How to Make Laundry Day Easier and More Efficient
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While some people enjoy it, many of us find doing the laundry to be an annoying and time-consuming task that we often put off. However, there are several tips and tricks you can use to make it easier; here are a few of the best.
Wash Basket System
Before you look at a Black Friday washing machine sale, or look into getting a new and better tumble dryer, the first thing you should do is to start employing the wash basket system.
In simple terms, this means having multiple washing baskets for the different types of laundry: whites, darks, delicates, and linens, if you have the space. This makes sorting way easier and quicker on laundry day.
Pre-Treat All Stains
The next thing you should do is pre-treat any stains and marks. This takes away the chance of having to rewash an item and waste time, and means your clothes will be fresh and clean after one wash.
Therefore, the day before you want to do laundry, pre-treat all the stains and clothes with marks on them, and then leave them overnight. It will make removing the stain easier and reduce how many times you need to wash an item.
Mesh Bags for Delicates & Socks
While this may seem like a small thing, placing your socks, underwear, etc, in a mesh bag and then washing them will make it easier to find it all, and stop these smaller items from getting caught and hidden by other clothes and not getting washed properly.
Optimize Your Machine Settings
Many of us own washing machines that have two dozen different settings, but we only use the same two or three every time we do laundry. However, you should read the machine’s manual and see what each setting does.
More often than not, you will find new combinations of settings that will make doing your washing faster and more effective, and save you even more time. For instance, a shirt you wore for three hours doesn’t need to be washed for the same amount of time as the shirt you wore while doing garden work.
Hanging & Tumble Drying
If you have the option to either tumble dry your clothes, or hang them on a clothes horse or washing line, utilize them both. Once you have sorted your clothing, split the pile into items that can be tumble-dried and items that you need to hang.
Doing this allows you to get through more washing as neither your tumble dryer nor washing line will be full, and you can do another load to fill them both up, allowing you to get through twice as much laundry in half the time.
Ironing vs. Hanging
Another step to take is to separate your clothing into items you can hang and items you need to iron. Many of us think items like shirts and dresses will have creases if we don’t iron them, but more often than not, placing them on a hanger and letting them air dry will prevent wrinkles.
Once again, this allows you to get through even more laundry as you don’t have to get through a huge pile of ironing before you start the next load.
Linens
Linens should have their own laundry day as they are often much bigger, take longer to dry, and take up more space in your machine, like when you need to wash duvets, towels, etc. Therefore, do them by themselves on a separate day.
Once again, you can also hang a lot of linen and let it all air dry. Even if you don’t have access to a washing line, you can hang a few towels over your doors to let them dry. Plus, you will fill your house with the very pleasant and enjoyable fresh laundry smell.
Use the Sun
In the Summertime, use the sun to dry your laundry. The best course of action is to do the laundry earlier in the day, and hang it up outside before you head out for work. By the time you get home, it will be dry and ready to be packed away. Plus, the sun is free, making it the best money-saving dryer out there.
Do a Little Every Day
While it may take away some of your precious relaxation time, one of the best things to do that will make laundry easier is to do some every day, or at least every time you have enough to fill the machine.
If you live by yourself or with your partner, it is very easy for your laundry to get out of control as the piles never seem that big, but you add to them every day. Therefore, whether it is before work or when you get home, stick on a load of washing, hang it up, and then pack it away the next day.
Maintain Your Machines
Finally, always take the time to clean out and maintain your machines to ensure they are running at their best. The lint trap in a tumble dryer, for instance, can get clogged and make the machine less efficient at drying your clothes.
