What is the proper way to load something?

Use your legs, not your back.

If you are referring to laundry, this is the way I do it: Work clothes in cold water w/detergent & softener; colored clothes in warm water w/detergent & softener; whites in hot water w/detergent, softener and bleach. Water level depends upon the size of the load. I do the whites last because of the hot water and bleach. I don't know if there is a "proper" way to load, as people have their own ways of doing things.

By using your legs. Squat all the way down, grab what it is you want to load, and lift using our legs.

slow and steady.