Laundry Tips

Laundry is often one of the biggest chores of the week, especially if you have young children or a big family. Part of making laundry day easier is having the right laundry supplies, but knowing what to do with them can be a different story. Read on to discover some tips that will help you keep your sanity on your busiest day of the week.

How to Make Laundry Day Easier:

1. Follow the care instructions: Remember to read the care label for any item of clothing or household item before laundering. It's always easier to prevent a laundry problem than it is to fix it. Every clothing description at Overstock.com includes basic care requirements for that garment, so you'll know exactly what the laundry care will be before you buy. Whites are often washed in warm or hot water to remove stains and keep them bright. Wash darks and colors in cold water to set the color and prevent staining and color loss. Try using multiple hampers to presort your clothes before laundry day arrives. An extra hamper in the laundry room can hold items that don't get washed with clothes, like dirty kitchen towels.

2. Dry your clothes: Empty the lint trap of your dryer before every laundry load to maximize its drying ability and to prevent fires. Dryers often give clothes wrinkles; to avoid wrinkles, hang up the laundry on a drying rack as soon as it's done. Overloading the dryer can cause wrinkles, too; prevent them by only filling the dryer about half-full to allow sufficient movement during the cycle. You can cut down your home's energy costs by hanging your laundry to dry on a clothesline or on a drying rack.

3. Use the right detergent: Front-loading washers require low-suds laundry detergents, which are usually liquids. These are often marked with the letters "HE" for high efficiency. For top-loading washers, choose between powders and liquids based on your water and your stains. Powdered laundry detergents work better when you have hard water; they are also better at breaking down muddy stains. Liquid laundry detergents are better at removing oily stains and grease; they also work well as a pre-treatment. Follow the measurement directions for laundry detergent. More detergent doesn't mean cleaner laundry; when you use too much, it doesn't all rinse out, making clothes itchy. If you find yourself treating lots of stains, consider buying a detergent specifically designed to help remove them.

   Washing Baby Clothing:

   • If you have babies or young children at home, remember to wash their clothes with a milder detergent that won't irritate sensitive skin. Detergents designed for baby clothes are usually free of dyes and fragrances. Most detergent brands make products specifically for baby clothes, so you shouldn't have a problem finding one that will work for you.

4. Stop those stains: No matter the stain, you'll have better luck removing it if you treat it as soon as possible. Occasionally, you'll need to treat the stain twice: once to remove the oil and once to remove the color. Most stain removers have specific instructions, depending on the type of stain; follow these instructions first. If they don't include instructions for the stain you need to remove, apply the stain remover and let it sit for several minutes, and then soak the stained item in warm water for half an hour before washing.

Tip:

1. Regularly washing your bedding is a great preventative against sickness and makes sleeping that much more comfortable. Down comforters can be washed by hand or in the gentle cycle of a front-loading washer. Be sure to use a low-suds laundry detergent and rinse thoroughly. Use the spin cycle in the washer whether you wash the comforter by hand or in the machine. Tumble dry the down comforter on low, adding in a few tennis balls to fluff up the feathers.