Laundry is one of those household chores that never end. Whether you have a large family or you live alone, you can easily spend hours each week washing, drying, sorting, and folding clothing.
Fortunately, we are in the era of life and cleaning hacks, and there are a lot of smart people out there who have figured out ways to make doing laundry easier. To make those laundry tips and tricks easier to find, here are some of our favorite time-saving laundry hacks.
Wash Larger Loads
According to Jennifer Ahoni, P&G Fabric Care Principal Scientist, one of the easiest ways to cut down on the amount of time you spend doing laundry is to wash fewer larger loads instead of more smaller ones. Not only is this better for the environment, but it will save you the time it takes to prep every load and switch clothes to the dryer.
“The good news is that most new HE washing machines are a lot larger and can fit more clothes in the drum,” Ahoni said.
Just keep in mind that larger laundry loads mean more dirt and grime has to be washed in each cycle. Ahoni recommends checking your detergent label to ensure you are using the right amount of detergent to properly clean your clothes.
Use Laundry Pods
Another easy way to cut down on laundry time is to use laundry pods instead of liquid detergent. While this isn’t going to shave hours off this chore, it will make the process slightly easier.
“Tide PODS liquid laundry pods are one of the most convenient, time-saving options when doing laundry,” Ahoni said.
When using laundry pods, be sure to keep them in a child- and pet-proof container and store them in a safe, secure location.
Make Sorting Simple
Although the jury is out on whether or not you really need to separate your laundry before washing, it’s not a bad habit to get into. This is especially true if you have delicate items that need to be washed in a gentle cycle.
Skip the time it takes to sort your clothes before a laundry cycle by sorting them as you throw them in the laundry basket. The easiest way to do this is to use a laundry sorting basket. This laundry basket has four compartments for lights, colors, darks, and delicates. It’s easy to assemble and will seriously expedite the cleaning process.
Speed Up Drying Time
If you have a large load of laundry that is taking ages to dry, Leanne Stapf, COO of The Cleaning Authority, recommends speeding up the process by throwing some wool dryer balls into the mix. These will encourage movement of all the clothes and help more air circulate around everything.
Stapf also suggests adding a clean, dry towel to a load of wet clothes to speed up the drying process.
Remove Wrinkles Quickly
Need to wear a shirt that’s all wrinkly? Instead of pulling out your iron and ironing board, just throw it in your dryer with a couple of ice cubes.
As hot air circulates through your dryer, the ice cubes will melt and create steam that will help to remove the wrinkles in your clothes. Alternatively, you can toss a wet towel in the dryer instead.
To help fight wrinkles in the first place, try to put your laundry away as soon as the dryer cycle has finished. (Easier said than done, we know.) Ahoni also recommends using Bounce WrinkleGuard Mega Sheets with every dryer load to help prevent wrinkles on all dryer-safe fabrics. These sheets are bigger than standard options and are great for large loads of laundry.
Fight Wrinkles On the Go
If you need to wear a wrinkly item of clothing, like, now, try using a wrinkle-release spray. While this isn’t going to give you the look of a freshly-pressed shirt, it can be a great option in a pinch.
“Downy Wrinkle Release Spray contains technology that releases wrinkles on the go, so you don’t have to take the extra time to iron,” Ahoni said. “To use, spray the fabric from eight inches away with a sweeping motion, until just slightly damp, tug and smooth away wrinkles, then allow to dry.”
Stay Organized
A little bit of time upfront can save you a lot down the line. Stapf recommends placing all of your socks in a mesh laundry bag so they don’t get lost during washes. You can throw the entire bag in with the rest of your laundry while washing.
This will ensure that no sock mysteriously goes missing during the laundry process. Make this hack even more time efficient by putting your socks in a mesh laundry bag as soon as you’re finished wearing them to avoid sorting later on.
Whether you love or hate doing laundry, there’s no denying how much time it takes. These hacks will help you get through your laundry pile more quickly and free up some of your time.
