Laundry

It might not be quite spring cleaning yet, but March is well underway and winter is on its way out. But even if we aren’t quite ready to do a full-blown deep clean, we’re always looking for small ways to make chores feel a little less, well, like chores. When something’s easier to do, you’re more likely to do it, right? If you’ve been putting off a pile of ironing or sink of dirty dishes, you’re in luck.

It would be great if we could solve all our clothing problems with a quick spin through the washer and dryer. But some items wouldn’t withstand their rigors — and some problems just can’t be solved with the washer and dryer. There’s another ubiquitous household appliance, though, that addresses some common clothing conundrums. Here are some occasions for sticking clothes in the freezer instead.

We all love shortcuts — especially when they involve saving time doing repetitive, not-fun chores that we can’t escape …like, uhh, laundry. With the more recent advent of washing machines and detergents that are said to wash clothes just as well with cold water as with warm or hot, the suggestion to flout convention and forego separating seems to be gaining popularity. Here’s why we say no to combo laundry loads and yes to doing laundry the way your mother taught you.

Whether it's purposeful or accidental, what's the real truth about this practice?

As if laundry isn’t hard enough to keep under control, there are those little labels with tiny instructions and inscrutable hieroglyphics that we’re supposed to obey. But, seriously, who has time to sort not only by color and clothing type but by meticulous instructions?!

One of the best parts of sweating it out in a group fitness class is using a perfectly white, fluffy towel — and you don’t even have to, er, sweat the laundry. Exercise chains deal with hundreds of sweaty towels per day, but somehow, each one feels brand new. “There is no better feeling than a soft towel after an intense workout,” says Tanya Becker, cofounder of Physique57, which offers barre classes in New York City, Beverly Hills, and beyond.

I’ve tried so many things to help me manage the massive amount of laundry that is generated in my household. I strive to do a load a day, I “complete the cycle” by putting folded clothes away right away, and I even bought myself a nifty little tool that makes folding extremely satisfying. But I’ve realized that what I need to address is something way more fundamental. Nothing quite screams You’re behind on laundry like a hamper that’s too full.

Don't pass that shrunken cashmere down to your five-year-old niece just yet — there might be hope.

We all have those unassuming, everyday things we buy that become game changers for our homes, right? They might not be the flashiest most stylish finds, but they are products that just make adult life easier (or at the very least, more bearable). These are the items we tell our friends/family/anyone that will listen about. (For instance, a really good hair unclogging tool.

My mother told me that once I had kids, I wouldn’t be so persnickety about how my linen closet looked. She was right that I wouldn’t have time to be too picky; when little humans need to be cared for, it’s true, towel alignment seems much less important. But I never stopped wanting my linen closet to inspire angel choruses when I opened the door.

It’s that wonderful time of year affectionately dubbed “sweater weather.” But those sweaters that have been sitting in storage for two to three seasons could probably use some freshening up. Here’s how to care for your sweaters so they can keep you warm and looking your best year after year. To make sure that your sweaters are handled with the delicacy they deserve, you can’t go wrong with hand washing.

Doing laundry seems like a fairly straightforward process, and it’s one of the first chores many of us learn how to do. But there are a lot of ways—both big and small—that you could be damaging your washer and dryer in the process, so it’s important to be careful when you’re throwing your clothes in the wash.

Two actually.

You know how it goes — it’s been a minute since you did a load of laundry, so you roam the house scooping up soiled clothes. When you happen upon the moist dish rags in the sink and the cleaning cloths you recently used to wipe down the counters, you toss those in, too. Hey, we’ve all done it. But is it even OK to wash your cleaning supplies and clothes together? The question, of course, isn’t whether you can. It’s whether you should.

Summer is upon us, and that means that—now more than ever—you’re likely finding the underarms of your favorite white shirts are turning dull and yellow. Seriously, it’s the pits (sorry, I had to). As if dripping with sweat the second you step out of an air conditioned room all summer isn’t bad enough, it has to ruin your clothes, too?

If you ask any urban small space dweller what they wish would magically fit in their apartment, a washer would be pretty high up on the list. Even compact versions take away a closet or cabinet space, and those are things that are tough to part with—and already in short supply—in most rentals.

