Best Laundry Tips

There is nothing sexy about doing the laundry. Let’s be real, it’s messy and stinky! However, I find it extremely satisfying when I see my laundry basket empty and my house smelling fluffy fresh.

Let me just mention that although laundry needs cleaning, all the same, you would be mistaken. For longevity of your clothing, getting the nasty smells out and keeping the colors bright and blacks black, best you keep reading.

SORTING THE LAUNDRY
It is a simple and easy task sorting the laundry, but are you doing it the right way? Here is a quick breakdown of how I sort the smelly’s, softies, undies, and bedding.

You want to sort by colors first. Even though older items might not run, it still gives off some color. Here’s how I do it:
Darks
Black
Dark blue (navy)
Red (they always run)
Dark gray
Dark brown

Whites
White only

Lights
Soft/pastel colors like pink
Olive Green/Green
Powder blue/Blue
Yellow
Mint/Green
Peach/Orange
Stone/Brown

Brights
Vibrant colors like bright blue
Pink
Orange
Green


Once you have done the color sorting, you then move onto the nitty-gritty. Here you will see how I sort according to texture and still sticking to my color separation.
– Bedding
– Towels
– Heavy/Thick Clothing
– Sports Clothing
– Baby Clothing (I only washed these separately up to 9/12 months of age)
– Softies
– Wool

HOW TO WASH
I always use washing powder and softeners for all of my laundries, and most of the time use the cold water setting. However, there are a few exceptions as certain items need special care.

Bedding, Towels and Sports Clothing
For these items, I use washing powder, the hot water setting, and apple cider vinegar in the softener compartment. That’s right, apple cider vinegar! Apple cider vinegar is an antibacterial and anti-fungal agent, not only that, it gets rid of those nasty odors. After a while, sports clothing tend to smell bad as soon as you put them on. The combination of heat and apple cider vinegar keeps the nasty smells at bay.

Heavy or Thick Clothing
These items are the thick winter jackets, jeans, cargo pants and corduroy clothing. You don’t want to wash your softies, like a thin shirt, with a rough pair of jeans. The jeans would just soak up all the water, soap and space, leaving your softie ruined.

Softies and Wool
Silk and satin would be under the softies category. Your softies and wool really depend on the thread and blend. I would recommend you read the washing instructions as per the label for best results. However, I wash them separate from all the other clothing on a delicate cycle.

Baby Clothing
Up to 9/12 months, I wash the baby clothing separately and with its own detergents. Preferably sensitive skin or those brands that cater to baby clothing specifically. After 9/12 months these items go in with the other clothing. If you don’t want to hassle with two different detergents, wash all your laundry with a baby or sensitive shin detergents.

I am a busy mom and definitely do not have the time to wash each item separate or hand wash. If that were the case, then most of our clothing will not get washed (giggling while holding my nose). However, I do try to keep the clothing fresh, clean, and want them to last long. You can achieve the same with little effort.

Happy Laundry!

by Odette van Jaarsveld

I am a Mom to an independent, beautiful little girl and a strong, cuddly baby boy. I also have the privilege to be a wife to a very intelligent, handsome man. My life is filled with so much love, joy and very busy days....sometimes nights too.

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