10 Tips to Simplify Laundry Day

1. Work smarter, not harder. Take your current load size that you would normally put in the washer and cut that in half. Only put half of what you would usually put in the washer. Why? Because that’s less you have to fold. It makes the chore less daunting and dreadful when you break up your laundry loads. It’s a hack and your welcome.

2. Don’t wash it if it isn’t dirty. How many of us are guilty of wearing a pair of jeans for a couple of hours and throwing them into the dirty clothes bin when we take them off? I know I’ve done this thousands of times personally. Put a stop to it right now. If it isn’t dirty, meaning if it doesn’t smell and you didn’t spill anything on it, then hang it up and be done with it.

3. Don’t waste your time neatly folding your washcloths and cleaning towels. It takes up way too much of your precious time that you will never get back. Designate a specific bin for those and throw them in there. Don’t waste another moment on making them perfect.

4. Hang up as much as you can. Using hangers is just easier. I have this very specific system that I use to put my clothes on hangers that make laundry so much easier to do. I’ll hopefully make a video on this system in the near future. I put all of my shirts, pants, etc. in seperate piles according to what they are. I lay them on top of each other and I take a hanger and put the first piece in the stack on it and then lay it out of the way. I go through the entire stack like this until complete. Then, I take them all in one hand to the closet to hang them up. I hope that made sense.

5. Be mindful about how much detergent you're using. If you use too much, it stays in your clothing. I’m sure some of it does anyway, but the more you use the more that stays behind in your clothing.

6. Use baking soda religiously. Baking soda really helps your washer clean your clothes. With the rough texture, it works together with the detergent to make your clothes smell extra amazing and feel good too. My laundry comes out smelling so fresh because of this concoction. I put about a half of cup of baking soda per laundry load.

7. Use the settings that these new washer and dryer machines have to your benefit. On the dryer, there is usually a setting that will only dry your clothes until they are dry and then stop. It’s a detection built into most of the new dryers. I like this feature very much, because it saves on the electricity bill. If you put your clothes on a timer then they are probably done much sooner than that. Every little bit helps.

8. Read the owner manual to your specific washer and dryer. Pay close attention to the page about what the buttons on the machine are and what they are meant for. This will be so helpful to you. Yes, I have read my own front to back.

9. Empty the dryer lint basket after every load. I hope you are already doing this because it’s a fire hazard, but if you're not then today is the day to start.

10. Read the little tag inside your linens before washing them. I look at the tag on a piece of clothing or linen as an owner manual. It instructs you on how to care for that specific piece of item so that you can have it longer. If you follow the directions, then you’ll have years of use out of that item. This is very important. There are a lot of interesting facts printed on clothing tags. Make sure to read the tag before putting it in a washer or dryer.

11. BONUS: People tend to overuse bleach because of the disinfectant properties that it has and how much power it has to whiten a dirty shirt or other clothing articles. Most think that they are doing a good thing for themselves and family by using bleach. However, bleach is very powerful in a bad way. It likes to eat through spray bottles. I've noticed that when I puit bleach in a sprayer, the sprayer ends up going bad on it not long after. It also doesn't mix well with other chemicals. If bleach and ammonia are combined together, they create a deadly gas. What to Do If You Mix Bleach and Ammonia - First Aid Get away from the site where the chemicals were mixed. Call 911 for emergency help. If you find someone who you think has mixed bleach and ammonia, chances are he or she will be unconscious. Thoroughly ventilate the area before returning to dispose of the liquid. Mixing bleach and ammonia causes the release of toxic vapors called chloramines (these are a group of related compounds that are known to irritate the respiratory system). Exposure to these gases can trigger symptoms like watery eyes, nausea, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and irritation to the throat, nose, and eyes. This is just one example of a bad combination with bleach. There are many. It leaves a film on its victim unless rinsed thoroughly with cold water - a lot of cold water. Most clothing tags will specifically say “don’t use bleach.” but you can only know this information if you read the tag attached to your fabrics.

Make sure that you wear gloves when handling bleach or any other chemical and READ YOUR LABELS -It could save your life.