10 Simple Laundry Secrets

Pile, after pile, after pile.

Laundry is one of those never-ending tasks.
It is time-consuming, but a necessity.

Depending on the number of people in your home or occupations that are held by your household members, laundry may be more of a full-time job for some. So how do you make the most of your laundry day(s)? Here are a few tips to make your laundry days successful both economically and environmentally.

10 Simple and Realistic Laundry Tips:

1. Wash full loads – saves water, detergent, and electricity!
2. Make your own detergent.
3. Don’t buy dry clean only clothes.
4. Don’t over-dry your clothes – better to set timer for less than waste electricity
5. Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener instead of the store-bought stuff. Just add 1/4 cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle.
6. Don’t wash your clothes every single time you wear them. You end up wearing your clothes out faster.
7. Use cold water – heating your water is a large portion of the energy used to wash them.
8. Soak stains using water and a little detergent.
9. Turn your clothes inside out to protect the outside of them.
10. Clean out your dryer lint!

In our home, there are only two of us, so I can get by with doing roughly 2-3 loads per week. I know, many of you do 2-3 loads per day. We stick to the “don’t wash you clothes every time you wear them rule” and that helps tremendously. The smell test is a wonderful determiner! We also commit the cardinal sin by mixing our whites and darks. With only two, we never have enough for a full load of whites. I have been washing our lights and darks together for over 7 years and have never regretted it!

What are some of your favorite laundry tips you use?