Even if you're dealing with a very small laundry space, there are ways you can fit in all the functionality of a much larger room. All it takes is a little ingenuity.

Over on a Reddit thread about items that can and can’t be BIFL (bought for life), there’s a series of comments about what makes towels (and sheets, and duvet covers) good enough to last a lifetime. They come from Reddit user (and fabric expert) JessthePest (all of whose comments are delightful, if you care to spend a morning falling down various Reddit rabbit holes). I recommend the entire towel thread, as well as her extended sheets manifesto.

Do you ever wonder where the lint from your laundry winds up after the rinse cycle sends it down the drain? If your concern keeps you up long after the wash is dried and put away, there’s an innovative laundry bag to ease your conscience. The Guppy Friend might force you to rearrange your personal ranking of the best laundry bags, thanks to its eco-friendly mesh design, which aims to reduce pollution in the ocean and our food supply.

Instructions are important to pay attention to, especially when it’s laundry time. You might think that measly little tag inside your favorite sweater doesn’t offer any sound advice, but in reality, the future of your wardrobe might depend on it. You see, many of us take the words “Dry-Clean Only” as a slight suggestion, when they need to be read literally (should you want to preserve the life of your garments). And yet, just because a tag recommends dry-cleaning (i.e.

No household chore is particularly fun, but few things are more stressful than doing laundry when you’ve gone so long between washes that you’re on your last pair of underwear. It’s like waiting until you’re on your last fork to do the dishes—it doesn’t seem like an issue until you realize you’ve got nothing left, and then suddenly it’s a disaster.

One of the greatest mysteries in life? Figuring out where your other sock always disappears to in the wash. If it seems like you lose yet another sock with every load of laundry you do, you’re not alone. There are plenty of uses for those orphan socks you’ve already got lying around—but if you want to try to keep the rest of your socks together to avoid future laundry losses, these simple tips should help.

That coat you put on this morning. The gloves you keep in your purse from December to March. When was the last time you washed them? It’s not only kind of gross to think about, but it’s also potentially unhealthy. Think about the germs you could be spreading on your gloves and other gear (raise your hand if you’ve sneezed into your scarf before).

If you find it difficult to convince yourself that those formerly bright, now slightly graying towels and t-shirts are indeed fresh and clean—keep reading. I can totally embrace my hair going gray, I actually love it, but I absolutely positively cannot handle graying white linens. So when I noticed a beloved old t-shirt turning that awful shade, I quickly took to researching a safe, effective way to return it to it’s original glory—without compromising the fibers. Mrs.

Sneaking through college without learning to properly fold a fitted sheet is a forgivable offense. You spent quite a few years packing your brain with other valuable information, and to be honest, you were probably doing good just to get them laundered. But should you find yourself well beyond your college years, still sloppily folding the fitted sheet, well, this tutorial is for you. 1. Start by giving the sheet a good shake, then fold it in half lengthwise. 2.

Have you noticed your clothes smelling… musty? Even if you’ve switched the load from the washer to the dryer immediately after the cycle has ended? Before you run out and buy a strongly scented laundry detergent to cover the smell, give your machine a thorough cleaning. Taking care of your washing machine can help it stay clean and prevent walking.

I’ve ruined a lot of great clothes in my life and most of them could have been saved had I known a few handy laundry facts before I embarked upon my trial-and-error method of clothing care. Official warning: don’t make my mistakes! Don’t do this stuff anymore.

Whether you’re just pulling out your sweaters or putting them away for the season, a moth repellent is key to making your winter wools last. Forget the stinky, toxic moth balls—and who really has the space for a cedar closet? What you need is good smelling, tiny alternative, and we’ve got just the thing!

Nothing threatens a closet full of clothes more than moths. And they can invade even the most well-organized closet. These pesky creatures are responsible for holes in your favorite clothing, and oftentimes, the problem occurs completely unbeknownst to you. Like pantry moths and other pests, these silent clothing killers multiply quickly, too, so it’s a problem you’ll want to solve quickly with a good moth repellent.

Shortly after I moved in with my partner, I did a bunch of laundry and basked in the joy of an empty hamper…only to have him come home and fill it to the brim with one day’s-worth of work clothes.

