Plan a Laundry Day
Designate a day (or two) to clean every week, and make sure everyone brings their clothes to the laundry room and sorts them. If the whole family pitches in, it really will speed up the process — and take the load off you.
Sort Smart
Purchase a laundry sorter, or create your own with individual containers in the laundry room. Label them in a logical manner (e.g., darks, whites, jeans, towels and delicates). As a rule of thumb, you shouldn't mix whites with darks, or synthetic materials with natural fibers (e.g., cotton and polyester don't mix). It's also not recommended that you wash heavy fabrics with lightweight fabrics (e.g., towels and blouses).
Simple Stain Removal
You can help win the war against stains with the right cleaning tools to keep your clothes in tiptop shape. First and foremost, read the care label. If it says "wash in cold water and line dry," do so.
For regular washing, just select a detergent that is best suited to the colour and type of clothes being washed. Use Tide® for great stain removal, keep fabrics bright with Cheer®, soften clothes with Downy® and make clothes smell fresh with Gain®.
Divide and Conquer
When the laundry's finished, don't sort, fold or put the clothes away yourself. Instead, share the responsibility with your family. Let the kids sort and fold, and let your spouse put the clothes away.
