Don't wash!
If clothes aren't actually dirty, don't wash them! Hang them on a washing line or drying rack to air out and freshen up. Nature’s fresh breeze can work wonders, and you’ll also save water, energy, and laundry detergent in the process.
Use the quick wash setting
It's there for a reason! It can clean a lightly soiled load in record time, saving you precious minutes (and energy). Perfect for those times you need something clean right now but don’t have hours to wait.
Wrinkle free-fabrics
Buy clothes made from wrinkle-free/low wrinkle fabrics (check the labels) for less ironing. They'll be your new best friends!
No high maintenance items
Avoid buying clothes with special care instructions - such as hand washing, dry flat or dry clean only.
Colour code your washing baskets
Have containers for different coloured items, in your laundry to save sorting time. Just toss items straight into the right place. You could have a container for 'whites', 'light colours' and 'dark colours' - whatever suits you (obviously!). Once each is full, throw the clothes into the machine.
Act fast!
Pull your clothes out of the dryer as soon as it's finished and hang them up. This simple step can eliminate the need for ironing altogether because wrinkles don’t have a chance to settle in. It’s basically like outsmarting your laundry! You should also do this when a load of washing has finished to stop those pesky wrinkles from getting comfortable.
The lost sock problem
Where on earth do they go?! One solution is to stick to one colour and style of sock, this way you're not always looking for matching pairs.
If you do prefer a bit more variety in your socks, use a mesh bag just toss your pairs of dirty socks in the bag before washing.
Don't overfill
You might be tempted to cram as much into the washing machine as you can, to save time. But there's a catch - you're clothes won't come out as clean and they'll be very wrinkled as they didn't have the room to move. A little breathing room means fewer wrinkles and less time ironing.
Cut down drying time
Throw a clean and dry towel into your tumble dryer with that load of wet washing. It will absorb some of the moisture so your clothes won't take as long to dry. When you've finished, just hang the towel outside to line dry and freshen up.
You can also toss a foil-covered tennis ball in the dryer to reduce static electricity and prevent clumping.
Skip the ironing
Put wrinkled items in the dryer for a few minutes with some ice cubes for a quick steam press!
Don't procrastinate!
As soon as you have enough laundry for a load, do it straight away rather than letting it build up - it will be staring at you every time you go into your laundry!
And finally - teach your kids to do their own laundry!More helpful hints
How to tumble dry your clothes faster
