Question: would you like to do laundry less often? Unless you’re a sentient washing machine that has figured out how to use the internet and enjoys washing clothes, the answer to that question should be a resounding “NO!” Doing laundry, like most household chores, is a bit of a bummer. Would you rather do laundry or go for a hike? We know what our answer is.
Despite what you might think, your laundry needs aren’t fixed. You can probably get away with doing laundry a lot less often by following a few simple tips. Doing less laundry means you save water, reduce your energy use, and free your usual ‘laundry days’ up for other, funner activities! Let’s get into it.
Own less clothing, buy durable material
Here’s the truth: if you want to reduce your weekly laundry loads and take fewer trips to the laundromat, reduce the amount of clothing you buy. Instead of buying a bunch of shirts, buy a handful of nice shirts made well from durable, natural fabrics. You don’t have to have a different outfit every day of the month. Donate what you don’t actually need and look to buy better clothes.
Buy natural fabrics
Put simply, organic, natural fabrics rule. Organic cotton, hemp, wool, and Tencel lycocell are awesome materials at reducing odors and staying cleaner longer. A 100% organic cotton shirt can go multiple days of use without starting to stink. Synthetic materials tend to hold onto foul odors a lot more readily than natural materials. Next time you go clothes shopping, look for natural fabrics.
Reconsider your look
Getting dressed for the day, what do you put on? Socks, underpants, pants, and a shirt? Or is it more like socks, underpants, leggings, pants, a shirt, an overshirt, a scarf, and a hat? That’s a lot more laundry to do later on than the initial simpler look. In short, rethink your look. You can look presentable with fewer garments, and the simplicity you get from dressing like this makes mornings, and laundry days, so much easier.
Spot clean as needed
Say you’re going about your day, wearing your simple outfit of natural fabrics, and you spill a drop of coffee on your shirt. Does the whole thing need to go into the hamper? Probably not. Instead of washing the whole garment, do a quick spot wash on it. You’ll get the coffee stain out of your shirt without having to throw it in the washer, reducing the amount of laundry you wind up needing to do.
Air out your laundry
All of these tips are for naught if you don’t store your clothing properly between washes. If, when you’re done with your shirt for the day, you throw it in a pile on the floor, it’s going to start to stink. Instead, consider buying a small rack or hanging your used garment up on a clothing line outside to air it out. Airing out your clothes will help reduce odors in garments worn more than once. It’s also a much nicer way to store your clothes than a pile on the floor!
What other tips do you have to reduce the amount of laundry you do?
