Use the following laundry tips and organizing items to avoid clothes mountains, and to reduce time sorting, folding, ironing, & putting clothes away.

MY FAVORITE LAUNDRY PRODUCTS:

1. Three-compartment hamper with removable sacks (for adults) helps you presort by darks/lights/other.
2. Mesh bags (for kids). Throw the whole thing in the washer and dryer and you’ll never have to sort before putting clothes away!
3. Mesh lingerie bags
4. Fold-down hanger holder (instead of a rod) for drying clothes small spaces
5. Ironing board hanging bar to keep ironed clothes neat and make ironing mobile since there’s no need to be near a hanging rod
6. Sock clips to keep matched pairs together in drawers and in the wash
7. Slim rolling cart to fit between, beside, or in front of the washer to hold detergents, dryer sheets, etc.
8. Adjustable shelves to fit any space
9. Shelf dividers to keep folded clothes neat in your closet
10. Downy wrinkle-reducer spray to avoid ironing completely.

LAUNDRY TIPS:

PRE-SORT:

• When your family undresses, pre-sort the clothes into the sorter by darks/whites/other (reds or lingerie)
• Use lingerie bags to keep undergarments together. It will save time putting them away because they’re pre-sorted. It will also prevent damage.
• Use sock clips to keep matched pairs together. When you wear the socks, put the clip near your laundry sack and when you remove them to launder, re-clip them. They’ll stay matched in the wash and won’t require sorting or folding before being put away.
• Color-code sock clips by family member so if you’re washing a mixed load, you’ll immediately know whose socks belong to whom.

WHEN TO WASH CLOTHES:

• KIDS: wash and dry clothes in mesh sacks and wash sack is ½ full
• ADULTS: when a sorted sack is full. Unhook it to carry to the laundry room, and hang on the hanging bar. Put dried/folded clothes into the sack and carry back to your room to put away.
• Do laundry first thing in the morning or before bed. If done in the morning, you’ll have all day to remember to dry & fold them, and if washed and switched into the dryer before bed, they’ll dry overnight be ready to fold & put away in the morning.
• If you get behind, use a laundry service to get you caught up.

DRYING:

• After drying hanging clothes, immediately remove them from the dryer and hang until you iron. It will reduce wrinkles and therefore time spent ironing.

FOLDING:

• KIDS: Carry the mesh sack to their room and immediately fold and put away.
• ADULTS: Fold a load immediately out of the dryer to reduce wrinkles and prevent clothes mountains.
• When folding clothes, separate them into several piles that match your drawer or closet system. For example, put t-shirts together, jeans together, work-out clothes together. That way they’re presorted and ready to put away.

IRONING:

• Hang clothes until they’re ready to iron to reduce wrinkles.
• Use a wrinkle-reducer spray to avoid ironing altogether. (TRAVEL TIP: Get it in a travel size! And see my article “Look FABULOUS while you Travel!” for more great travel tips!)
• Use an ironing bar that attaches to your ironing board to keep freshly ironed clothes wrinkle-free.
• Sort ironed clothes on the bar by owner, style (short or long sleeved), and color so they’re easier to put away.