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Laundry: it's complicated.
Apologies, this will only excite people who are interested in efficient washing.
- I used to stuff everything in one load when I had a basketful, but I found that if you have an old washing machine, you don't get good results this way: towel fluff on black tops, for example. So I started sorting my washing to improve results. When my basket is full I see what I have the most of and wash that stuff. There are 4 main categories to be aware of: clean, dirty, dark, light. This doesn't mean that I do 4 loads a week, it just means that eg I wash towels with other dirty things of a light colour.
- It's a good thing to stock up on undies (and socks etc), so that you can go longer between dirty loads. Even if you don't sort, buying more undies liberates you from a tight washing cycle. There is no rule that says you should have 7 pairs of undies, just because they come in packs like that. Buy enough for at least two weeks! This has changed my life. I am free from the pressure of the empty top drawer.
- Another tip: if you have to hang your washing in your apartment, wash on a weeknight. Keep the weekend free of dreary housework. Also it doesn't matter if you have washing all over the place on a Monday night and into Tuesday, cos you're asleep or at work and won't see it. On Saturday, you're at home doing stuff and it gets in the way.
- I've had it from two good authorities (Shannon Lush and the Choice website) that you only need to use 1/4 of the recommended scoop of detergent. It is still enough to break the water, and won't leave residue on your washing. Also, Emma T says to buy a 10kg box of detergent from Big W or Kmart, it saves you money and you won't have to buy it again for like 3 years.
so true about buying washing powder in bulk at kmart - heaps cheaper!!! And it lasts for ages (not sure if it lasts as long as 3 years though)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm not sure if it is that long. I think I'm close to it though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip about buying washing powder in bulk.
ReplyDeleteI just sort my washing into warm wash and cold wash :) If I can't be bothered, I shove it all in cold. It's usually my exercise gear that needs to be washed frequently because I have limited gear and I exercise regularly.
I have also come to separate my washing and then wash the larger pile first...this has resulted in a nasty and vicious cycle!
ReplyDeleteI have more blacks every week (my work uniform is all black and i own allot of black clothes)...this means that generally only the blacks get washed because i do them and then get called out to do something else etc. on my day off. Now, because it is the blacks that have been washed i then wear them rather then the dirty whites...thus creating more black washing again...washing all the blacks first again...leaving whites unclean and unworn for weeks!
I think i need to break the cycle.
That's when I strip the bed, or find a table cloth or something to fill up the load! Some machines you can do a half load, I use that function a lot but my new one doesn't have it.
ReplyDelete