Introduction
Laundry is a dreaded chore for many of us, especially those with hectic jobs and busy schedules. First, you have to set a laundry day for the week. Then comes the washing, drying, ironing, and folding. It's still not over! You still have to put away the clean clothes.
Do you know what's one thing that can make this whole process easier? A laundry schedule.
If you have a laundry routine, it will be much easier to stay on top of your laundry. You'll also be less stressed about finding a clean pair of socks or that one shirt you want to wear. Let us share with you some tips on creating a laundry schedule that works.
10 Tips to Reduce Your Laundry Schedule
If there's one thing we know, it's that there's no one-fits-all laundry routine. It varies from person to person depending on several factors, such as family size, lifestyle, and personal preferences.
But if you have some standard tips, you can customize them to fit your needs. Here are a few:
Use a Laundry Basket System
Some of you might be familiar with the laundry basket system. The idea is to have multiple baskets for different types of dirty laundry, such as whites, darks, and delicates. Or you can divide laundry into pants, shirts, socks, and towels.
When the clothes come out of the washing machine, they go into their respective baskets. You can then take it from there but will have saved a lot of time by implementing this system.
Do a Bit of Laundry Daily
It might seem a bit counterintuitive, but it works. Instead of having a specific laundry day, do a little bit of laundry every day. Let's say you have two hours before bed after you get off work.
Use that time to start a load of laundry. Throw it in the dryer before you go to bed, and you can fold it in the morning.
If you live alone, it would take less than five minutes to fold a small load of laundry. For families, assign everyone the task to fold and put away their clean clothes.
Remove Stains Beforehand
Let's say your laundry day is on Sunday. Pretreat all stubborn stains on Saturday. You can use white vinegar, baking soda, or a store-bought stain remover for the job.
The next day, all you have to do is pop the clothes in the washing machine. You won't have to deal with stains on laundry day. That's a HUGE plus if you ask us.
Keep All Supplies in the Same Room
Make sure all your laundry supplies are in the same room. If you have a dedicated laundry room, that's great. But if not, try to keep everything in one closet or cabinet near your washing machine and dryer.
You shouldn't have to go searching for detergent with the washer all loaded and ready to go. Plus, having everything in one place allows you to keep track of what supplies you're running low on.
Here are some supplies to keep in stock:
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Laundry detergent
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Stain remover
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White vinegar
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Baking soda
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Bleach
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Dryer sheets / dryer balls
Download Laundry Schedule Printables
If you have a flair for DIYing and organization, you can create a laundry schedule for yourself.
However, if you're not the creative type or simply don't have the time, there are plenty of free laundry schedule printables available online. Or, you can use a laundry schedule template and customize it according to your laundry frequency.
Here's what a simple laundry schedule (where you do laundry every day) could look like:
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Monday: Whites
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Tuesday: Darks
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Wednesday: Lights
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Thursday: Delicates
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Friday: Towels and linens
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Saturday: Workout clothes and activewear
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Sunday: Rest day or catch-up
Alternatively, you can use a once-a-week schedule where you do all your laundry on a specific day. You can also log your laundry schedule in a planner or hang it on your fridge for easy reference.
Set Laundry Hamper Rules
Since you know what works best for your family, you get to choose these rules. However, we do have a few recommendations you can consider.
For instance, you can give every family member a laundry bag or a hamper and tell them to put all their dirty clothes there. The rule is that only the clothes in the hamper get washed. That means you don't go around looking for dirty socks under the bed or sweaty hoodies in the infamous chair pile.
Likewise, you can have a designated spot in the house for dirty towels and linens so they don't end up on the floor or scattered around. It's a handy rule for larger families where you need to clean your towels often.
Also, have rules in place for bedding and sheets. Tell everyone to strip their beds on laundry day and put their dirty sheets in a designated laundry basket.
Use the Dryer-Iron Approach
We have a trick we'd like to share with you.
It's a known fact that the majority of the population loathes ironing (don't ask us for citations). If you're one of those people, all you have to do is put your clothes in the dryer for 10 minutes.
Next, take the clothes out and hang them on the clothesline or drying rack while they're still damp and warm. The trick works for t-shirts and fabrics like polyester and cotton.
The other clothes — sadly — you'll have to iron.
Wash Socks in a Mesh Laundry Bag
We all have some lonely socks that seem to have lost their partners in the wash. How do you prevent this separation? Wash your socks in a mesh laundry bag.
The bag is small enough to fit in your washing machine, and it keeps all your socks together. No more solo sock syndrome!
Print Washing Instructions
Sometimes, the laundry ''guru,'' be it the parents or a partner, may not be home. Or someone might decide they want to wash their winter clothes before it gets too cold.
Either way, not following the washing care label instructions correctly can be a disaster. Here's how to prevent it:
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Print or hand-write instructions about clothes with special washing requirements, such as dress shirts.
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Have a designated spot for these instructions, like on the laundry machine or near the detergent.
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Mention water temperature and washing machine cycles to use for different clothing types.
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Make a list of dry-clean-only clothes to be kept separate from regular laundry.
Be Consistent With Your Laundry Schedule
Once you set a laundry routine, stick to it. If you're doing laundry every Sunday night, don't skip a week unless necessary.
Otherwise, you'll have to double the clothes to wash the next week or do laundry on Monday – oh, the horror!
Maximize Your Time with Rinse
Of all the laundry hacks we have shared with you, our favorite is outsourcing laundry. Sometimes, you just don't have the time (or willpower) to do it yourself. That's absolutely fine. We all deserve a break.
Rinse helps you get that well-deserved break by taking care of your laundry and dry cleaning. Simply schedule a pickup, leave your dirty clothes in the designated bag, and get your clean and folded laundry back at your doorstep.
There are plenty of benefits to taking this route. One, we know how to clean every fabric type and stain. Two, we use eco-friendly products and dry cleaning methods that are gentle on your clothes and the environment. Three, you get to save time and energy, which you can use for more important things in life (like going on a hike or catching up on Netflix!).
Contact us at Rinse today to see our skill in action.
