11 Laundry Hacks That Save You Time and Make Laundry Easy

Laundry can take up so much of our time and few of us enjoy it. These time-saving laundry hacks will make laundry a less dreaded chore. 

When talking to other homemakers about their challenges laundry always comes up. I don’t mind washing and drying it but I’ll admit folding it is not my favorite, you’ll see my hack for that task below.

Even in a household with two people and a cat, I somehow have a LOT of laundry. I also used to help with laundry when I was a kid. It can get overwhelming fast. Sometimes we can put it off until we notice we have nothing to wear.

It’s one of those never-ending chores. It’s unlikely you ever see the end of your laundry baskets, at least not for more than a few hours. Sadly though we have to do it, no one wants to be smelly.

There are some ways to make laundry a bit less painful and speed it up a bit. There are no crazy things to buy either, each hack is very simple. Start using these today and you will get to the end of that basket much quicker.

Laundry Hacks That Save Time

Choose a Laundry System

There are basically two laundry systems that tend to work for people. Which one will work for you depends on your lifestyle and also preference.

System #1: Laundry Day

This is my preference for laundry. I prefer to do it all in one day, Monday. When I’m on track with my homemaking I start with bedding and then work through the other laundry. I do have to sometimes do a load or two during the week but I get the bulk of it done on Monday. I personally like having it all done at once and stay focused better when I do it all on one day. I’m far more likely to forget a load in the washer if I’m doing one load.

System #2: A Load or Two Everyday

This system tends to work better if you work away from the home or just don’t like doing it all at once. Try starting a load as soon as you get up and set a timer to go switch the load so it doesn’t just sit in the washer and end up needing re-washed. With this system, you have to stay on top of things or quickly you will be forced to have a full day of laundry.

Use the Quick Wash Setting

Lightly worn and non-stained clothing can be washed quickly on the quick wash setting. I also like to use this for new clothes I’m pre-washing. No point in washing clothing longer than you need to.

Use the Sensor Settings on Your Dryer

If your dryer has sensors, use them. This will help prevent over drying things which is not only a time waster but also wastes energy and can be hard on clothes.

Give it an Extra Spin

For things that take a long time to dry this can help cut down on dryer time. I find this really useful for things like towels that can take forever to dry. Washers tend to use a lot less energy than dryers so this also will save you some money on your electric bill. I also like to do this when line drying to speed that process up and have less weight on the line.

Use Dryer Balls

Dryer balls help soften your clothes and can also speed up the drying time by helping separate the clothes so the full load is getting dried. There are plastic ones available but heating plastic isn’t the best, so look for wool options instead.

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to dryer balls is that you will see people suggest using essential oils on them. Do not do this! Essential oils, or oils of any kind, do not belong in the dryer. This is a fire risk and not one worth taking.

My favorite dryer balls come from Grove Collabortive but you can also find dryer balls on Amazon.

Wear Clothes Longer

My husband and I have nice baskets in our bedroom to put lightly worn clothes in so we can wear them again. If I wear something at home and don’t get dirty I will wear it again. Outer layers can also be worn multiple times.

Add a Dry Towel to the Dryer

Adding a dry towel to your loads can help absorb some moisture and speed up your drying time. Just don’t do this if it’s a load that attracts a lot of lint.

Freeze Your Jeans

Many people swear by freezing your jeans to keep them looking nice longer and keep them from smelling. It helps kill bacteria so if your jeans are stain free this can prolong them between washings.

I still think you should wash them pretty often because the freezer won’t remember dirt and stains but you wear them a few extra times this way prolonging their life and saving a few loads of laundry. I like to use the giant Ziploc bags for this process.

Use a Lingerie Bag for Line Dry Items

Save time sorting out the things that can’t go in the dryer by using a lingerie bag. Simply put those items in the bag and pull it out when the load is done. Lingerie bags can also help keep your delicates from being damaged in the wash.

Keep Your Socks Together

One thing I have started doing that saves me time when it comes to folding is putting all the socks in a laundry bag. I put the laundry bag in the dryer as well. This way when I’m folding clothes socks are stuck in other clothes and don’t go missing.

I just pull out the bag and match the socks. This can be especially helpful for little kid’s socks that can more easily go missing. You can also have a different bag for each person which can make matching even easier. 

Watch Your Favorite Shows While Folding

Save your favorite show or current binge-worthy show for when you have laundry to fold. While this doesn’t really save you time it will make it seem to go by faster and make the task a bit more enjoyable.

These hacks may not make you start loving laundry but at least they will save you time. If you have any time-saving laundry hacks share them in the comments below.