Not many people look forward to laundry day. Doing laundry is a fairly mundane task that can take a long time. You sort the clothes, put them in the washer, forget if you’ve put clothes in that can’t be washed, take the clothes out and recheck the tags, put them back in, and finally start the wash. And that’s not even mentioning drying, folding or hanging the clothes back where they belong! Simply put, doing laundry isn’t fun– but what if Landmark Home Warranty had some tips and tricks to make your next laundry day go by smoother than ever? If that sounds like something you’re interested in, keep reading! We’ve unlocked the secrets of laundry in this post, including tips to help you translate the symbols on your tags, how to make towels softer and more absorbent, and reduce drying time! 

SORT AS YOU GO

The part of laundry that often takes the longest is going through your hamper and sorting your clothes. It usually goes something like this:

*dump pile of clothes on floor*

*move light colored clothes to one side*

*move dark colored clothes to other side*

*pick up different items and stare intently at them, ensuring they’re in the right pile*

This process is so time consuming, and it can become frustrating when you get to the end of your sorting process and you realize one of the piles isn’t big enough to merit the soap and water it would take to wash them. The solution? Sort your clothes as you take them off by getting a double or tri-hamper. They look something like this:

You can buy this on Overstock.com. Pre-sorting clothes will make it much easier to do laundry, and it’s easier to see which piles of clothes need to be cleaned.  Simple!

GET A CHEAT SHEET ON EACH OF THE LAUNDRY SYMBOLS

Once upon a time, when we (we meaning consumers) all used to purchase clothes from stores that spoke our same language, our garments’ tags had laundry instructions written in the language that we spoke. They usually said things like “Machine wash cold, no dryer.”

As we moved to online shopping and purchasing stores that had a wide market across the world, retailers have found that it takes a lot less space on a garment tag to create pictures that would have meaning to consumers, no matter what language they spoke. In 1963 GINETEX, the International Association for Textile Care Labeling was founded (yes, that is a thing, no we are not making it up) and created universal symbols for proper laundry care.

Now, here at Landmark Home Warranty, we think it’s great that everybody, regardless of what language they speak, can know how to wash their clothes. However, it’s hard to remember what each symbol means. That’s why we have created this handy print-out that you can frame and hang in your laundry room to do the thinking for you. Just find which symbol your garment has, and then find the translation for what to do with the article of clothing underneath.

DECREASE DRYING TIME WITH TENNIS BALLS

Yes, you read that correctly, you can decrease how long your clothes are in the dryer by using tennis balls. Here’s what to do: put a few tennis balls into socks, and place them into the dryer. Dry your clothes as normal, but with a shorter drying cycle. So how does it work?

When you first take your clothes out of the washer and put them into the dryer, they have most likely become clumped together, locking moisture in. As the dryer spins, the tennis balls move around, and separate your clothes, drying your clothes faster. So you’re saving energy and not damaging your clothes as much. Go you!  

REVITALIZE TOWELS WITH BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR

Have your towels ever felt stiff, or had a smell that just wouldn’t get out, no matter how many times you washed them? Usually this is from a build up of laundry detergent or fabric softener. You can soften and revitalize your towels with some baking soda and vinegar. Here’s how:

1. Place towels into washer with 1 cup of vinegar. Wash at the hottest temperature
2. Run the washer again with 1/2 cup of baking soda.  Wash at the hottest temperature

CLEAN YOUR WASHER AND DRYER TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE

Cleaning your washer and dryer regularly can make the machines more effective, clean your clothes better and make them last longer. Stay tuned for Landmark Home Warranty's post on how to clean your washing machine and dryer, coming soon! Of course, when your washer and dryer do fail from normal wear and tear, as all appliances do, make sure you have a home warranty that covers them! 

GET A HOME WARRANTY TO PROTECT YOUR WASHER AND DRYER

Home warranties make laundry day a breeze! Why do we say that? Well, laundry day is a whole lot harder when your laundry machines have failed and you have to do laundry by hand. Luckily, with a home warranty, you don’t have to worry about that.

Getting a home warranty plan that protects your washer and dryer can save you thousands of dollars when your washer and dryer fail from normal wear and tear. When your laundry machines fail, call the best home warranty company and explain what happened, and they will send out a trusted service contractor. Your home warranty company will repair or replace the failed machines for a $60 service call fee, which is extremely affordable.

For more information on how you can make your laundry day easier with a home warranty, go towww.landmarkhw.com. There you can learn about which home warranty plans cover laundry appliances, what homeowners have written about with home warranty reviews and see why Landmark is the best home warranty company.