Laundry organizing for efficiency

It never ends. Before you finish washing all of the laundry, there is more. The stains won’t come out, the one red sock dyed everything pink – we’ve all been there. There are people who crumble into a sobbing heap every time laundry day rolls around, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Time for laundry

Create a schedule and don’t wait until you are completely out of clothes to wash them. If you need to do it once a week or more often, make sure you put laundry time into your schedule.

A great way to get a jump start is a laundry sorter. You can sew or staple cards with colors on them for kids to use. It can become a game of tossing dirty clothing into the proper bin.

Get in the habit of checking all pockets, especially if you have kids. You don’t want to wash something that will make a mess in your washer and dryer or ruin other clothes like gum, candy, tissues or coins.

Use stain remover when you take off stained clothing. Don’t wait until laundry day and you will have a better chance removing the stain. http://lifehacker.com/5821774/the-diy-stain-removal-infographic-is-a-quick-reference-for-cleaning-common-stains

Washing your delicates in a mesh bag – most grocery stores or department stores sell them – will help clothing last longer. An invention called Bra Baby helps keep expensive bras from getting damaged during washing. Both save you from hand washing delicate clothing.

Sock orphans and folding

Create a lost socks box for socks without a mate. If you don’t find the matching sock after a few months, it has to go.

Folding sheets can be a nightmare, especially if you are folding alone. Knowing the right way to fold a fitted sheet can save time and a lot of aggravation. Once you have mastered the fitted sheet, fold the flat sheet around the fitted sheet and pillow cases. Keep the set in a nice little bundle that will save you time looking for matching pieces later.

When the laundry is dry, avoid letting it sit in the dryer for a long period of time. Everything will be wrinkled, adding more work to your day. Take clothing, sheets and towels out of the dryer and put them all away as soon as possible. Remember to clean out the lint trap after every load.

After you have organized your closet – getting rid of things you no longer need – you end up with more space. Clothing is not smashed together, and stays wrinkle free for a longer period of time. This is incentive to organize your closet.

If you iron, store your ironing board near your clothes, not in the laundry room. You usually iron something before you wear it, so having the ironing board where you get dressed makes the most sense.

Dry cleaning

Do you have clothing that needs to be dry cleaned? Some dry cleaners around Baltimore deliver, such as the Glyndon Lord Baltimore Cleaners and Spit Spot in Security. Delivery will save you lots of time.

Just do it

The longer you wait, the bigger the chore of doing laundry becomes. Do it in smaller batches and it will be less overwhelming. Don’t wait until you have nothing to wear.

Getting started is the hardest part. Once you get going, you’ll be on a roll. Make laundry part of your weekly routine and you will find it easier to stay on top of this necessary evil.