Unless you’re brazen enough to throw clothes away after wearing them, laundry day is inevitable. While modern washing machines and dryers make the process far more convenient, most people find managing laundry day is still a chore.
Below, The Great American Laundromat experts share five tips for making your laundry day a streamlined and satisfying experience that gives you sparkling clean results without the fuss.
#1 Time Your Laundry Day to Fit Your Routine
Many people do the full week’s laundry in one go—when they run out of clothes. While you can’t skip laundry day entirely, there are some things that you can do to streamline the process. The first of these small changes can dramatically reduce the tedium and frustration of the most boring laundry tasks, such as presorting and folding.
Some organized families do small loads throughout the week, and this is a great way to reduce the pressure if you are running a busy household. It is far easier than the overwhelming feeling of washing and folding masses of clothing and linen at once. However, it doesn’t work for everyone.
If you prefer to make one day a dedicated laundry day, you’ll be amazed at how much time you can save and how much better you’ll feel doing a few of the day’s preparations beforehand. Why not shake up the routine if you feel stuck in a rut with mountains of clothes? An alternative strategy might surprise you with better efficiency, and you are the only one who can decide what works for your family.
#2 Put Socks in a Mesh Bag
Matching socks is one of the most time-consuming laundry day tasks. A simple way of reducing the frustration of missing socks is to have every family member place their own socks into a designated mesh bag. It keeps the person’s socks together and makes them quick to match or fold, making them much simpler to match and fold.
Why not expand on this idea by giving everyone their own laundry bag or running one person’s laundry at a time? It provides a great control measure so that you can adjust your laundry schedule to only do loads when necessary. Separating loads this way also makes folding and organization a breeze.
#3 Use Baskets to Presort Laundry
Sorting laundry in a large basket can be messy and time-consuming, and it might not be so bad if you didn’t have to deal with the smell. A three-bin laundry sorter removes the hassle of presorting and keeps the laundry room neat and tidy. Even two baskets make a difference—one for colors and the other for whites.
If you decided to go with the per-person suggestion, you could even give each member of the household two baskets so that they can sort their own laundry easily. The setup works best if you are comfortable with multiple small loads in the week, but the number of laundry bags might seem overwhelming if you only have a one-day approach.
#4 Use Your Downtime Wisely
Laundry day takes time and effort, but there are also plenty of breaks while you’re waiting for clothes to wash and dry. Instead of trying to fit in other chores, why not use this time to relax? The fastest wash cycle typically takes about half an hour, a perfect amount of time to catch up on your favorite podcast or make a cup of tea to enjoy in your home’s sunniest spot.
Dedicating one day to laundry should give you plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in audiobooks and videos. You could listen to podcasts or music while folding laundry to make the process more enjoyable. You will probably find that the time goes a lot quicker when your brain is engaged in something fun as your hands shake, fold, and smooth the week’s load into submission.
#5 Have Dedicated Totes for Special Treatment
If you have special items that require dry cleaning or gentle washes, a dedicated laundry bag prevents accidents. You won’t damage your delicate items if there’s a specific place for them that you use consistently. Dry-cleaning items are also quick to load into the car if they are already in their own bag.
If these five tips are not inspiring enough for you, a far easier way to handle laundry day is to make it someone else’s problem, like The Great American Laundromat. The service offers a pick-up and delivery arrangement that’s convenient, affordable, and professional. The laundry comes back from our industrial-strength washers and dryers within 48 hours, cleaned, ironed, and folded according to your instructions.
If you are all about laundry tips, you cannot miss this article about How to Eliminate Bad Odors from Clothing.
Make your laundry day more efficient by signing up with the Great American Laundromat, or call us at 931-546-8551 today.
