Cleaning up after a day at camp or the beach will be so much easier with these tried-and-true summer laundry tips!
“Do you hate summer vacation as much as all moms in Facebook memes do?” a childless colleague of mine once asked.
My friends who are SAHMs definitely experience a major routine shift when school’s out and their kids are home all the time (or way more than normal).
But as a WOTHM (that’s a “work outside the home mom”, and yes I just made that up), our summer routine isn’t that different since my kids are in camp all day while I type away in my office.
So my first thought was to answer her question with “No, it’s not that different.”
Then I remembered the backpacks filled with stinky, sandy, wet bathing suits and towels that awaited me that night.
Laundry ruins every mom’s good mood, and there’s so much more of it in summer!
Plus, like washing dishes, doing laundry is a thankless and never-ending job.
There’s got to be a better way.
Get Organized to Make Laundry Easier in Summer
If your laundry room is a disaster with piles of dirty (or clean!) clothes, and there’s so much clutter you can’t even find the detergent, then set aside some time to organize your laundry room.
Make sure you have a place to air-dry items, and a lint bin to collect all the fluff when you take beach towels out of the dryer.
Then, make sure you’re stocked with supplies to remove summer stains like ketchup, ice cream, and other nasty stuff that sticks to your kids’ clothing.
Do you avoid decluttering like you avoid going to the gym?
Finally set realistic, achievable goals and stop avoiding the mess in your home.
6 Time-Saving Summer Laundry Tips
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Doing laundry will never be fun, but here are my favorite summer laundry tips that will make it better.
1. Establish a routine
Make emptying backpacks and beach bags part of your kids’ routine this summer. Remind them to shake out their sandy stuff outside, then bring wet towels and swimsuits straight to the laundry room.
2. Use a bag
Are tiny socks or bathing suits with strings a problem? Wash them in a mesh laundry bag to keep them together.
3. Wash gently (but quickly)
Don’t bother hand-washing bathing suits. Instead, put them in the washing machine on the delicate cycle with cold water, and use a gentle detergent such as Woolite.
Hang them up to dry (never put bathing suits in the dryer or they’ll lose their elasticity). We have a wall-mounted drying rack in our laundry closet, and it’s a great space-saver.
4. Keep summer laundry together
Since the beach towels probably aren’t that dirty, toss them in the laundry with the bathing suits and other not-too-dirty clothes. No need for separate loads, and you’ll have fewer clothes to wash on the weekend.
5. Cut drying time
Use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They cut down on drying time and last for loads of…loads. Good for your electric bill and the environment.
Put a few drops of essential oil (I get mine from Grove) on the dryer balls to leave towels with a fresh scent.
6. Capture stray items
Know what happens when a crayon ends up in the dryer?
I do, and let’s just say it’s a colorful mess that’ll ruin clothes.
So, be sure to check all the pockets before tossing those cargo shorts into the wash, and use a little jar to collect all the rocks, shells, and LEGO bricks that you find.
Laundry Hacks for Summertime
Summertime is meant for relaxing in the sun, not toiling away at the washing machine. I hope these simple ideas to make laundry easier this summer will help you!
Check out these other ideas:
Do you avoid decluttering like you avoid going to the gym?
Finally set realistic, achievable goals and stop avoiding the mess in your home.
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