If you want to save time with household chores, these laundry tips will relieve some of that pressure! Who likes laundry anyway… the less time you spend on it, the better.
The laundry battle is real. We wage war on dirty socks daily, only to find ourselves staring down a Mount Washmore of mismatched socks and mystery stains.
Isn’t it funny how that cute little onesie from yesterday’s Instagram post magically transforms into a biohazard by bedtime?
If you’re looking to save time with cleaning around the house, you should also check out the Zone Cleaning method!
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Table of Contents
Why You Hate Laundry
What exactly makes laundry such a painful task? First, there’s the sheer volume. Kids seem to shed clothes like leaves in autumn, leaving a trail of tiny t-shirts and grass-stained shorts wherever they go.
And let’s not forget those laundry gremlins – mischievous creatures who mysteriously turn clean clothes into wrinkled piles at the bottom of the hamper.
Then there’s the sorting. Whites? Darks? Colors that “bleed” if you look at them wrong? And don’t even get me started on the stain detective work. Was it chocolate? Crayon? Some unidentified goo that only toddlers seem capable of producing.
Finally, there’s the dreaded feeling of it never being quite done. Just as you conquer one load, another mountain appears. It’s a real struggle, pushing that laundry boulder uphill only to see it roll back down again.
Perhaps I’ve missed something? What is it about doing the laundry that you really don’t like?
We’re going to tackle this laundry beast head-on with some laundry tips and hacks to help alleviate that nagging chore, even just a little. And hey, maybe you can even find some free time?!
Dirty Clothes Sorting Laundry Tips
Quick Laundry Tips
- Turn laundry the correct way. Encourage your family to turn their clothes the correct way when taking them off. This will then save time later on when folding. There can be an exception to this when some clothes need turning inside out to remove all of the dirt. I prefer to keep them the correct way but it depends on your family’s activities so it’s something to be mindful of.
- Multiple hamper management. If you notice clothes always ending up on the floor of high-traffic areas such as the bathroom, place a hamper there. They can then be quickly thrown into the hamper instead of the floor. A friend of mine used to have one in her living room for her toddler because that’s where her daughter always liked to get undressed.
Make Friends with Hampers
Decide the best way to store dirty clothes for your family. You may find a hamper helpful in the bathroom, within each bedroom or the laundry. I find that having kids, it’s typically easier to put their hamper in the room that they get undressed in.
Consider multiple hampers (if space permits) or hampers with compartments for sorting your dirty laundry. Sort these into the types of laundry loads you wash. This could be lights, darks, and colours. You can add labels to them so the rest of the family can easily identify where their laundry needs to go.
I also like to have a hamper for towels or sheets, until I have time to clean them. Okay, until recently this was actually a pile on the floor of my laundry room! It feels so good to be able to put them away in a nice and tidy spot now.
Another way to sort your laundry into hampers is by heavy soiled or lightly soiled clothing. Use short, less intensive cycles for lightly soiled laundry.
If your children are old enough, you can encourage them to sort their washing into the same hampers or areas that you use.
I have probably left it a little later to introduce this to my children however now that I have, it not only reduces the work that I have to do but it is also teaching them to be responsible themselves.
When they’re older, I’m hoping my kids will just view these types of tasks as a part of life. It will make it easier for them to transition when Mum isn’t there to help them! In addition to that, if they’re 25 and still living at home, you can bet I won’t be doing their laundry for them!
Minimise Decisions
Before the clothes are even dirty, you can reduce decision fatigue and the amount of laundry. This is a big laundry tip that applies a lot to kids. Simply reduce the amount of clothing choices available.
Try to keep clothes seasonal or if you notice they have a lot for a specific season then put them on a rotation. This reduces the amount of light, dark and colour sorting.
I like this idea, particularly when my kids come out in some really weirdly coordinating outfits! I can limit their clothing to specific colours and styles.
Creating rotations does sound like a little more work but I often find that making a little time to create an organization strategy initially, will generally save time when it counts.
Washing & Drying Laundry Tips
- Wash full loads but don’t over-cram. Do not do tiny loads of clothes unless it’s an emergency.
- Clothes selection. Purchase clothes that are a lighter fabric or do not need ironing.
- Dry naturally. Where possible, use a clothes airer rack or clothesline. This will save energy, money and leave your clothes with a fresh scent.
Laundry Tips for Folding & Putting Away
- Folding process. Fold laundry as you are removing it from the dryer or clothesline. This saves double handling.
- Folding station. If you have the space, designate a specific area for folding.
- Teamwork. Get the family involved. If your kids are old enough, they can fold their own washing and put it away.
The No-Time No-Fold Hack
If you’re short on time, my favourite laundry hack is to simply sort clean clothing into baskets based on who or what they are for. I don’t even fold them.