Dying textiles is a great way to give new life to an old blanket or pair of jeans. If you’re working on a small item, a plastic bucket is ideal, but if you’ve got something sizable like a quilt, a large enough container to properly cover and agitate the item in can be difficult to come by. You already knew you could use a top loading washing machine, but did you know you can also use your front loader? Well, you can!

White or natural color wools can yellow for a number of reasons, ranging from age to the environment it’s stored in. If your wool has yellowed naturally or because of a bleach stain, don’t fear! You can bring it back. I recently took in a stray rug that had a pretty significant bleach stain. The stain was intimidating but the rug was really nice, so I was determined. I figured it couldn’t get any worse than it already was!

Ah, spring: when a young man’s fancy turns to beating rugs and scrubbing the crisper. And no, those aren’t euphemisms, but chores that are infinitely easier to accomplish now that going outdoors won’t result in certain death. Some of these require access to a hose, but there’s hope for apartment-dwellers, too… I am stupidly excited about finally getting to scrub down the recycling can we keep in our pantry.

Between an active and outdoorsy 8-year-old, a partner who works outside, and my own daily workouts, we generate a lot of laundry in this house. I therefore spend a lot of time doing laundry, so I might as well do it using space-efficient drying racks, stackable totes, and an awesomely obnoxious neon clothesline… Cast Iron and Pine Pulley Airer, Kaufmann Mercantile, $160 Portable Laundry Set, Muji, $15 Pressa Hanging Dryer, IKEA, $4.99 Torkis Clothes Pin Bag and Pins, IKEA, $3.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the most cliché nerd predicament: a leaking or exploding ink pen (where was your pocket protector when you needed it!?). But you can put away your inhaler, because removing an ink blob is easier than you think. Just grab some milk and vinegar and get to the stain ASAP! 2 parts whole milk1 part white distilled vinegarLarge bowl 1. Place your garment in a bowl at the most shallow part, allowing it to be covered completely with the mixture. 2.

Elbow patches: Not just for professors! Okay, so I’m not going to pretend I didn’t get an eye roll when I presented my husband with his cute little heart shaped buffalo check elbow patches, but I didn’t really get that much resistance either! I think he secretly loved it. I know I did, and isn’t that really all that matters? Whatever the shape may be, elbow patches are a great way to gussie up an old favorite with items you already have around the house.

I finally have a laundry room (no more laundromat!), but since it’s also our entryway, it’s more of a Boot Explosion Area. Perhaps someday I’ll convert it into something like these beautiful spaces. TOP ROW: 1. Oh Happy Day 2. Better Homes & Gardens 3. Jill & Dan’s Lighthearted Home 4. Urban Grace Interiors 5. Martha Stewart MIDDLE ROW: 6. HGTV (disco!) 7. IKEA 8. Martha Stewart Living (but I can’t find the feature online) 9. Better Homes & Gardens 10.

No matter what price I pay for dark denim jeans, they always seem to bleed. Some are worse than others (one brand in particular seems to hemorrhage indigo) but they all are culprits. Here’s how to protect your furniture from a tough-to-remove stain: It may not seem like that big of a deal, but just wait until you leave your (very unwanted) mark on a friend’s white Barcelona chair. Ever tried to remove indigo from white leather? Make sure that doesn’t happen!

Can you remember the last time you washed your pillow? It’s generally a good idea to do it at least once each year to keep them fresh, clean, and free of dust mites. Whether you wash by hand or machine, this simple task will put your mind at ease and literally help you sleep at night. Mild, low-suds detergent Washing machine or deep sink Remove the pillow protector (using a zippered protector plus a pillowcase helps to keep your pillows cleaner.

Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We’re sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today’s helpful hint, and links to tons more… Crumple up a piece of ALUMINUM FOIL into a ball, and throw it in your dryer.

Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We’re sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today’s helpful hint, and links to tons more… To help protect your fabrics, try tossing your linens and clothes into the wash with a tablespoon of SALT. The chloride will help seal the color in and keep it looking fresher longer.

Cry over the lost wine, not fear of the stain!

