At Penrose Apartments, our community enjoys having an in-apartment washer/dryer set up — what a great amenity! It sure beats lugging laundry to a laundry room or driving all over South Arlington, VA on a Saturday night trying to find a clean, affordable laundromat that is open! Today we have some laundry day tips that we think will help you get your laundry done in style.
Stain Solutions
Print out a basic stain removal guide and hang it by your washer; that way you will have the solution you need for stains where you need it when you need it. Check out this link for a more comprehensive stain solutions guide for any sort of stain you have (put together by the Extension Office at the University of Illinois).
Washing and Drying
Pay attention to the fabric care guidelines on clothes and linens. Doing so can add years to the life of your items. One simple thing to do for items that shouldn’t go in the dryer is to keep a whiteboard near the washing machine, and as you are loading it, make a note of clothing items that should not go in the dryer. Having the list makes it easier to remember to pull them out before you pop the load into the dryer.
Turn darks inside out for washing to prevent colors from fading and wash in cold water.
To brighten whites, add a ½ cup of baking soda to the wash. Consider getting all white towels to save time washing. They can all be washed together and bleached, if needed, to help maintain their look.
Random Tips
Keep a basket in the laundry area to toss clothes into that need to be repaired or that you are planning on getting rid of. That way they will be clean when you are ready to donate them.
Keep a change jar near your washer and dryer. When you go through pockets, toss any loose change in the jar. When it’s full, use the cash to reward yourself for all of the laundry you’ve washed, dried, folded, and put away.
What are your favorite laundry day tips and tricks? We’d love to have more in our arsenal, so please share in the comments!