Take a Load Off

Life isn’t about having more, but about wanting less — especially when it comes to laundry. Clean living really pays off with these hassle-free ways to sort, launder, dry and fold even your most delicate garments. While laundry may never be fun, these clever tricks make it easy.
 

Organizing Your Workspace

• Install a wide countertop to fold clothes. For maximum efficiency, select an under-the-counter washer and dryer and have a wipe-clean laminate slab cut to fit on top.
   
• Store essentials within easy reach. A wall cabinet keeps detergent and stain removers handy, but away from children and pets. A peg rack holds towels and hangers.
   
• Use a separate laundry basket for whites, darks and dry cleaning. After drying, place each family member’s folded clothes in a separate basket to simplify putting items away.
   
• Stash unmatched items, like a single sock, in a “lost and found” bin. When the mate shows up, it’ll be easy to find.
   

Washing Clothes

• Treat stains as soon as possible. Wash immediately, if you can. If not, attach a Spray‘NWash® stain stick to the hamper and rub stains to pre-treat before putting them inside.
   
• Launder delicates, like lingerie, silks and sweaters, in a zipped mesh bag. It protects the items and makes them easy to spot, so they aren’t transferred to the dryer by mistake.
     
• Use a scented detergent and fabric softener in one. It saves time and money, and clothes smell wonderful.
   

Drying Clothes

• To reduce ironing, wash and dry clothes properly. Button shirts and zip pants, so they won't tangle and turn inside out in the wash. Shake the wrinkles out of garments and hang them immediately after removing from the washer or dryer. If drying space is tight, install a tension rod over the bathtub and dry clothes there.
   
• Add a dry cotton towel to the dryer; it’ll absorb moisture, so clothes dry faster. If clothes are left in the dryer and wrinkle, throw in a damp towel and re-dry for 15-20 minutes.
   

Ironing

• Lightly spray a shirt’s cuffs and collar with spray starch. Sometimes that’s all a shirt needs to hold its shape.
   
• To quickly remove wrinkles without ironing, run a hand-held steamer over the creases.
   
• Crisply pressed sheets are the epitome of pampering. To get that just-ironed feeling, remove damp sheets from the dryer, mist with linen spray, smooth with your hands and dry flat on a table or hung from a line. Iron just the pillowcases for an easy indulgence. If only ironing will do, iron clothes on the bed, pressing the sheets in the process.