Laundry Survival

I can't be the only person who feels like laundry sometimes takes over their lives right, right?

It can be all consuming. I thought it was intense pre-baby girl, but boy I had no idea.

There's just so much.

And, it doesn't help that we have a two-story house with the W&D on ground one and all the bedrooms on the second. Not convenient for a procrastinator/lazy laundry gal like myself.



So when I get down to it, I want to be sure I'm doing it correctly... and as efficiently as possible..

I always use All Free & Clear detergent so there's no perfumes, and it's safe for those with sensitive skin and allergies. I've been using it since day one with baby girl and she's also a fan.

{Moms: no need to spend the big bucks on Dreft if you ask me; so similar, half the price.}

TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR LAUNDRY TIME

{pre-treating and washing}

- Keep a stain remover (I love Shout) near your laundry basket. This way you can pre-treat right away and most are fine to leave on clothes at least 5-7 days before washing.

(want to really get it into the fibers with the stain remover? Use an old toothbrush!)
- For bright loads, I've toss in a Shout Color Catcher sheet to prevent color transfer. I've only used it a handful of times but so far, I'm very impressed. HATE when that happens to something I love.

- Use cold-water wash for most items, just no need for hot water.

- Do not overuse detergent; the power-packed ones are specifically designed to use minimal amounts.

- I know it's tempting to stuff clothes in the washer for one less wash, but doing so doesn't effectively clean them. Boo.

- Don't leave clothes in the washer too long; they'll get that icky mildew smell (truth: I'm guilty!).
Re-wash  if this happens.

{drying}

- I'm a huge fan fan of drying on the "low heat" cycle; significantly cuts down on shrinking clothes and unnecessary wear and tear.

- Untangle clothes when moving them from the washer to the dryer.

- Don't use more than one dryer sheet per load; most are even fine if you break them in half!

- Don't keep turning it on to keep the wrinkles out of clothes. Wait until you're ready to fold.

- I now leave a chair by the dryer and fold as the clothes come out; amazingly helpful.

- And, I mentioned this on Facebook: get Downy Wrinkle Releaser to get rid of any wrinkles that you didn't realize you had. I leave it near my closet for convenient access.

photos: via real simple

{additional tips, tricks & resources}

How to clean the top 5 kiddie disasters

Taking care of our delicates (you know what I'm talking about)

The when-to-wash-it handbook