Easy Laundry Tips for a Stress-Free Laundry Day

#1: Use a Laundry Bag

Carrying a hamper back and forth is a recipe for sore arms and bruised shins, especially if stairs are involved. Plus, most hampers aren’t meant for travel, and the more you drag them around, the quicker they’ll break. 

Instead, use a functional laundry bag to easily haul your dirty clothes and necessities. Built with backpack straps, the JanSport Surplus Laundry Bag is the durable laundry day sidekick that keeps your hands free and makes transportation easy. Throw in your dirty clothes, use the inner and outer pockets to store quarters and detergent, and wear it like a backpack.  

#2: Organize Ahead of Time

A better laundry day starts before you even walk out the door. Before you leave, pre-treat any stains and sort clothes into their wash loads, and consider separating whites and colors or delicates and bulky items.  

If you’re using a laundry bag, stack each load as a layer in the bag to keep clothes organized. While this might sound like more work, it’ll save time at the laundry machines and help protect your clothes from color stains or wrong wash cycles.

#3: Multitask While You Wash

Long to-do list? Instead of scrolling on your phone for hours, try working on that long essay, finishing some homework, or writing all the emails you need to send. If you don’t have any work to do, use this time to call friends or family or plan your next adventure. 

It might be tempting to leave the laundromat while your clothes wash, but that’s not a good idea. Uattended clothes can be stolen or pulled out from their machines early.

#4: Buddy Up

Doing chores with friends can make them way less miserable. You might even have some fun. See if any friends have a similar schedule and coordinate your laundry days. Not only will this stop you from pushing laundry day off, but it’ll give you a chance to hang out. 

Bring card games, study together, or simply catch up while you wait. If you have errands to do, one of you can watch and change your clothes while the other runs to the store.

#5: Pick the Right Time Slot

Doing laundry at popular times can mean waiting for machines to free up. Try to avoid peak hours so you don’t waste your time. 

Many people tend to do laundry on weekends, so weekdays might be your best bet. College students could have luck on a Friday or Saturday night, too. Every place is different, so pay attention to the crowds wherever you’re washing your clothes and try to work around them. 

#6: Take Advantage of Shorter Cycles

Some loads don’t need a super long wash or dry cycle. If your clothes aren’t too smelly or dirty, you can try a quick wash cycle to cut the time in half. 

Some machines come with specific spin, soil, and water options too. Choosing a light spin, low soil level, or cold water wash might shave off time. A drying rack setup at home can also help you skip the dryer. 

That being said, make sure you’re following your clothes’ wash instructions, and give soiled items the time they need in the machine, so you’re not stuck re-washing.

#7: Don’t Wait to Fold

When you’ve just put in the time to wash and dry your clothes, chances are you don’t want to be stuck ironing out wrinkles for another hour or two. To prevent creases, neatly fold clothes right when they’re done in the dryer. Make sure to do this while they’re still warm, because wrinkles will form as the fabric cools.  

From knowing how to use a laundry bag to hacking your time in the laundry room, these laundry tips can make wash day less of a big deal.