Laundry.
Doesn’t that word just make you want to jump for joy?
Isn’t doing laundry the most exciting part of your day?
Alright. Maybe not. But it IS an important task which is vital to the smooth operation of a typical household.
That’s why, in our home, I assigned this crucial job to my oldest teen. Her alone can I trust with this pressing duty, because only she can iron out all of the problems with our dirty laundry (after washing it, of course).
Is it the same in your household? Do one or more of your teens take care of the laundry duties? If so, you may want to share some of these time and money saving laundry tips with them. They can help your teens do this all-important job in your home (and their future homes) more efficiently.
Laundry Tips
Doing the laundry is one of those tasks that may not be the most exciting, but certainly is one of the most necessary, especially if you want people to be around you. (Nobody likes the smell of sweaty shirts and stinky socks.)
Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks that can make this job easier for you and I’m going to share some of those with you.
Now I can’t tell you how to use your washer and dryer because each machine has it’s own specific set of instructions. It’s best for you to follow those rules to keep your machines running safely and effectively. However, I can give you some tips that will save you time and money, and just make your life a little less complicated, at least when it comes to laundry. Here they are.
General Laundry Tips
Set a timer to go off when a load finishes in the washer or dryer. That will help you avoid forgetting loads for days on end because that’s just not pretty. If you DO forget a load in the dryer and they wrinkle, throw in a clean, damp towel and run the load for about 10-15 minutes. It should get the wrinkles out.
Turn printed t-shirts and sweatshirts inside out before washing and drying. It prolongs the life of the image.
Read the labels on clothing. It will help you wash the clothes effectively and save you a lot of heartache. (Washing a new, bright red shirt with whites can end badly.)
Clean the lint filter on the dryer after every load. This prevents fires. (House fires, not forest fires. See Smokey the Bear about the latter.)
Treat stains AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! It makes it a lot easier to get them out. Trust me on this one.
Time Saving Laundry Tips
Wash socks in a mesh bag. It prevents those sly, little stockings from sneaking off and hiding in your machine. They really do it. If you don’t believe me, ask your mother.
Add a dry, clean bath towel to the dryer with your wet clothes. It reduces the drying time.
If you do laundry for more than one person, have a different laundry basket for each one. Sort the clean dry clothes into each person’s basket so that they can be delivered to the proper person at the proper time free of charge.
Some people find that they save time by doing a load of laundry per day instead of spending an entire day doing it all at once. You can schedule different types of loads for a specific day of the week, i.e. towels on Monday, darks on Tuesday, etc.
Money Saving Laundry Tips
Use a permanent marker to darken the fill line on the detergent cap so that you can see it more easily. I’m sure that your vision is phenomenal, but you are less likely to accidentally put in too much soap, especially if you’re in a hurry. And speaking of detergent…
You can use less detergent for clothes that are less soiled. You don’t have to go all the way up to the fill line on the cap. That’s just a recommended amount. And just one more thing about detergent…
Try making your own laundry detergent. It’s cheaper. It might even count as a science project. Google will help you find some good laundry detergent recipes.
Wash most loads with cold water. Use warmer temps for colorfast items that are really dirty. This will save money on your energy bill.
Use shorter washing cycles. Longer cycles are only necessary for heavily soiled clothes like the sweaty ones I mentioned earlier.
Wash and dry full loads only. It wastes energy to do smaller loads more frequently. On the other hand, be careful not to overload your machine because it won’t clean or dry the clothes as well, not to mention the fact that it could wear your machine out over time.
Substitute 1/4 cup of white vinegar for fabric softener. It’s a lot less expensive and natural too. (Save the Earth.)
Use the same bath towel for a week. You’re clean when you use it after all and this will reduce the number of loads you have to wash.
Some articles of clothing can be worn more than once before being washed. A sweater worn over another shirt, for example, may not get as heavily soiled so it can be worn again before being washed. A t-shirt that you sweated in, on the other hand, probably should be washed after the first wearing. (Believe it or not, it isn’t wearing your clothes that wears them out so much as the stress they go through in the washer and dryer.)
Dry loads of similar fabric material together. For example, dry heavier weight materials like sweatshirts and towels together.
Line dry whenever possible (indoors or out). It saves on your gas/electric bill.
I hope these laundry tips and tricks make washing clothes into a more pleasant and enjoyable experience for you.