There might be a basket for my partner and I, one for school uniforms and another for the kids. Sometimes there’s a basket just for socks and underwear.
These collapsible laundry baskets are great to store away when not in use!
If I know that I don’t have time to fold the laundry, I will do this to make it easy for everyone to simply go to the basket they need to find the clothes they’re after quickly.
This does mean that baskets of clean washing are sitting around however if you have a space or laundry room big enough, you can hide them there!
You could take this laundry tip one step further, making it permanent and using storage boxes in bedrooms.
Reduce your folding by creating boxes for unfolded basics such as socks, and underwear. You might find tops and shorts could even be thrown in there without the need for folding!
Implement Folding Techniques
Using folding techniques such as the KonMari method for folding laundry not only save you time, but will also save space in drawers and on shelves.
It’s much easier to see what you need when clothes are organised more neatly with these methods. No more pulling clothes out all over the place to find that one thing you were looking for.
I would love to go into more detail however this is an extensive topic that would need to be covered in many, many blog posts! You can start by going to Marie Kondo’s website at the link above for some great tips.
Bonus Solutions & Laundry Hacks
Quick Laundry Tips
- Don’t wear so much! This is particularly true for children who don’t give it another thought. In an instant their room is a mess, strewn with outfit choices or the basket is loaded with clothes they’ve worn for an hour.
- Use a timer. It’s only a small thing but being able to delay my washing machine is one of my favourite things when I have a hectic day. I use this all the time and it saves the laundry from piling up too much or clothes we need clean being stuck at the bottom of the hamper for too long.
- Laundry services. You can always use laundry delivery services, ironing services and dry cleaners. Even if it’s a little luxury that you only utilise when you really need to.
Reward System
Involving kids in any of the many laundry tasks is a great way to teach them responsibility. You can do this as a ‘love/just because chore’ or with rewards.
I began laundry tasks with my kids to earn them ‘tech bucks’ for screen time. My eldest is really tall and able to take the clean laundry off the clothesline. However, his brother needs to do other tasks such as folding.
My littlest has always loved pushing any buttons (including mine!). He began helping with laundry simply by turning on and setting the correct cycle on the washing machine and dryer.
Something as simple as this is a great way to start younger children with everyday household tasks.
Laundry Hack Takeaways
To recap, here’s the shortlist of laundry hacks you can use in your home to give you time to do other things:
Before Washing the Laundry
- Sort and store clothes seasonally
- Use hampers to sort and separate different laundry loads (whites, colours, bedding etc)
- Sort your laundry based on light or heavy soiling for quicker machine cycles
- Ask kids to sort as they undress (if appropriate for their age)
- Add labels to your hampers to save on confusion for the rest of the family
- Place hampers in high-traffic areas/areas where kids get undressed
Washing, Drying & Folding
- Wash full loads rather than small loads
- Use the washing machine timer so your clean clothes are ready when you are
- Designate a specific area for folding (even if you need to come back to it later)
- Use folding techniques such as the KonMari method
- Use laundry folding boards or templates
- Don’t fold – sort into baskets based on the need or family member and retrieve as required
- Again, don’t fold – store unfolded clothes in permanent storage boxes in bedroom closets.
Bonus Laundry Tips to Consider
- When possible, wear light-weight clothing for quicker drying time
- Choose clothing that doesn’t require ironing
- Donate excess clothes taking up space and washing time
- Have a dedicated container or space to store clean clothes to wear again tomorrow
- Consider buying socks that are all the same so you don’t need to match anymore
- Make sure the rest of the family pitches in to help with various tasks
Final Thoughts
Let’s face it, the laundry is always going to be there. It’s a fact of life that we can’t eliminate however we can make small changes to reduce stress and free up some time.
Don’t forget that anything that’s a fact of life is worth getting the children involved too.
Teaching them that it’s all part of everyday tasks early on, will make it easier for them later when they are faced with the exact same necessities.
What tips will work best for you and your family? Have a think about it, if it doesn’t work then adapt and try something else.
Next, you can check out my article with practical laundry room ideas to make your chores just a little bit easier.
Is there an aspect of the laundry that you really struggle with? Have I missed any vital laundry tips here?
If you have a time/life-saving laundry tip comment below so that we can all free up time for the more worthwhile things we’d rather be doing!
Other resources you may like:
FREEBIE: Laundry Care & Symbols Guide Wall Art Print
FREEBIE: Family Cleaning Bingo Game
ARTICLE: 17 Quick Tips to Clean Your House Fast
ARTICLE: How to Organize Kids Toys: Everything You Need to Know
FROM MY SHOP: Children’s Reward Charts & Schedules
