STRATEGIES

Untreated stains, a forgotten tissue in a pocket, dried clothes left to wrinkle—these all make more work for you. A good routine will lighten your load, and keep the laundry looking good.

1. sort

• Provide hampers in the laundry room, bathroom, or other convenient spots (plus one on each floor of the home), using one for lights and one for colors—or use a hamper with multiple compartments, further sorting darks into denims and delicates (for example).
• Collapsible hampers are good for small spaces or when they’ll be used in more than one location; hampers that hang free up valuable floor space.
• Designate a receptacle for really dirty items—or have a plan to toss those items directly in a tub or sink to soak before the stains set in.
• You may also want to put hand-washables in a separate bin and dry-cleaning in a take-along tote.
• Do not toss still-damp towels in hampers—always hang them up to dry first (or put them directly in the washing machine). Sour odors tend to linger.

2. prep

• Tackle stains right away; this is the biggest time- and clothes-saver. Have a stain-removal kit at the ready (see Tip, below).
• Use a lint brush or roller to remove excess pet hair (or other fuzzy stuff) from items, especially pet bedding.
• Fix ripped hems or buttonholes and other tears before laundering. Keep a mending kit with basic sewing supplies in a convenient spot.
• Turn clothes—especially darks, delicate knits, and T-shirts—inside-out to prevent fading and piling. Pull out sleeves and pant legs, zip up zippers, tie drawstrings, unbutton buttons. Empty out pockets (keep a coin jar nearby).
• Unfurl sheets and blankets—it’s all too easy for a stray item to end up in the load.
• Check new items for colorfastness: Dampen a discreet spot, then blot it with a white cloth to see if the dye bleeds. If so, wash the item on its own until the color stops running; check by adding an old white sock or rag to the cycle.

Tip

For pretreating clothing stains, hang a mini-kit in your hamper and stock it with a small bottle of acetone (grass and grease), diluted ammonia (blood, sweat, and urine), and vinegar (coffee, mustard, and more), plus detergent (for collars).

PILLOWS AND COMFORTERs

Even those filled with down and feathers can be laundered at home at least once a season.

• Remove from covers and wash two pillows or one comforter at a time (do not overload) in warm water, using a mild detergent and an extra rinse cycle.
• Use the fastest spin option to remove as much water as possible (for faster drying).
• Tumble-dry on low heat until thoroughly dry (especially for down and feather, to prevent mold); foam pillows can be air-dried.
• Adding a few clean, dry towels will help speed up drying; throw in a few clean tennis balls (stuffed in clean white cotton socks) to keep the filling from clumping.