Spills are almost always unexpected, and always a pain. My mother clearly knew this: when I left for college she gave me a small, thick book called “Field Guide to Stains,” which I still have and reference more frequently than I ever thought I would. STAIN REMOVAL STAPLES I find the best way to deal with stains is to be prepared.

I air-dry all of my dresses, my underthings, and anything that could be considered a “favorite” — which means that there are often damp clothes covering every surface in my laundry room…and my bathroom…and my kitchen chairs. Time to make one of the following much-more-elegant solutions! IKEA towel bar rack by Hope, Longing, Life, $39.

It took just one weekend for Tasha, a self-described “designer trapped in a lawyer’s body,” to transform her laundry room (from the room in her home “where fun went to die” ) to a room that now makes her and her husband smile! Using leftover paint from previous DIY projects, Tasha painted the cabinets and walls.

I’m a huge advocate of air-drying most of my clothing and linens on an outdoor line in the summer and on an indoor rack in the winter. It’s easier on fabrics than electric clothes dryers and reduces the energy bill (or quarters needed at the laundromat). In the winter, however, there are even more reasons to air dry your clothes… Air drying reduces static cling that can be really, really, bad in the dry winter air. No need for chemical fabric softeners.

Here’s a quick tip I learned from friends who regularly go car camping: they always bring a large size salad spinner with them, just in case they find themselves needing to wash, then dry a t-shirt, socks, or intimates… I’ve got several technical synthetic material athletic shirts, socks, and tights/sleeves I prefer to hand wash and hang dry throughout the week immediately after workouts (they can accumulate a funk quickly, the sweat hog I am).

Having a hamper in every room where clothes get taken off has really cut down the number of clothes that end up on the floor. But what family wants to give up precious bedroom space for multiple hampers? Solution: hang them on the back of the door!Since I bought back-of-the-door hampers for my family (one for the kids’ shared room, one for our bedroom and one for the bathroom) our place has been a lot tidier.

For the last month my washer/dryer combo hasn’t had the dryer functionality, and I’ve had to come up with some creative solutions for drying my clothes. I thought about only wearing quick-dry athletic wear, but that’s proved to be unfashionable. So, in the end, an over-the-door drying rack is the best solution for me and my apartment.Here are five options for drying without electricity: Antonius Drying Rack for over the door from IKEA; $7.

It had been two years since my machine was cleaned well. Pro tip: Don't wait that long.

Living in a small space there are no hidden places to store dirty laundry, thus the laundry hamper is an essential design element in the bedroom or bathroom. Here is a round up of the most stylish laundry hampers on the market whether you are on a shoestring or unlimited budget.High End:1. Rolling Wire Storage and Liner, Pottery Barn $1592. Torrey Divided Hamper and Liner, Pottery Barn $1793. A Tempo laundry basket, Alessi $1794. Handwoven Baskets from Senegal, Brook Farm General Store $1455.

Everyone likes a clean home, but the process of getting there isn’t always so enjoyable. Thankfully strong, irritating cleaners are no longer the only cleaning supply option. Now we have easy access to cleaners that are not only eco-friendly and good smelling, but also a wealth of DIY cleaning recipes. Here are some of the ones we like the best:TO BUY:1. Method: This is a writer and reader favorite.

Growing up, I was fortunate to live in a home with a laundry chute. There was a hatch in our second floor bathroom, and another in our kitchen, so tossing dirty garments to the laundry was never a far reach and a laundry basket never seemed necessary. Of course I didn’t realize how lucky I was, as laundry chutes are pretty rare.

We’ve all faced it at one time or another. You walk into the laundry room, fully weighted down with a bulging basket of dirty clothes, only to discover that every machine is being used … and there’s a queue of other baskets stacked up next to it. Skip the laundry room, head back to the comfort of your apartment and freshen your clothes with these portable washers and drying racks.WASH• The Laundry Pod is a manual table top washing machine.

Is it possible to find a laundry hamper that’s cheap, sturdy, and so stylish that it makes you feel like Jean Seberg in 1960s Paris? No, it isn’t. That’s why you’ll have to make your own. This vintage inspired design cost around $20 to make and is perfect for holding all your Breton stripe shirts.

