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14 Ways to Lighten Your Summertime Laundry Load
Lessen up on washing and ironing chores, and make laundry time a livelier event, with these tips for summer and beyond
Houzz Contributor. You can also find me on Lolalina (http://www.lolalina.com/), my blog devoted to all of the things that make a house a home - decorating from the heart, living with intention, and savoring life's simple pleasures.
Houzz Contributor. You can also find me on Lolalina (http://www.lolalina.com/),... More »
The last thing you probably want to do in the midst of summer is spend a lot of time cleaning. But with all of those beach days, pool parties and picnics, the house can quickly be overrun with sand and damp towels. Find out how to set up a smart laundry system that will see you through the summer with ease.
First, get ready for summer with a seasonal swap. Take a day to go through every drawer, closet and cupboard, pulling out things that are no longer seasonally appropriate. Stow off-season clothes and gear in an out-of-the-way spot and dig out the beach towels, swimsuits and sarongs. Often after a season in storage, towels and other items end up a little musty; if so, throw everything in the wash before using. If you come across any items with tears or stains, now is the time to toss them out.
First, get ready for summer with a seasonal swap. Take a day to go through every drawer, closet and cupboard, pulling out things that are no longer seasonally appropriate. Stow off-season clothes and gear in an out-of-the-way spot and dig out the beach towels, swimsuits and sarongs. Often after a season in storage, towels and other items end up a little musty; if so, throw everything in the wash before using. If you come across any items with tears or stains, now is the time to toss them out.
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Minimize laundry loads. Doing a load here and there works best for most people. When laundry builds up to giant mountain levels, it can feel overwhelming to tackle. Using smaller baskets can be a helpful reminder to take the laundry in and start a load. If doing frequent loads of laundry doesn't work for you, a good alternative is to invest in a large three-bin laundry sorter that can keep things tidy until you have a chance to get to it.
Stop wet, sandy clothes before they enter the house. Putting up a simple peg rail or a row of sturdy hooks on the exterior of your home makes it easy to remember to hang damp beach towels to dry.
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Keep fresh towels and suits in a designated spot. Inside the door, a second set of hooks or pegs can hold fresh, clean towels ready to grab and go.
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Make hand washing chores a snap. Keep a washtub at the ready in the bathroom and toss in bathing suits and other delicate items as needed.
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Add a space-saving drying solution. Rather than strewing swimsuits across the shower rod or dealing with a bulky drying rack, try leaning a magazine rack or a vintage ladder against the wall. It's just as effective and so much sleeker!
by backporchco
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Keep towels off the floor. Provide wall hooks for each member of the household, plus a bench or shelf to stow extras and a small hamper for dirties. For larger households, labeling each hook with a number or letter is an easy way to keep track of whose towel is whose.
by Tara Seawright
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Try this easy summer cleaning routine. Of course every once in a while it's a good idea to do a deeper cleaning, but who wants to deal with that in the summer heat? By sticking with this routine, your bath can stay fresh looking in only a few minutes each day.
1. Keep a stack of microfiber cloths in the cupboard or under the sink.
2. Whenever you think about it, give everything a quick swipe with a microfiber cloth dampened with water.
3. Start with the cleanest area (mirror, sink) and end with the grimiest (tub, then toilet). Toss the cloth in a hamper.
4. Summer can mean more mildew buildup, so every once in a while throw the shower curtain and bath mat in the wash, too.
1. Keep a stack of microfiber cloths in the cupboard or under the sink.
2. Whenever you think about it, give everything a quick swipe with a microfiber cloth dampened with water.
3. Start with the cleanest area (mirror, sink) and end with the grimiest (tub, then toilet). Toss the cloth in a hamper.
4. Summer can mean more mildew buildup, so every once in a while throw the shower curtain and bath mat in the wash, too.
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Put a laundry basket in (almost) every room. Kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms each need their own laundry basket. I've found that generally, if you keep the basket on the small side, it makes it easier to keep on top of the laundry.
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Go for summery baskets. I love these white-dipped baskets from Wisteria, though you could certainly try to create a DIY version by adding paint to existing baskets. Cute bins like these can be easily tucked into a corner of the kitchen or bath without screaming "laundry basket."
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Avoid summer ironing. Pull shirts and other items you usually need to iron out of the dryer as soon as it's finished, and hang them up on hangers — a garment rack or an extra closet rod is perfect for this task. By simply smoothing your dressy clothes out a bit and hanging them while they're still warm will minimize (if not eliminate) the need to iron.
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Make your laundry room a place that brightens your whites — and your mood. Keeping things fresh and light in the laundry area can help make this chore feel a little more fun. Clean white or bright, sunny hues are a great choice. If you like to buy giant containers of detergent, decanting them into glass jars will make them more attractive and more convenient to use.
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by Pottery Barn
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| Add a multipurpose pinboard. Place a nice, big covered bulletin board in your laundry room and see how many ways you end up using it. You can hang family photos and inspiration, of course, but also try pinning up stray socks, lost items and a fabric care chart for easy reference. |
by Tina Kuhlmann
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Designate a spot for pocket contents. A bowl or basket placed on top of the washer serves as a visual reminder to check those pockets before washing that lip balm or money. For extra organizing credit, give each person their own little basket for small items that would otherwise be easily lost.
by Atypical Type A
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Finish the space with a colorful rug. Since so many laundry rooms are in basements with unfinished cement floors, it makes sense to add a little softness underfoot. There are lots of great indoor-outdoor rugs on the market today that would be perfect in the laundry area. These hard-wearing rugs will be easy to care for, yet will still provide a fun burst of color.
See more ways to make the most of your laundry room
See more ways to make the most of your laundry room
Ideabook published on June 27, 2012.
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Can I suggest that towels etc that are torn or stained can be worked on, repaired, recycled somewhere else in the home rather than thrown out. this idea of replacing used things because they don't look perfect needs to be questioned more often imho.
thanks for the inspiration. happy summer.