7 Time-Saving Tricks for Doing Laundry


Clothes TumblingWith the new school year just around the corner, the amount of dirty clothes you'll have to clean is bound to increase.  Here's 7 tips to help you keep your sanity and prevent you from spending countless hours in the laundry room.

  1. Maximize spin.  Once your top load washing machine has finished, run another spin cycle.  This will extract even more water so your dryer won't have to work as long.  If you have a front loader, send the clothes through the drain and spin cycle on the highest setting.

  2. Don't forget to vent.  In addition to the lint filter, be sure your exhaust vent is clean.  If your dryer isn't adequately vented, it has to work harder and longer.  Plus, a clogged vent can cause lint and dust to catch fire.

  3. Follow the rule of succession.  Toss loads in back to back to capitalize on residual heat.

  4. Load size matters.  Stuffing the dryer to capacity doesn't allow the wet load to tumble so the hot air can do its job.  On the other hand, dry too few items and they'll simply cling to the dryer drum rather than tumble.

  5. Birds of a feather dry together.  Mixing too many heavy pieces, like towels, with lighter items, like undergarments, will prevent the lighter ones from drying.

  6. Towel trick.  Add a dry towel to your wet load to help absorb the dampness.

  7. Sensors rock.  If your dryer has a sensor dry setting, use it.  It will detect when your clothes are dry and time the cycle precisely.