Laundry hacks that could change your life
On average we spend 102 minutes per week, 88 hours a year or 173 days in a lifetime washing our clothes and hanging them out to dry. So, any little bit of inside info on either how to save time, or how to do a better job, is definitely most welcome!
With many bloggers sharing their top tips on how to make doing the laundry that bit more satisfying, we take a look at some of the best ways to achieve success. And, with National Lost Sock day taking place on 9th May, perhaps we could even find a tip that’ll see each pair stay together during the wash cycle!
Here’s our wash day wisdom…
1 – Divide and Conquer
Many a task is made successful because of the planning that takes place first, and putting a wash load on is no exception. It’s imperative that you sort your washing into the correct colours, that you hand-wash where required with the correct detergent and that you wash it at the correct temperature. We’ve all had wash day disasters when a rogue sock or item coloured a load.
To help the sorting out, why not consider having separate bins for different colours. Space permitting, you could have them in a communal cupboard and then educate other family members on what goes where so that whoever does the washing has it sorted already.
2 - Minimise washing
If it’s OK for another wear don’t just toss it on the bedroom chair to become creased and unwearable. Re-hang it, turn the hanger the other way round to highlight you’ve worn it once, and you’re good to go.
3 – Protect clothing
Remember to turn denim inside out to stop it fading and do up zips and fasten bras so that the zipper teeth and hooks don’t snag other clothing items during the cycle. You could even use a special mesh laundry bag to put delicate items in for added protection.
4 - Stain solutions; squeeze and sprinkle
One of the hardest things to tackle when doing the laundry is those nasty stains – grass on cricket whites, pasta sauce on t-shirts and red wine on any top other than black!
Lynsey Crombie, Queen of Clean, shares tips for banishing those summer stains, whilst other top tips include using household products for the best results. Mrs Hinch uses washing up liquid on bean, ketchup and pasta sauce! You can follow her on Instagram @mrshinchhome
For those hard to shift armpit stains; squeeze some lemon juice on the stain, sprinkle with baking soda, leave to dry and then wash as normal.
5 – Dreamy drying
If you’re one for line drying then you could follow Stacey Solomon’s way of line drying which apparently makes things even easier, simply by removing clothes from the machine and placing on hangers before hanging those from the washing line!
Or, if you favour a tumble dryer remember to:
- Add a clean dry towel into your load and it will speed up the drying process
- Remove the lint from your dryer after each use. Keep an old tissue box close by, you can pop the lint in there and when it’s full compost it. Both the lint and the box will decompose.
- Ditch the dryer sheets and substitute for crunched up balls of tinfoil. It will stop the static and is reusable, effective, and chemical free
6 - Into the fold
Once you’ve dried your laundry, either outside or inside on an airer or tumble dryer, make sure you fold it tidily straight away. Not everything needs ironing, indeed the process can damage some fibres, but neatly folding the items that do require pressing will make the job so much easier, even if it spends a few days on an ironing pile.
7 - Wash the washer
It may seem counter intuitive, but your washing machine needs cleaning too. A build up of soap, fabric softener, hair and clothing fibres can mean that the machine doesn’t perform to its full capabilities so a regular clean will work wonders.
Wipe the inside of the door and the door seal where rogue items can gather. Remove the soap drawer and wash in hot water remembering to also clean the cavity where it came from. A toothbrush can work wonders in here to tackle those hard-to-reach areas. And then, either using a specialist product or just a capful of Zoflora in the drawer and the drum, pop the machine on an empty hot wash.
Oh, and don’t forget to open your door and your drawer after you’ve finished using your machine each time. It’s stops any fusty smells and mildew.
We hope these few handy hints help with wash day in your home, however, as far as those missing socks go? We’ve yet to find out what really happens to them!