Ah, yes; that time of the week most people dread – laundry day.

There are some who find it much easier to tackle laundry in little bits, say a load a day, whilst there are others who find it much more agreeable to let it all pile up, wear those loose sweatpants and that faded hoodie, and attack the mountain in one fell swoop. Depending on the day, or week, I vacillate between both groups.

The following system works well for me, even though it involves sorting which, I hear, is the bane of most people who wash clothes (I mean, apart from actually putting said clothes away…):

Cold Cycle

-Delicates (dry clean only, hang dry, lay flat to dry, unmentionables)

-Jeans

-Other (bottoms, dresses, tops)

Hot Cycle

-Cleaning and dusting rags

-Kitchen (aprons, potholders, towels)

-Other (bathroom towels, blankets, sheets, socks, underwear)

Below are a few things I’ve begun to do in order to have less wear on clothes:

-Turn things inside out.

-Wash all things on the Gentle Cycle.

-Wash everything you think might run often enough so the excess dye comes out before you wash it with a lighter fabric. This may also involve washing it by hand just to make sure there’s no more excess (although mistakes have still been known to happen – I’m just saying…).

A couple of other quick tidbits:

-If you have someone in your family who has sensitive skin or a sensitive nose, use unscented detergent in the washer.

-In the dryer use unscented dryer sheets or just use dryer balls. (I have found that dryer balls do not always get rid of static electricity, especially in the winter.)

So go forth! Tackle those small piles of clothes! Climb that inevitable mountain of laundry!

But first, tea?