Laundry can feel like a Sisyphean task, but it doesn’t have to be. It can also be a bit of a gray area when it come to understanding what’s right and wrong We have 8 laundry hacks for you to streamline your the process in both washing and drying. We know you all have busy lives, filled with things you’d much rather be doing. So this way, you can save time and energy
1. You can sort by more than just color.
When sorting your laundry, don’t just sort by color. You should be sorting your items by weight too. It’s not just being compulsive, there is a logic behind it. Laundry that is a similar-weight laundry will dry faster and more evenly, so separate your laundry accordingly.
2. Remember that one full load is better than two small ones.
It may sound tempting to just do a quick load of laundry, but doing smaller loads is actually deceptive. You are wasting to your time, energy and washing products. This tip is not to telling you to overload your washer. No, it’s telling you to be smarter about it. Clothes need room to move freely in order to get clean, but to get your clothes properly clean, washing machines uses a large amount of water and energy. It takes energy to run the machine and heat the water. (Unless it’s designed for cold water, colder temperatures have difficulty activating the chemicals in most laundry detergents.) Save your time, energy, and washing supplies by doing full-sized loads.
3. Stop over-pouring. There is such thing as TOO much detergent.
It’s fantastic when they over pour in a restaurant or bar, but it’s less fantastic when you do so with your laundry detergent. You’d think that more soap would equal cleaner clothes, but it doesn’t. It’s actually counter productive to use more soap than is required. With excess soap, your clothes will get dirtier faster and you’re adding unnecessary wear and tear to your machine by the soap build up. Stick to the manufacturer’s recommendation or use the pods for a regulated amount.
4. Opt for a cold-water rise.
For most cycles, cold water rises out the soap just as well as warm or hot water. Unless you’re doing a sanitary cycle, you probably don’t need to heat the water for your rinse cycle. Skip it and save on the energy.
5. Check your dryer vent.
Periodically check the exhaust vent of your dryer. If it’s loose, you’re making your dryer work harder than it needs to and you could be allowing heat to escape your home.
6. Clean the lint filter.
Not only isn’t cleaning your lint filter smart practice for fire safety, a clean filter allows for optimized air circulation and better efficiency.
7. Start the next load immediately.
Take advantage of the residual heat in your dryer. When one load finishes, put the next load of wet clothes in. You will have the benefit of the leftover heat from the previous set of clothes.
8. If possible, line dry clothes.
If you have the option to, line dry your clothes. Not only does this method save you money on your energy bill, but it’s greener and it’s gentler on clothing. The sun’s ultraviolet-rays also have the added benefit of helping beach and disinfect your clothes.
Got other laundry tips? Leave us a note in the comments below.