Laundry. It’s one of the chores we all despise, right? We care about what we look like and what we wear, but getting it all clean, folded and put away can be a huge task! Double the laundry load, and the job can seem even more daunting. Even if you know how to wash clothes already, here are a few basic laundry tips and tricks for two.
Laundry Tips & Tricks for Newlyweds
It’s time to gear up and get some of those home cleaning tasks done. If you dread doing chores, here are some laundry tips and tricks now that there are two of you contributing to the piles. I wouldn’t exactly call this “how to do laundry for dummies” because I am assuming you already know how to wash clothes. However, things can become a bit more difficult when there are two of you, so consider this “laundry care tips for two.” Enjoy!
Pare down your clothing stash.
Having too many clothes can leave you doing a big pile of laundry. The less you have, the more you become an outfit repeater, which means you have to wash your clothes more often to have something fresh to wear. Having a capsule wardrobe or culling through your current wardrobes can be a huge help. Definitely one of the biggest washing clothes tips is to have fewer items to have to clean.
Sort your clothes as they get dirty.
Knowing how to separate laundry is important, and most people sort them into darks, lights, and delicates. If it’s feasible, having two separate laundry bins for darks and lights (or colors and whites) can put you ahead of the game when it comes to pre-sorting your dirty clothes. Of course, both of you need to be on board with the sorting plan for it to work, but it’s a great plan if it can be followed! Basic laundry tips for white clothes are much different than dark ones, so be sure to read labels once you get to the washing step.
Wash clothing less often.
This may seem counterintuitive, but some articles of clothing don’t need to be washed with each and every wearing. Jeans can go several wears without washing – barring that they are undergoing normal use. Skivvies and such should be washed often, but you may not need to wash a dress or shirt each and every time you wear it.
Divvy up the laundry duties.
If you both work full time, dividing and conquering may be the best way to go. One can sort dirties and put away the clean clothes and the other can wash, dry, and fold. Trade jobs the next time around. Or one can do it one week and the other the next. What a great way to share the duties.
Or…do the chore together!
This is always a fabulous idea! Dreaded jobs can be much more fun if you do them together. Help each other out, talk while you fold, and put away each other’s clothes. It could be a bit of a romantic twist on how to tackle laundry!
Head to the laundromat.
Sometimes life gets in the way. We get busy – holidays, vacations, sickness. There are so many times where laundry care tips aren’t on top of the list. If you find yourself with an overwhelming amount of dirty clothes, heading to the laundromat is a fabulous idea! It is the best way to shorten the amount of time you are actually doing laundry. Folding still takes the same amount of time. However, using multiple washers and dryers can truly shorten your duties in a snap.
The Clothes Spin is a fabulous place to head to shorten your workload. A big bonus is that they are open 24 hours and have multiple sizes of washers and high capacity dryers to get the job done quickly, which are great public laundry tips to know. If you are wondering “are laundromats sanitary” – don’t worry, it’s normal to wonder if you haven’t been, but they are well-maintained.
Fold or hang your clothes right away.
This is one of our laundry tips and tricks that can be hard to include! Tossing clothes in the washer and throwing it into the dryer doesn’t take long. Sometimes folding can’t be done immediately when clothes are dry. I dare say that we have all had to re-toss dry laundry to freshen it up, or – even worse – have left a clean pile of laundry out for a few days so that it ends up wrinkled.
Committing to fold or hang up clothing right after it is dry can save a lot of headaches. Another quick tip if you can’t fold right away is to only dry the load halfway and finish drying it when you do have time to fold. Although be sure to not let it sit too long so that it sours or molds. That’s one of the great laundromat dryer tips!
Create a schedule.
The last of our laundry care tips is all about being purposeful when doing your chores. It may seem basic and mundane, but sticking to a schedule may be the only way to get your laundry for two done in an efficient way. Schedule different days to do whites and delicates or plan a specific day to get the whole task done.
No matter which tips you use, you can do it!
The laundry load has doubled. However, that means that the two of you are finally together! Some of these tips – such as scheduling and dividing and conquering – can also apply to other to-do lists around the house.
