Laundry may seem like it’s taking forever, but in reality, it shouldn’t. Why spend more time on a laundry load than on your commute? There is no reason to spend hours doing laundry when most things would probably be fine on express wash, taking half the wash time. Here are some reasons laundry may be taking far longer than necessary.
1. Washing on the wrong settings
When preparing a load of laundry, read the labels on the clothing to ensure the proper sorting and wash cycle. This step is crucial. There are so many different types of fabrics that if not washed with the proper care will either shrink or at worst be destroyed.
Once sorted properly, put the washer on the proper setting. If washing hand wash items in the washer, place on gentle cycle. Whites can go on a regular hot setting. Darker clothing can generally go in on a warm cycle. Depending on how soiled the clothing is, an express setting will save quite a bit of time.
2. Overfilling a laundry load
Image by Willi Heidelbach from Pixabay
Washing machines are designed to allow enough room to add water and properly agitate the clothing. If overloaded, the wash can become far too heavy for the machine to properly clean the clothes. When this happens, excess water isn’t rinsed out properly, leaving the clothing overly wet and quite possibly still dirty.
Ensuring proper load sizes will save money on laundry, help the clothing last longer, and cut down on drying time. Overloaded batches will take longer to dry since they have more water left in them when the washer finishes.
The leftover water in the clothing still contains dirt and soap, which will cause brighter colors to look faded, and can make whites look a bit gray. Proper rinsing is very important for the longevity of an article of clothing
3. Fold clothes right out of the dryer
When clothes are done, fold them immediately. This will save time overall and ensure that the clothes don’t end up in a pile that is too big and daunting to ever fold. Piles of laundry waiting to be folded are overwhelming and can cause the clothes to become wrinkled and damaged. Some fabrics can even have wrinkles permanently embedded into them. Folding laundry immediately will save time and headaches.
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When folding, it is very helpful to have a small table or stand in your laundry area to be able to place the folded clothes on. Trying to fold out of a laundry basket isn’t the most efficient way to go. Pulling clothing directly from the dryer and then folding before putting into the basket is the most efficient.
Never spend more time doing laundry than necessary. Its already a chore that most people don’t want to undertake, so why make it last longer than needed?