manufacturer’s  instruction  manual  is  furnished for each laundry marking machine. The mechanic who  works  on  the  machine  should  also  have  a copy  of  this  instruction  book.  Do  not  try  to  do any mechanical work on the machine unless it is absolutely  necessary.  Always  request  that  the work  be  done  by  a  trained  person  from  the engineering department. Ships  Without  Laundry  Marking Machines All   ships   are   required   to   have   a   laundry marking  machine  on  board.  Ships’  laundries temporarily  without  laundry  marking  machines will  have  to  use  laundry  marking  pens  while  a machine  is  being  procured  or  the  old  one  repaired. The laundry supervisor should obtain white and black  laundry  markers  from  the  bulk  storeroom and  charge  them  to  cost  of  operations  laundry. These  pens  will  serve  the  same  purpose  as  the laundry  marking  machine;  however,  they  will probably  slow  the  work  process  while  marking clothing.  For  individual  lots,  the  laundry  mark has to be handwritten on the Ship’s Store Laundry List,  NAVSUP  Form  233.  Care  should  be  taken while  marking  clothing  with  marking  pens  to make   sure   the   mark   does   not   go   completely through  the  fabric.  It  is  best  to  stencil  on  a semifirm surface such as cardboard, making sure you do not press too firmly. Be sure the ink from the  stencil  is  completely  dry  before  placing  the clothing  with  the  remainder  of  the  lot. WASHING The primary goal of the washing process is to remove  all  soil  from  the  fabrics  being  washed. This  is  done  through  a  series  of  baths  in  which the soil is loosened from the fabric, suspended in the water, and rinsed away. There are five baths in  the  washing  cycle—the  breaksuds,  the  flush suds, two rinse baths, and the sour bath. During the   first   two   baths,   the   two-shot   detergent (detergent/oxygen  bleach)  removes  and  loosens the  soil  so  it  may  be  rinsed  away. Sour is used in the last rinse cycle to neutralize alkalinity  and  to  decompose  any  remaining  traces still  in  clothing. FABRICS The  laundry  personnel  should  be  familiar  with the  different  kinds  of  fabrics.  In  general  most fabrics  can  be  safely  laundered  in  the  ship’s laundry  without  causing  damage  provided  they are   resistant   to   the   laundry   chemicals   used. Therefore,  it  is  a  good  laundry  practice  to  first determine  what  type  of  fabric  you  are  washing and take every precaution to prevent damage. It is essential that all laundry personnel know the different  kinds  of  fabrics. To   minimize   the   effects   of   chemicals   on fabrics,  classify  all  clothing  according  to  color, fiber content, and degree of soiling. Wash lightly soiled  articles  separately  from  heavily  soiled  items to   minimize   redeposition   of   soil   on   fabrics, causing  them  to  look  gray/dull.  Wash  colored fabrics   separately   from   whites   to   avoid   color transference. For  maximum  washing  efficiency,  do  not exceed  load  limits  of  equipment.  In  the  case  of synthetics/blends,  washer  loads  should  not  exceed three-fourths of the rated capacity to provide for maximum mechanical action, cleaning efficiency, and  to  avoid  wrinkling. Never  use  hot  flushes  with  supplies  before  the first bath. In the case of synthetics or synthetic blends,  a  hot  flush  with  no  supplies  will  soften the  fabric  and  allow  soil  to  penetrate  more  deeply. Synthetics   or   synthetic   blends   do   not   absorb water,  making  rinsing  easier.  The  final  extract should  be  consistent  with  the  Navy  wash  formula. Laundry  chemicals  should  come  in  contact  with fabrics  ONLY  AFTER  appropriate  water  levels are achieved. The two-shot detergent mentioned earlier is used in washing all shipboard clothing and   textile   items,   including   synthetics   and synthetic blends, and no other washing chemical should  be  used  in  place  of  them. TYPES OF SOIL In general there are four types of soils. Some can be removed during the washing process and some cannot. It is important that you know them so  you  can  decide  whether  they  require  special treatment. CHEMICAL  SOLUBLE  SOILS Chemical  soluble  soils  are  soluble  or  readily dissolvable  in  chemical  solvents.  Soils  of  this  type include  oils,  greases,  certain  waxes,  fatty  acids (which   are   mainly   body   oils),   and   vegetable, mineral, and animal oils. These soils usually are not  soluble  in  water  and  may  require  special treatment. 5-13