Laundry

Apart from the regular cleaning and organization sections on this page, I will also explain how to do laundry and list tricks I've picked up over the years.

How to Do Laundry:

• Separate your laundry into several piles: Whites, darks, lights (light colors or fabrics with some white and some color), towels, and delicates. Towels and delicates may also require dividing according to color.
• Inspect fabrics for stains. Lighter colors especially may require attention with a stain remover. Spray the stain remover onto the fabric and leave it for several minutes before washing.
• Don't put too many clothes in the washer or dryer. Overloading the washer can cause clothes to tear, plus they won't get as clean. Overloading the dryer could lead to a fire hazard, or at least your clothes won't get as dry. Overloading the washer or dryer will also cause the clothes will wrinkle more.
• If you shake out clothes before placing them in the dryer, they will not wrinkle as much. This is especially handy for larger items such as sheets or duvet covers.
• Unless otherwise instructed on the label, whites are washed in hot water and colors are washed in warm or cold water. Sometimes the detergent box or even the inside of the lid of the washing machine will have printed tips.
• Many knitted items will fare better on the delicate cycle. I find that washing my hand knitted articles with Woolite rather than Cheer keeps them extra soft, though washing them with Cheer doesn't harm them.
• If a piece of clothing has a particularly stubborn musty smell, add one cup of vinegar at the start of the cycle, and if need be, add a further half cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
• If the vinegar trick doesn't work, try using a special soap that's especially good at removing unpleasant smells from clothing. I recommend Charlie's, an organic soap.
• Remove clothes from the washer as soon as possible so they don't develop a sour smell.
• Do not use fabric softener on towels as this will cause them to lose their absorbency. Fabric softener works by coating the material with a thin layer of silicon, which will indeed soften your towels but will also obscure the texture of a towel that allows it to absorb moisture.
• Do not place bras in the dryer. Some stockings or lingerie are also not dryer safe. These things should line dry. You can drape them over the shower curtain rod in a pinch or just spread them out on a towel.
• Most dryers allow you to select how long you want the drying cycle to last. Over drying clothes tends to cause them to wrinkle more, so I only use the longest drying cycle on jeans or other heavy materials that tend to retain moisture.
• Always put away laundry straight out of the dryer. This will prevent wrinkles and will also prevent piles of laundry from building up.
• Obviously, some clothes will always require ironing, such as lace trim on skirts or dresses. I also have a few shirts that consistently roll up at the hem and have to be ironed into submission.
• Don't fold socks into a little ball with the one on top inside out; this will wear out the elastic. Instead, place the socks one on top of the other and simply fold in half. You could also roll them up from the toe to the heel, though I find they unroll, plus I like being able to grab the single fold at the top.
• Fold bras by placing one cup inside the other and then tucking the straps neatly inside that.
• Fold underwear into thirds (left side over the center, right side over that) and then in half (top to bottom). With thongs, I find that folding the outer sides in a bit before folding into thirds helps. As with socks, this creates an easy-to-grasp single fold at the top.
• Boxers are a little different. You can fold them into fourths, or, if you're more cramped for space, first fold them in half (left side over right). Then fold them into thirds as described above. Then fold again into thirds from the top down. This forms a neat little package that can easily form rows in a small drawer.
• If you are not hanging pants or shirts in a closet but rather storing them in a drawer, try staggering their placement so you can see a little of each one.
• Fold towels, hand towels, and wash cloths by spreading them out flat with the tag side facing up. Fold in the left and right sides so they meet in the center or overlap a bit if they're extra wide. Then fold bath towels in half longwise and then in half again. Fold hand towels either into thirds or fourths depending on length. Fold washcloths in half. Folding them like this prevents edges from hanging out, and it creates an even bump that can be quickly grabbed from the shelf without disturbing the other towels.
• Storing towels in the linen closet with the even bumps facing out not only looks neater, but it is easier to find a certain towel and its coordinating hand towel and wash cloth, not to mention they are easy to remove.
• Unlike towels, I fold sheets by simply folding them in half and in half again, etc. There is, however, a trick to folding fitted sheets. I've created a page with illustrations for that one:

  How to Fold a Fitted Sheet

• Fold blankets by first folding them in half. Then fold them in thirds lengthwise and then in either thirds again or in half. I find this makes them easier to unfold when you want to take a nap on the couch.

Cleaning:

• Wipe down the tops of the washer and dryer every few uses.
• Clean out the lint trap with every use.
• Wipe down the inside of the washing machine with every use.
• Leave the washing machine lid open after every use to allow it to dry out; it will develop a sour smell otherwise.
• Wipe down laundry baskets every few weeks.
• Every couple of months, pull the washer and dryer away from the wall to clean behind them. Apart from a great deal of dust, you will likely also locate old "lost" socks and so on.
• Every few months, pull the dryer away from the wall, disconnect the tube (you will need a socket set for this), and shake out any lint buildup. This will help prevent fire hazards.

Organization:

• Keep detergent and fabric softener side by side in easy reach—on a shelf above the washer if possible, on top of the dryer if need be. Put stain remover, special detergents (such as Woolite), starch, bleach, etc. nearby but not obstructing the important items.
• If your ironing board is in the utility room, store the iron and a spray bottle of water next to it.
• Keep laundry baskets/bags on top of the dryer or on the floor in front of it.
• If you have extra shelving in your utility room, you may use it for storage of non-laundry items, though I recommend against this since other items may get in your way or drop dirt onto your clean laundry. I use my extra space to store batteries, light bulbs, candles, and pet medication.