Ever wonder if you’re doing laundry correctly? Or maybe there’s something you don’t know about doing laundry? I’ll teach you how to do laundry and show you some tips and tricks I learned from my mom.
My mother really liked nice clothes, so doing laundry correctly was something I learned early on. Your wardrobe is an investment, so best to protect and take care of it.
I do laundry on Monday’s. I’m not a huge fan of doing laundry so I know I only need to do it once a week and get it over with. Routine makes me happy. But I will say my laundry room is pretty and practical, so that makes it better. You can see my blog post on how I designed my laundry room here.
First, I start off by separating my clothes. Since we’re empty nesters, I don’t have a giant pile of laundry to do regularly. I usually have one load of whites, and 2 loads of darks. The reason I separate them is because sometimes dark clothes can dull whites. If you only have one load, that’s fine. Just make sure you don’t put any new jeans, or new bright shirts with whites as they could bleed into your whites.
As you are separating your clothes, make sure the pockets are empty on anything with pockets. There’s nothing worse than putting gum or a pen through the wash and worse yet the dryer!
Next, I make sure I take out my “delicates” (things like underwear, bras, lingerie, delicate fabrics) and put them in a mesh bag. This keeps your bra clips from snagging on clothes and also makes it easy to take this bag out and air dry everything (to be explained in a minute). I also make sure I am not putting anything in the wash that doesn’t belong. “Dry clean only” clothes can only be dry cleaned. Some clothes that are labeled “dry clean” I have washed and not dried. This is a risk you need to decide if you want to take. I do wash silk tops but do not dry them. Never wash cashmere or wool in the wash – you will ruin it. You will end up with your size L sweater only fitting a 4-year-old.
I wash the darks in cold water and the whites in hot water (using Molly’s Suds as a whitener). If you don’t use Molly’s Suds, you can wash your whites in cold, but hot water does clean them better. You can also use bleach tabs if you want (only on whites, otherwise bleach will stain colors with white spots), but they don’t whiten as well.
I just use the normal cycle and I do not typically use any of the extra buttons on my machine (extra rinse, extra spin, etc.). If you have a front loader, be sure to check the seal inside the machine as socks and small items can get trapped in there. If you’re wondering where your missing sock went … that could solve your mystery. 🙂
If you do have items that have a stain on them such as grease, oil, grass, etc., I use Tide Rescue stain remover spray. When you take that item of clothing off, spray the stain generously and let it sit until you are ready to do laundry. Also, I use Tide detergent exclusively. I’m not typically a brand snob but in this case I am. I just find Tide to be exceptional in cleaning clothes. I use the pods and I use 1 pod for a small load and 2 pods for larger loads. If you’re doing whites, just add the Molly’s Suds to the machine as directed.
Ok, now you’re finished with the first load of wash. Put it in the dryer … EXCEPT THESE THINGS. If you want to keep your clothes lasting MUCH longer, do not dry:
- Bras
- Underwear
- Bathing suits
- Anything with Spandex like leggings, shirts, etc.
- Anything you do not want to shrink like 100% cotton tops
- Anything you do not want to get pilled (those little annoying tiny balls of fabric that make your clothes rough and look terrible)
- Delicate fabrics like silk or lingerie
Heat kills some fabrics … especially Spandex or stretchy fabrics, so air drying them will make them last much longer. Just get a drying rack, lay them on it, and in several hours they’ll be dry (I leave mine overnight).
Dry your clothes in the dryer on a normal setting using normal heat – avoid using a high heat setting (for the above reason).
Do not forget to clean out the lint trap on your dryer after each use. This will avoid fire hazards. There is also an output outside your house for the dryer tube to release the hot air. If you know where this is, it’s a good idea to check periodically and clean that out as well. These maintenance tricks will also make your dryer last longer and run more efficiently.
A few more laundry tips that I can share with you are:
- Wash your sheets at least once a week. Unless you get into bed clean every night and don’t drool, or sweat, your sheets get dirty. Washing and drying them also gives you a freshly made crisp bed regularly. Learn more about how to make a super comfy amazing bed here.
- Wash your towels at least once a week – and that means all the towels like bath, kitchen, and hand towels. They may not look dirty but just take a whiff.
- Fold your clothes as soon as you can. If you fold them out of the dryer, you’ll have minimal wrinkles. The longer they sit in the laundry basket, the more wrinkles they will have.
- Putting your clothes away right after you fold them helps you finish the task of laundry, and you don’t have to think about it again until next time. It only takes a few minutes to do. It also keeps your house neat and tidy without piles of laundry and keeps your closet organized.
- Use wool dryer balls to minimize static cling and to also keep your clothes moving nicely in the dryer. This helps clothes ball up less.
- Buy washable sponges for your kitchen and wash them once or twice a week. They last a very long time, and you don’t have the problem with your sponge ever smelling dank. Eww …