Shared from Busymomsmartmom.com
Is laundry one of your least favorite chores?
If you said yes, then you need some laundry hacks that can help you get the job done faster.
Let’s face it, no one wants to be stuck washing and drying and folding and ironing all day long. My kids have been doing their laundry since they were 6 and 8 because as a busy mom, I just can’t do it all.
And you probably can’t either, which means you need to save time anywhere you can, including the laundry room.
But how do you do it? If the laundry is eating up a big chunk of your day, these hacks can help you claim some of it back.
1. Pick a system that fits your schedule
If you hate doing laundry then there’s no reason to overcomplicate things. Pick a system for doing laundry that fits your life and doesn’t make you feel like you’re caught in laundry limbo.
There are two basic options: do it all on one day or do a load or two daily.
- Pro: Doing laundry on a designated day each week means you don’t have to worry about it again for a week.
- Con: You could end up with a huge pile of laundry tackle if you’re only doing it once a week.
Doing laundry daily
- Pro: You’re not bogged down doing loads and loads of laundry for hours.
- Con: If you truly hate doing laundry, you might dread having to manage a load each day.
As you can see, there are pros and cons to each one.
At my house, we do laundry once a week on Fridays. And it takes all day sometimes. But I’d rather get it over with instead of having to worry about it every day.
It doesn’t really matter which system you pick as long as you’re comfortable with it. And you can always switch it up and try both to see what works better, depending on how big your laundry pile gets each week.
2. Organize your laundry space
Having an organized space for sorting, washing, drying and folding can be a godsend if you dread doing laundry. If everything is right there where you need it, you don’t have to go chasing things down.
Here are some of my favorite laundry hacks for staying organized:
- Use separate baskets to color code dirty laundry as it piles up.
- Give everyone in the house their own basket to hold clean clothes that need to be put away.
- Cut down on the number of laundry products you use. Less stuff = less mess.
- Use a space-saving mobile cart to “hide” cleaning products if you have room.
- Install a lint bin if you don’t have one.
These are little things but they can go a long way toward helping you stay organized when wading through the laundry each week.
3. Assign everyone a job
One of the best laundry hacks to save time is to make it a family effort.
After all, doing the laundry yourself for the whole family is no picnic, right? So why not share the task.
As they get older, you can promote them to folding. Or get them to help with loading and unloading the washer and dryer. And teens can pitch in and do the ironing or putting things away.
Again, it doesn’t matter how you break up doing laundry, as long as everyone has a job. And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect–it just has to be done.
4. Skip hand-washing and use cloth or mesh bags instead
Delicates can slow you down if you have to hand-wash them. But you can save time by sealing them in cloth or mesh bags and tossing them in the washer.
This is one of the easiest laundry hacks ever so if you’re not doing it yet, give it a try to see how much time you can save. And you can even try it with shoes, which is even better!
Take a look at these mesh bag options for protecting your delicates in the wash.
5. Take advantage of the quick wash setting
If your washing machine has a quick wash setting then do yourself a huge favor and use it!
A quick wash can get your clothes clean in under an hour (and in some cases, less than 15 minutes depending on your washer.) It uses water and less energy than a traditional wash cycle so it can also save you some money to boot.
Making this one simple change to your laundry routine can make such a difference in how quickly you’re able to get it done.
Here are some tips to know about using quick wash to save time:
- It works best for clothes that are only lightly soiled.
- Don’t overdo it on laundry soap, since this cycle has a shorter spin time.
- Only fill your washer up to about halfway for the best results.
Also, check your clothing labels to make sure the fabrics are quick wash friendly. Quick wash uses cold water so if you have something that needs to be washed in warm water, you’ll want to save it for your next regular load.
6. Use dryer balls to speed up drying
If you hate waiting for clothes to dry, you can give them a hand by tossing in some dryer balls.
Dryer balls help to separate your damp clothing so the air can circulate better. More circulation means your clothes dry faster.
Plus, they’re cheaper and more eco-friendly than buying dryer sheets. And who doesn’t like saving money?
If you’ve never used dryer balls before, consider whether you’d rather use wool or go with silicone ones. And if you have kids or a spouse with sensitive skin, make sure you’re looking for hypoallergenic versions.
Here are some ideas to get you started if you’re shopping for dryer balls.
7. Or toss in a towel instead
If you don’t want to spend money on dryer balls because you’re on a tight budget, there are other things you can do to save time on laundry.
Something as simple as tossing in a dry towel with your wet clothes can help them dry faster. And if you have wrinkled clothes, you could use a damp towel instead to help shake out wrinkles.
8. Swap your iron for ice cubes
This is one of the best laundry hacks if slaving over an ironing board isn’t your thing.
If you have wrinkled clothes, you can toss them in the dryer with an ice cube or two. As the ice melts, the heat from the dryer creates steam and knocks those wrinkles right out.
Now, I would say to check your clothing labels first before you try this with anything delicate. But otherwise, it’s a great way to get around having to iron all the time.
9. Stretch out the time between washes
One of the easiest fixes for getting laundry done when you hate laundry is doing it less.
So if you have a favorite pair of jeans, don’t wash them every week. Switch to every other week instead or even once a month if they’re not getting really dirty.
This may be challenging if you have kids who constantly seem to dirty up their clothes. But it’s worth trying to see if you can cut back on how often you need to do laundry.
10. Go minimalist with your wardrobe
Another helpful laundry hack is cutting back on the amount of clothes your family owns.
Sticking with a capsule wardrobe for each family member means you don’t have as much dirty laundry piling up. A friend of mine who lives in a tiny home with her husband and two kids does this and it works like a charm.
This is one of those laundry hacks that takes a little planning to make work but it can be well worth your time.
11. Try hanging instead of folding
Folding can be one of the most time-consuming parts of doing laundry. So why not just skip it?
Instead of folding, try hanging as much of your clothing as you can. I hang shirts, tank tops, jeans–basically everything except shorts.
You might need to invest in more hangers or even a clothes rack but it’s worth it if it helps you get the laundry crossed off your list in less time.
We would love to hear what laundry hacks you have to share. Please connect with us on Facebook and Instagram and tell us your thoughts!
To check out some of our other blog posts here, for more tips and tricks for single parents