Laundry is weirdly my favorite home task. I love the process, seeing the finished work, taking care of the clothes we work hard to curate… I realize most people probably don’t spend quite as much time looking forward to laundry and a lot more spend more than I do washing clothing, but today I wanted to share a few ways to make the task more enjoyable.
Thank you to Samsung for partnering with me on this post. All opinions are my own.
ONE | OWN YOUR CLOTHES CARE
A few years ago I started to heavily edit my wardrobe. I began getting rid of clothes that had seen better days, worn clothes, poorly fitting clothes, college clothes, high school clothes. It’s been a slow process of ridding myself of anything that didn’t *yes I know* spark joy.
Then again I began the even slower process of adding in clothes that I absolutely love. Classics that last years and years. One Sezane dress here, an Anthropologie cardigan there. In doing so, I found that the fewer/better pieces I had the more I wanted to learn how to take care of them. I began learning that Wool and Cashmere detergent wasn’t just a marketing gimmick and everything labeled “Dry Clean Only” could actually be washed carefully at home.
Now of course I don’t hand wash every piece I own but knowing how to keep my clothes fresh, structured and true to their original color has made me appreciate the process and my beautiful pieces even more.
TWO | HAVE A HAND WASH STATION
I’ve dry cleaned items only a handful of times in my life. A vast majority of items that are labeled Dry Clean Only can actually be hand washed. Hand washing delicate items is the best way to majorly extend the life of an item you love and it’s really the only way to truly get stubborn stains out of clothes.
Two years ago when we were picking out a new washer and dryer set we looked at a lot of sets but eventually ended up with the Samsung activewash Top Load Washer with a built in sink that lets you scrub, wash and rinse clothes without turning on the washer, filling a sink/bucket of water, or generally making a mess. It’s been a complete game changer for how I care for clothes – especially the ones with stains.
THREE | USE THE RIGHT DETERGENTS
There are a staggering number of laundry detergent brands on the market right now. I really didn’t get into different detergents until about a year ago when I realized how many chemicals and dyes were in normal detergents. I switched over to using Tide Free and Clear Honey Lavender for every day clothes and have recently been purchasing specialty types from The Laundress – current favorites: Wool and Cashmere Shampoo, Stain Solution, Whites Detergent (only used for my quality white tops) .
Using the right detergent for your clothes can 100% lengthen the life of your favorite pieces and can help protect them while they’re stored away for a season.
FOUR | SKIP THE DRYER SHEETS
This has been my favorite laundry hack yet. For any item I put into the dryer (which isn’t too much) I love using wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. It helps soak up excess moisture, soften your clothes, and to add a little scent booster I put about 6 drops of my favorite essential oil blend from Vitruvi onto the wool balls.
My sheets, towels, and even socks come out smelling beautifully fresh without having to buy coated dryer sheets over and over.
FIVE | KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY DRY YOUR CLOTHES
After I got married I quickly realized I can’t just throw everything in the dryer anymore. About 80% of our clothes are now hung to dry, dried on low heat, or laid flat to dry. Socks, dish towels, and athletic clothes are about the only items I immediately throw in our Samsung dryer right out of the washing machine.
All t-shirts, shorts, underwear, and pants are hung to dry. I’ll put them on hangers out of the washing machine and hang them on doorways and shower rods around the house. Sweaters, sweatshirts are laid flat or draped on our hanging rack in the sun and bath towels, washcloths, and sheets are hung outside to line dry and then popped into the dryer for the last few minutes to make them fluffy and soft.
Our Samsung dryer has the best drying settings with options like Refresh, Air Fluff, and Steam Sanitize to help clothes dry efficiently and quickly. It will also automatically sense when clothes are dried and turn off to help save your electric bill.
My Laundry Favorites Linked
No complaints yet! We bought these from Home Depot about 2 years ago and they have made laundry so much easier and efficient for me.