5 Practical Laundry Tips for the Busy Mom

Is laundry that chore you hate the most? Here are 5 practical laundry tips for every busy mom. 

Thank you to all free clear for sponsoring today’s practical laundry tips for the busy mom.

Laundry is that chore hated by most because it has the most steps: sorting, stain fighting, washing, softening, drying, folding, and putting away. In my quest to make this chore easier for me, I’ve come up with 5 practical laundry trips for every busy to make it a little less painful.

Instead of sorting by color, sort by person.

Traditional wisdom says you should sort laundry by color to prevent white lint on black clothes or color bleeds. So, be radical and wash everything together (regardless of color). I do this with my kids’ clothes. Wash by owner, based on what’s in their individual hamper. I sort into baby girl, soccer boy, hubby, and mine. Then, I wash the towels, sheets, and other linens in batches.

Treat all stains at the same time.

First, you have to determine the type of stain, then you spray, then you have to let the solution sit. If you’re not completely certain you have completely removed the stain, you can’t put it in dryer. Instead, use a product you can add to the whole load. Stains like ketchup, jelly, chocolate, and grass stains could come out the first time. Soaking may be required, depending on the type of stain and its age.

Handle it once.

We fold clothes to organize them and prevent wrinkles. If you normally hang it in your closet, place it on a hanger as soon as it’s dry. No need to fold it, put it in a basket, remove it, then hang it. Instead, hang them directly onto hangers and put them away. Or, have the owner fold them as soon as they come out of the dryer. Then, have the owner put them away. An added benefit is this will prevent the need for going to the laundry room every morning to get clothes to wear.

Create and follow a laundry schedule.

I don’t really like to do laundry every day, but I’ve learned that if I save it all for Saturday, it takes me too long to catch up! Instead, I process one complete load each day. I wash a load before work. When I get home, I move the load from the washer to the dryer. If I’m doing laundry on the weekend, I set a timer for 18 minutes to be sure that no matter where I am, I know the load is done and I can move it to the next step. No more soured or mildewed loads. My mom taught me a time-saving trick that reduces my complete wash cycle to 18 minutes: skip the second rinse. Since I use about half the recommended amount of detergent and don’t use liquid fabric softener, it works just fine. While a load is washing, I can wash dishes, get dinner started, or help with homework.

Remove items from dryer promptly.

Your first line of defense against ironing is to avoid purchasing clothes that require ironing. Since ironing smooths out wrinkles, prevent them from happening. Take clothes out of the dryer promptly. Since I hate to iron, I try really hard not to let anything get wrinkled. If I remove it then fold or hang it right away, no ironing is required!

BONUS TIP: Use high quality, affordable products to help get the job done

That’s where all free clear comes in. It helps simplify my life. I streamline my laundry products by using all free clear laundry detergent and all free clear OXI booster.

The all free clear line, which includes laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets, helps simplify your laundry regimen and take care of any sensitive skin worries.

all free clear’s full range of free clear products makes everything simple…so you and your family are free to be! Free from the irritants and allergens that get in the way of living life. What a relief it is to have all free clear on your side and in your laundry room!

all free clear is the #1-recommended laundry detergent by pediatricians, dermatologists, allergists and, most importantly, smart moms everywhere. And now even more exciting news from your favorite free clear brand – we’ve created a full family of products to simplify your laundry routine! This family of products – including the free clear OXI mighty pacs everyone’s been waiting for – lets your family live free of sensitive-skin issues and stains, so you’re free to create wonderful family moments.

OXI laundry booster for sensitive skin! 100% free of perfumes, dyes and chlorine, now you can clean, whiten and tackle stains without the worry of irritation.

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This post was shared at the Savvy Southern Style linky party.