How to Do Laundry Fast

Doing laundry quickly and easily is a skill from which you will -- unfortunately -- get plenty of use.

While doing laundry can seem time consuming, there are ways to get it done with as little effort as possible while still ending up with clean clothes. However, some steps are worth the extra effort as a small investment of time up front will prevent larger problems later.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry hampers
• Stain removers
• Laundry soap

Instructions

Sorting

1. Sort your dirty laundry as you put it into the hamper by using two or more hampers for light, dark, delicate or heavily soiled clothes. Inexpensive collapsible mesh hampers are available.

2. Separate any red clothing or new, dark denim, from the rest of your laundry, as these colors tend to bleed onto the rest of the load. No time is saved if you ruin a load of clothing!

3. Check each garment for stains. Treat them with a stain remover -- or a glob of liquid laundry soap -- as soon as possible to maximize your chances of getting the stain out on the first try.

4. Get into the habit of emptying all pockets and removing any belts or other removable items before you put your clothes into the hamper(s). If you are also doing the laundry of other family members, encourage them to do the same. However, it is always worth checking the pockets of clothing worn by small children.

Washing

1. Add soap to the water in the washing machine before you put in the clothes.

2. Put only the most necessary items into the washing machine if you need just a few essential items to be clean soon.

3. Set the machine to the lowest water fill level that will cover your laundry. Choose the shortest wash cycle available if your clothes are not heavily soiled. Wash clothers in cold water to minimize the running of colors if you have skimped on sorting your laundry.

Drying and Folding

1. Clean the dryer's lint trap before using the dryer to improve its efficiency.

2. Shake out every item of clothing to remove any twists created by the spin cycle of the washer. Clothes that are free to move will dry more quickly.

3. Cull out any garments that are especially slow to dry, such as coats or jeans, and hang them on chairs to dry. This will enable the rest of the load to dry more quickly.

4. Do not bother with folding your laundry if you needed only a few items to wear immediately. Fold everything else as soon as possible to keep clothes from getting wrinkled; it is faster to fold now than to iron the clothes or re-wash the wrinkles out later. Clothes that are hung immediately do not need to be folded.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage other members of the family to assist you with the task by helping to collect and sort dirty clothes, hang wet laundry, fold clean towels or match the socks.

• If you are extremely behind on the laundry, consider taking it to a laundromat, where you can use several washing machines at once.

References

• HGTV: Learn the Laundry Basics
• The Genuine Man: How To Do Laundry