7 Tips for an Easier Trip to the Laundromat

Remember these tasks to avoid time-sucking, clothes-ruining missteps on laundry day.
Remember these tasks to avoid time-sucking, clothes-ruining missteps on laundry day.

Carting your wardrobe out of your house on laundry day isn't exactly fun. But with our rules, the chore will certainly become a bit easier.

1. Check the machine before you load in your clothes.
Remove any items that the person before you left behind. An extra sock isn't a big deal, but a rogue tube of lipstick could ruin your favorite blouse.

Related: 10 Tips to Your Fastest Laundry Day EVER

2. Sniff for leftover bleach.
If the previous patron used bleach in her load, you'll know by smelling the bleach dispenser or cup. This two-second move could save your dark clothes.

3. Dispel any odors.
Mildew and grime are common in laundromat washers, and since so many people use them, you never know what your clothes might smell like at the end of the rinse cycle. Add distilled white vinegar to a Downy ball and toss it in with your load. It will help eliminate residual stink from others' washes (and any odors in your clothes, too.)

Related: Are You Using Too Much Laundry Detergent?

4. Try detergent pods.
Stop lugging that heavy bottle. Tote a few pods in your purse to make the job much easier on your back.

5. Leave a basket behind.
We're sure you're monitoring your machine diligently (right?). But if your coffee run takes longer than expected, it's polite (and shrewd) to leave a place for the next person in line to drop your clothes.

Related: 4 Times You Should Skip the Fabric Softener

6. Empty the dryer's lint trap.
Be the person who (finally) cleans out the lint, and the machine won't have to work as hard to dry your clothes. No more dropping in yet another quarter waiting for your ever-damp towels to fully dry.

7. Shake out your clothes.
Fluff and fold your items right after you take them out of the dryer. If you don't, wrinkles will set into them on the way home.

- By Gabrielle Falcone

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