Know how to do laundry efficiently

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Know how to do laudry effeciently and it will be less of a burdensome task

Love it or not, laundry is a fact of life. Many learn how to do laundry in high school or college. You know the basic steps and dislike the chore too much to give it much thought. But, there are ways to do laundry more efficiently that will turn this dreaded chore into just another task that?s finished before you know it.

Like anything, a few ?tools? will help you do laundry efficiently. These items include shelving, hamper or laundry bag, a quarter jar and drying rack.

Shelving in your laundry space helps you keep your laundry supplies organized and within easy reach. Soap, fabric softener, hangers, and stain remover should all live on this shelf. Add supplies to your shopping list as you run low so they never out on laundry day.

Store your laundry in a hamper, basket or laundry bag. It?s useful to have a separate hamper for whites and colors. Choose the best storage option for your situation. If you have a laundry room, a hamper is attractive and easy to transport. If you?re taking laundry out of the house, laundry bags may be the best option.

Turn tops and pants with designs inside out to preserve the images. Have a separate spot for delicates. A wicker basket with lining works fine and looks nice in a laundry room or bedroom.

For anyone without a change machine at the laundry mat: One of the easiest things you can do to save time on laundry day is to have your quarters ready to go. Keep a quarter jar by the door and drop loose quarters in daily. Know approximately how many quarters you need to do a load of laundry and stuff a few singles in the jar in case you?re short and need to make change.

Treat stains as they occur. If you don?t have stain remover, dab detergent directly on the stain and rub the material together and let sit for about 10 minutes.

As you fill the laundry machine, check your pockets and remove everything. No tissues, candy, cell phones or change. Make sure everything is out of your pockets and in the future, get into the habit of emptying pockets before throw them in the hamper.

Washing laundry one load at a time in your laundry room? Keep a clock and chalk board in the laundry room. These among the handiest laundry room accessories you can purchase. Jot down the time you throw the first load in and take care of another task during the first load. Use the 30-45 minutes to do dishes, vacuum, scrub or dust. Read a few pages of a book or call back your friend. Consider laundry a time for hyper productivity.

Don?t leave your clothes in a dorm laundry room or mat. Try to grab two washers next to each other or turn your basket upside down on top of your machine so you know which ones are yours. Use this time to finish homework, read or call a parent.

In terms of energy efficiency, washing clothes in cold water instead of warm makes them brighter and uses 90% less energy than a machine set to warm water, according to Consumer Energy. It?s still a good idea to separate whites and colors, but you can wash them both with cold water and they?ll get just as clean.

Hang delicate clothes on a drying pole or drying rack. When possible, hang laundry to dry on clothesline. You?ll save energy and your clothes will smell fresh. If you have to use a dryer, be careful not to over stuff it. One dryer takes about one load of laundry. Set the temperature on low or medium and dry for 35-50 minutes. Check that the lint basket is empty so the machine works most efficiently.

Wipe the folding surface before putting your clean clothes on it. When done drying, empty clothes onto a folding table and throw your next load in the dryer if you?re at home. At a laundry mat, remove all of your clothes from the machines so someone else can use them.

Separate clean clothes as you fold them. Create a pile for towels and each person?s clothes. Bring the clothes into your bedroom and put them right away ? it?s too tempting to say you’ll come back to it later and forget about them.

Finally, do the I-did-my-laundry dance. You?re done!

References:
Consumer Energy