Our Great Big List of Laundry Tips

Need a way to make the laundry process easier, more efficient, and go by faster? Our readers share their top tips.

So many of you had great ideas for improving the laundry process. But before we get to the tips, we think that the most important tips we received pertain to the attitude we have towards our chores. One reader wrote,

“Just do it! Don’t postpone. It’ll be over before you know it. And then it will be there again.”

More importantly, though, is our perspective whenever there’s lots of laundry or lots of any type of mess. Another reader reminded us,

“Thank Hashem for the never-ending bounty (there needs to be lots of kids before there’s lots of laundry) and pray it shouldn’t overwhelm you.”

Thanks to all our readers who shared with us.

Make a Schedule

Our readers advised everything from doing it every day so that it does not pile up, to choosing two “laundry days” a week (and stick to it!) to get through it all so it’s not hanging over your head daily. The practicality of each option depends on your family size. Here are some of your tips. Everyone should choose the method that works for them.

• A laundry a day keeps the laundryocalpyse at bay.
• Two times a week on a very strict schedule otherwise it’s non-stop.
• Do laundry every day so it doesn’t pile up.
• Stick to a schedule.
• Do linen on your non-laundry days.
• One day wash and one day fold. The next day iron. Doing all at once was too stressful.
• I try to do 2 big loads a day so that I’m done with it.
• 1-2 loads a day so it doesn’t get overwhelming.
• Divide the loads by color. Then divide by “hanging dry” and dryer loads. The separation makes life so much easier.
• Put in a load every night before you go to sleep and put it in the dryer first thing in the morning.
• Load the washer first thing in the morning. By the time you are dressed and make beds, it’s ready for the dryer or hanging.
• Prepare a load at night (in basket or machine) and start washer right away in the a.m.
• Do all the loads at the beginning of the week so it doesn’t interfere with Shabbos prep.
• I do everything on Motzei Shabbos and Sunday so I don’t have to think about it all week.
• Try to do it all the beginning of the week.
• Do more often with less clothing at a time rather than doing it once while trying to get through never-ending piles.

In the Hamper

• I always make sure nothing is inside out before putting it in the hamper.
• Use mesh bags for undergarments, socks, snoods, and tights so they don’t get lost in the pile.
• I have a laundry bag in my hamper where I put the stuff that can not be dried. This way, there’s less sorting to do later.
• Have a 3 sectional hamper—white, darks, and delicate. Train kids to drop their laundry in the right bin.
• Have two hampers—one dark and one for whites.
• Have presorted hampers. Throw in a daily load, whichever hamper is fullest.
• Have hampers for whites/dark/colored and hampers for storing clean clothing that’s ready before the cleaning lady comes to iron/fold.
• Put a hamper in each bedroom and wash each hamper by itself. Then, it’s so much easier to put the clothing away.

Time to Sort

• When sorting, turn everything the right way and spray stains.
• Do drier and hanging loads separately. Then you won’t dry the wrong thing and you won’t need to sort items after washing, which is much harder when they’re wet. 
• Do the load by family members, but wash towels and sheets altogether. Then, putting everything away goes quickly.
• Anything that can’t go in the dryer goes in a separate load.
• Put all baby socks in a mesh bag because they are so tiny and hard to find in the washing machine.
• Socks stay in the mesh bag as they go from washer to dryer. No more lost socks!
• Separate small kids and large (adult) clothing so one big item doesn’t soak up all the soap
• Safety-pin each pair of socks at the toes before washing.

Cleaning Tips

• Don’t use only one type of detergent for different types of clothing. I use regular Tide, cold water Tide, and Ivory Snow.
• Have new clothing with multiple colors? Pre-wash them with salt added to the load to prevent bleeding of colors.
• Nature Bright by Shaklee is magic for men’s shirts that are looking grey or yellow.
• Invest in a good washer with a high capacity. The extra volume means there are less loads you’ll need to do.
• Having two washers makes the job much easier and quicker. One or two driers depends on how much you hang and how much actually goes in the drier.
• Use OxiClean Max Force Spray for treating stains.
• Having been in the dry cleaning industry for 9 years, I learned that clothing needs very little soap.
• Puracy Stain Remover.
• Spray Shout on stains when taking off clothing.
• Throw a dry towel in the dryer with the wet laundry and the load will dry quicker.

A Time and Space for Laundry

• Save space. Instead of using a dryer rack, put a few hangers on a rod.
• Do the baby load in the evening. That way you are forced to hang it before you go to bed and it’s dry in the morning.
• I do a load that needs drying time and then a hanging load. Repeat.

Fold Faster & Easier

• Teach kids to fold. Twice a week we sit in a large hallway and fold together while listening to music.
• Speak on the phone while you fold.
• Listen to a podcast while folding.
• Fold right out of the dryer instead of leaving it. Folding is much easier when the stuff is warm and fluffy.
• Take everything out of the dryer as soon as cycle ends and then you’ll never need to iron anything.
• Get rid of the dryer rack and use hangers. When dry, just hang in the closet and save a step.
• Divide your dried laundry between each member of the family. Bring the kids’ clean laundry to their room. Fold there and put it away there.
• Everyone gets a labeled basket with their name. I fold, put in their baskets, and then either bring it to their room or they can come pick it up.
• I restart the dryer for 3 minutes to get the wrinkles out.

Having Fewer Laundry Worries

• Buy things that don’t need ironing.
• Find a dry cleaner who launders and presses men’s shirts for $1. Haven’t ironed a shirt in years.
• Don’t buy clothing that you will stress about when it comes to laundry. Things get ruined.