load, the clothes may become   yellow   or   dull   looking   when   you   dry or   iron   them.   Undersouring   gives   incomplete neutralization  of  the  alkali;  oversouring  can  cause clothing  to  stick  to  press  heads  and  flatwork ironers. Souring  on  the  last  rinse  removes  sodium bicarbonate,   which   the   rinse   water   normally contains. Sour usually does not injure the fabric. 7-9