After a long winter, spring is finally here and it’s time to freshen up your wardrobe for warmer weather. However, the piles of laundry that accumulated over the colder months can feel overwhelming. Don’t stress – with these easy laundry hacks, you can welcome the spring season effortlessly.
Declutter Your Laundry Room
First things first – declutter your laundry area. Go through shelves and drawers and remove any items you no longer need. Donate unused detergents and fabric softeners to your local laundromat. Organize the essentials so everything has a home and is easy to find. A tidy laundry space will make upcoming loads feel much more manageable. Then, take inventory of what you have left and organize it neatly by category – all detergents in one place, bleach together, etc. Having everything easily accessible will help you work quickly and prevent forgetting important laundry items.
Once your space is tidy, you’ll want to sort clothes by fabric type and care instructions. Separate heavyweight material from silk and other delicates. Within each group, check for stains that need pre-treating or colors that could bleed. Having clothes properly separated will save you loads of time down the road. Speaking of loads – now is a great opportunity to purge worn-out, stained, or ill-fitting items from your closet before washing sets in. Less to wash means less stress!
With clothes sorted, the laundry begins. For lightly soiled items like t-shirts and underwear, focus on quick washes on the Gentle or Delicate cycle using cold water. Warm cycles are usually unnecessary for daily items and can even cause unnecessary wear over time. As for heavier-hitting items, use the Regular or Heavy-duty cycle with warm water for robust fabrics like denim, towels, and sheets that need more scrubbing power.
Revive Colored Clothes
After months of wear, your white and tan clothes may be looking a little dull. Perk them up naturally using a DIY bleach alternative – add 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide to your regular cold water wash. This will safely brighten fibers without harsh chemicals. For stubborn stains, make a paste with baking soda and rub it on before washing.
Refresh Delicates
Spring brings lighter fabrics like cotton blouses, sundresses, and linen pants. Handle them gently with these tips: turn items inside out, use a delicate or hand wash cycle, and air dry in sunlight whenever possible. Stay away from hot water and fabric softener which can weaken delicate weaves over time.
Revitalize Heartier Materials
For denim, canvas totes, and fleece sweaters you can wash more vigorously. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften fabrics and remove odors without residue. Hang to dry for a fresh spring look without damage to the materials.
When it comes to laundry aids, focus on natural, fragrance-free products as much as possible. Overly scented detergents and dryer sheets can irritate sensitive skin and leave an unwanted residue on clothes over multiple washes. Stick to the basic formulas and add boosters as needed – oxygen-based bleach alternative for brightening, white vinegar for softening, and baking soda for odor elimination are great natural options.
Between loads, hang dry as much as you reasonably can. The sun is one of the best disinfectants and air drying allows fabrics to fully breathe without the damage of machine tumbling and high heat. It also cuts down energy costs. Save the dryer for truly wet items or rainy/humid days.
While your clothes are laundering and hanging to dry, take 15 minutes to iron a load – the faster you stay on top of wrinkles as items are cleaned, the less overall pressing will be needed. You can also consider line-drying delicate items inside to speed the process on gloomy spring days using a retractable in-home clothesline or drying rack.
With efficient habits like these, your mountains of laundry will seem less daunting. Soon you’ll be refreshed and ready for light linen pants, sundresses, and all the joys of spring! Wishing you ease as you transition wardrobes into warmer weather.