Even though my house might not reflect it sometimes (hey, I’m human too), I actually greatly enjoy cleaning. That said, I loathe cleaning baseboards. Sure to do them right it involves buckets and cleaners, rags and… ugh. Just ugh.Forget all that drama and do this less than desirable task far less with the help of a fabric softener sheet.Remember when we talked about some tricks and tips on taking care of a home with pets?

Having in-unit laundry machines is a luxury right up there with having a dishwasher, a flood of natural light and perhaps parking. When you get a stain, have guests over or just plain need something clean to wear, there’s nothing better than being able to do a quick load without having to schelp all your stuff to the laundromat. If you have a little space that you can give up in your bathroom or closet, you might be able to gain a whole laundry area.

When it comes to most things I buy for my home (toilet paper, for example), I am pretty flexible: I will buy what is at Costco or what is on sale, including generic or store brands. But with certain products I am very brand loyal (even when my budget tells me to be otherwise).Do you have brand loyalty with certain household products?

I recently bought my first pair of “serious” jeans. The reason I know this is because as I was standing at the register about to pay A LOT of money for them, a cool dude who was standing next to me at the register said, “Oh, you’re going to like those.” “Do you have a pair?” I asked him. “Nope,” he said, “But you’re going to like those.” I felt like a first time drug or Ferrari buyer, not a shopper for a new pair of pants.

When you don’t have a large kitchen or enough space for all of your appliances, it’s time to get creative. You’ll have to find space where you can salvage it, optimize your kitchen for maximum efficiency, so that it works, looks good, and still doesn’t feel cramped. The placement is also important, since you don’t want the washer and dryer column towering over your dinner table.

Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap claims 18 cleaning uses in one bottle. One of those is laundry soap. Want to know how to make your own using only a cup of Dr. Bronner’s per 64 loads? Check it out: This laundry soap doesn’t create suds, but it doesn’t need to in order to get your laundry clean. 1 cup Dr. Bronner’s pure castile liquid soap1 cup baking soda2 cups water1/3 cup salt Warm the water and mix with salt and baking soda until dissolved.

You can skip those chemical softeners.

Even though I worked for what seems like a million years in the world of retail, there are a few things I gleaned from my days and nights spent wearing the “May I help you?” uniform. I can hang a ridiculous amount of shirts in a very short period of time and there isn’t a towel on earth I can’t make appear more fluffy than it really is!Materials1 towel, any size, shape, color or thickness 1.

Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We’re sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today’s helpful hint, and links to tons more… Instead of using extra laundry detergent to pre-treat, we turn to our old school friend: WHITE CHALK.

Don’t pay for extra packaging and products when you can make your own scented linen powder in a few easy steps. Your sheets will thank you. And if you like this, try a laundry booster and stain fighter, or a vinegar rinse to replace your fabric softener. Materials: 2 cups Baking Soda 1 bunch Fresh Herbs or Citrus Peel Oven or Microwave Blender, Electric Spice Grinder or Mortar and Pestle 1 Pint Glass Jar with screw on lid Awl or Hammer and Nail 1.

Here’s an oldy but a goody that’s even more relevant now as MORE people are doing it… I recently bought my first pair of “serious” jeans. The reason I know this is because as I was standing at the register about to pay A LOT of money for them, a cool dude who was standing next to me at the register said, “Oh, you’re going to like those.” “Do you have a pair?” I asked him.

We talk a lot about organizing and keeping things tidy. While it’s satisfying to clean your bedroom closet, it’s extra satisfying to to repair any damaged contents within that closet. I had the chance to clean my bedroom closet last week and took the time to polish my shoes, sew some missing buttons on a few blouses, and rejuvenate my sweaters. Properly taking care of the things you have just feels good and gives you new things to wear without spending cash.

In our apartment building there are 15 units with roughly 40 people in them. On the main floor there are 2 washers and 1 dryer for everyone to share. Needless to say, laundry is always running around our place (even at 6am, which we have found to be the best time to do ours!) and because of it, there are a few tricks and tips we have picked up to insure our laundry turns out clean and timely. Before heading downstairs to run a load of laundry we always fill our Downy Ball with a bit of vinegar.