6 Laundry Tips

If you are looking for inspiration for your laundry or you are finding that you are less than impressed, it might be time for a change. Products change over time; some are even better and can make your work a lot easier to manage.

• If you are like me and if you are not falling over the laundry, making it is a job that you forget to do, then move your laundry basket. It could mean that it is not in the right place to jog your memory to put a load in the machine. I might start the day with good intentions, but unless the laundry basket is in front of the washing machine, I forget to switch it on. The presence of the basket reminds me of the job.
• I am a firm believer in separating the colours. I don’t like the idea of colours running so by separating items into matching colours reduces the risk of having a colour run. But when you have an item with a light colour and a dark colour on the same item it can be difficult to choose the right pile to put the item in. If the other items are, too dark it could cause colouration on the light aspect of the item. I tend to wash these items with the lightest of the dark colours.
• Fabric softener can make all the difference to your clothes; it can make them smell so nice. Finding the right smell for you is a challenge, but if you are short of money then it is better not to buy a separate fabric softener, than some of the cheap options, which will add nothing to your wash.  Don’t use fabric softener with towels, it may make then soft and fluffy but prevents them from being absorbent.
• Try cutting down the amount of powder or liquid detergent that you use, sometimes if the clothes aren’t heavily soiled then you don’t need to use the recommended amount of soap. This can reduce the amount of washing product that you need to buy, saving you money in the long-term.
• Don’t leave items in the washing machine for too long when it has finished, this can breed germs and can make the washing smell musty. Try getting it out as soon as it has finished and put it in the dryer or out on the washing line, if the weather is dry.
• Drying items on an airier can cause damp issues in your home if there is no venting for the extra moisture. This is because the water that is coming out of your clothes needs to go somewhere. It is inevitable that you need to dry some items not in a tumble dryer or if the weather is bad, on the line. This can mean that you need to use a clothes-horse, so make sure that you allow this moisture to leave your home; either use a de-humidifier or opening a window for short periods should give the extra moisture a chance to escape.

Keeping on top of the laundry will mean that you have the clean clothes to wear and it can reduce the chances of germs growing and spreading in your washing. There is a new product available that you add to your washing that fights the germs, I have yet to try this but it is something I might consider to use to combat the germs left behind by lower temperature washing currently recommended, to save money and energy.