Babies and toddlers go through so many clothes in a day. With kids, the dirty laundry seems to grow exponentially. Besides getting the dirty clothes washed and dried, you still need to sort it, fold and put it away. No one wants to get stuck doing this chore because it is so time-consuming!
Today, let’s talk about how to save time while doing laundry with these hacks. If laundry is taking up too much of your day, it’s time you implement these hacks to take back some of your time.
Implement a routine
Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate things. Pick a system that fits your lifestyle. It could be doing laundry every other day, or doing laundry twice a week. Don’t wait till you run out of clothes to do laundry! No one wants to be digging through the dryer to look for a pair of pajamas for bedtime.
At our house, we do laundry every other day so our dirty clothes do not pile up. I usually wait till everyone is done with the showers and pop the clothes into the washer when the kids are sleeping. I would go about doing other chores while waiting for the cycle to run. Then, I would put the clothes into the dryer before I go to bed.
Get the kids to help
Even if your kids are little, you can turn it into a folding game. My daughter loves to fold the towels for me. She would proudly tell me that she did a great job once they are folded.
The more they do it, the better they will get at folding laundry. Invest the time to teach them and they will make your life much easier in the future!
Organize the clothes as you fold them
Create a pile for each person’s clothes and sort them out while you’re folding the clothes. This makes it much easier to put away the clothes. Just grab the pile and head straight to each individual’s closet.
Treat stains immediately
If your kids are anything like my kids, stains are just part of the daily routine. If you see stains, treat them immediately because it’s always easier to get them out before they become stubborn stains. Even if you’re not planning to do laundry right away, just leave them soaking in the bucket and throw the clothes into the machine when it’s time to do laundry.
By the way, I have found this laundry bar to be particularly efficient in removing stains: The Fels Naptha Dial Laundry Soap. I basically just rub the bar on the stains, then rub the clothes together a few times and let it soak for a few minutes. The stains are gone by the time I am ready to throw my clothes into the wash! It is so inexpensive at less than $1 per bar.
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Air dry some clothes
Some clothes will shrink if you throw them into the dryer. For example, sports jerseys or sweaters should be air-dried. Not only will this save energy, it will also save you from having to spend money to replace ruined clothes.
Sun-dry your white clothes
The sun acts as a natural bleacher. Try it out! In addition, sun-dried clothes smell nicer.
Use mesh laundry bags
They are especially useful to keep the socks together. That way you won’t end up with a ton of unmatched socks. Mesh laundry bags are great for washing the delicates too. Instead of hand-washing them, just place them in a mesh bag and toss them into the washer. It saves so much time! You can also try it with shoes.
Use shorter cycles
This not only saves time, but it saves energy as well. Most of the dirt comes out of the clothing within the few first minutes of the wash cycle, so there’s really no need to use a long cycle if your clothes are not extremely dirty. Don’t overdo the laundry soap though since it’s a shorter cycle. Make sure to check your clothing label to make sure that they are quick wash friendly.
Use dryer balls
Dryer balls can help separate your clothes to allow air to circulate better, which means your clothes can dry faster. This not only saves time, but it also saves money.
Invest in a steamer
Ironing takes time but with a steamer, all you need to do is heat it up and run it over your wrinkly clothes.
I hope you find these tips and tricks useful! Do you have any advice for other busy parents for doing laundry? Leave a comment below!
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