Laundry is among the important, yet time-consuming, chores for busy women. It can also be one of the best ways to save money. With these 10 tips, you’ll be able to do laundry more efficiently by shopping smarter, folding clothes, and minimizing laundry time. You’ll find these tips to be helpful in your quest to save money while doing laundry. Check out the following information to find out more:
Save money by pre-packaging your laundry in baskets or Tupperware containers. Pack your laundry in heavy-duty plastic totes instead of using a wad of towels. Use a plastic garbage bag to sort dirty laundry in the garage or basement. If you have a separate laundry room, stack dirty laundry on the floor away from the rest of your supplies. If you’re using a hamper, line the bottom with an old towel to hold the other towels you’re going to wash. This prevents you from having to re-tie your pants or tuck up a sweater when you need to remove it from the washer.
Increase your laundry load by pre-treating clothes inside the refrigerator or outside the freezer prior to loading them into the dryer. Remove outer garments at night or at least two hours before starting your load. This allows the clothes to air dry much longer. Leaving clothes in the fridge overnight also increases the shelf life of fresh ingredients to use for your next load. You’ll be surprised how much less you load when you make this simple adjustment.
Use the small amount of extra laundry detergent you have on hand to do your laundry every other day instead of using a full load. Many people have an unlimited supply of laundry detergent, so they never have to worry about using too much. Switching to smaller loads will free up even more of your time, allowing you to enjoy more of your favorite clothes less often.
Consider purchasing a small washer and dryer, if you don’t already have one. These items are generally inexpensive and can add up to a lot of conveniences. Instead of drying and folding dirty clothes, you can simply toss them into the machine. If you don’t have a machine that fits your space needs, consider renting one at your local rental center for very little money. You may also want to consider buying a second-hand washing machine at your local thrift store if you can’t afford the full-size models.
Have a plan of how many leading you want to complete in one sitting. If you want to do laundry loads in less time, try reducing the number of clothes you wash to only wash a few times a week. This may take a bit of effort, but you’ll be surprised how well it works. If you’re going to wash twice a week, focus on the top half of your clothes. Washing the rest of your clothes once a week will help cut down on the amount of laundry you do, but it’s still not as convenient as simply washing one time. When you’re done, be sure to run a cold water cycle, which will kill any germs that may still be waiting to infect your clothes the next day.
If you have a lot of laundries that don’t need to be washed, consider drying it on the line. This allows you to be able to skip washing your laundry for a few days, which saves you money and space. A line saves you time, space, and energy. Since there’s no dryer needed, there’s also no chance for a fire. When you dry your clothes on the line, be sure to apply a protective coat of oil that will keep them from sticking to the line, which could catch fire. If you don’t have a line, you can still do this and save even more space by wrapping up your folded laundry in plastic and putting it in a tote bag, and putting it in your car’s trunk.
These tips are great, but they’re really only helpful if you take the time to follow them. If you already have a full load of laundry to wash, consider purchasing a few less expensive folded items to put into your washing machine’s washer-safe compartment. This way you won’t have to worry about sacrificing the quality of your clothing to save space. A little planning goes a long way, especially when it comes to doing less laundry at home.