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Can you smell that?
You probably know what I’m talking about because It’s that time of the week again—laundry day. People usually hate laundry for many reasons. First, used clothes smell. Second, it’s a literal pain in the back as we carry clothes from one step to another. Lastly, some stains are too stubborn.
I’m sure you’ve got more to complain about. The point is, it’s a hassle. Sometimes, we couldn’t even ask our children for help since they’re either in school or are too young to give a hand. Every step of the process falls on you,
What if I tell you that there’s a way to make laundry a painless task? Yep, there is. Read through this article and learn simple steps that could make your laundry easy as a pie.
1. Have a hamper for every family member
We all have a family member that sweats more or gets their clothes dirtier than the rest of the family. Hence, it’s best to separate their clothes as these require more washing and cleaning.
Apart from this, having separate hampers or laundry baskets teaches kids to be responsible for their mess. Finally, it unburdens you from the pain of personally sorting their clothes.
2. Schedule your laundry
Having placed different laundry baskets for each family member, the next reasonable step is to schedule your laundry day.
What makes laundry troublesome is usually the inconsistency of the laundry date schedule. If your laundry day varies for each week, the number of clothes you get to wash becomes unpredictable and overwhelming.
Hence, dedicating a day or a few days solely for laundry each week could help you condition your mind before washing the clothes. Set different laundry dates for each family member or every type of fabric for more convenient scheduling.
3. Read the labels on your clothes
Start your laundry by checking the labels on your clothes. This will save you from potential washing troubles. Hence, you need to prepare a different basket for “dry-clean only” or those that require hand washing.
Remember, it’s not worth it to ruin your clothes with special fabrics for the small amount of time you could save from dumping all the clothes at once.
4. Sort by colour
Always start with sorting by colour. You can do it based on the following categories.
- Whites
- Light-coloured (e.g. pastel and light grey)
- Dark-coloured clothes
- Extra dirty clothes
This way, you’ll avoid disasters like mixing whites with colour-rich clothes.
5. Sort by type of fabric
But, sorting shouldn’t end with colour. After all, these clothes are also made of different fabrics. Mixing light shirts with jeans may cause unpleasant stretching, and mixing ordinary clothes with a linty material is a big no!
Sorting by fabric also gives you the liberty to choose a washer cycle and temperature.
6. Empty pockets
To prevent laundry disasters, make sure to remove all accessories and pocket items (e.g. coins, tissue paper, belts, pens, and jewellery) and close all zippers and buttons.
7. Pick a detergent
Use an all-purpose detergent and base the amount on product specifications and load size.
For heavily stained clothes, make sure to perform a pre-treatment. You can use commercial stain removers or organic alternatives like lemon and vinegar.
8. Select the appropriate water cycle and temperature
Coldwater usually suffices for ordinary or mildly dirty clothes. But, for stained clothes, underwear, and bedsheets, make sure to use the highest recommended temperature to wash away odours and stains effectively.
As for the washer cycle, you follow the following guide:
- Normal – for ordinary and mildly tainted clothes
- Delicate – for sensitive fabrics
- Heavy-duty – especially useful for jeans and thick towels
9. Load the washer and run the dryer
Turn the clothes inside out and load them in the washer one at a time. Remember, never cram the washer since you need to leave space for the water.
10. Fold or hang your clothes
After drying, make sure to fold immediately, iron, or hang your clothes to prevent wrinkling.
