Oof—laundry day. It’s one thing if you’re lucky enough to have immediate access to a washer and dryer, but if you don’t, there’s dread that comes with washing your clothes. You have to transport your dirty laundry to the nearest laundromat, which can be a royal headache depending on how much clothes you’re taking and the distance you need to go. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Machines can be broken or occupied, or what if you get all the way there only to realize you forgot your wallet at home? There’s no way to avoid laundry day (unless you don’t mind smelling like a locker room—don’t be that person!), so it’s pretty much a necessary evil. Fortunately, there are ways to make these visits a bit more bearable—here’s how!
Sort It Out
At the public Laundromat, two things are certain. First, you’re going to be there for quite awhile. Second, you and all your underwear are going to be on display. But minimizing these two things will make the ritual less annoying. One way to do this is to sort your clothes out before you leave home. You never know when the Laundromat will be packed, so this will save you the trouble of finding a place to publically sort your underwear and your whites. If you do this ahead of time, you can just dump the right clothes in the right load without having to give this step any extra thought. It also makes it easier to hide your delicates, so you aren’t worrying about people seeing what you’re washing.
Bring Tide Pods
Tide pods may be the meme of the moment, but they’re no joke—bringing these to the laundromat is a godsend. Not only are they cheaper to buy in bulk than buying individual powder packs from the laundromat vending machine, but carrying a couple is a lot less of a hassle than bringing a large plastic bottle with you. And from there, all you have to do is toss one is with a load and you’re good to go. You won’t have to worry about spills or measurements, but just make sure you bring one for each load you’re doing.
Timing is Everything
Chances are you go to the laundromat when your clothes and sheets are dirty. That’s to be expected, but so is a full house if you wait to go when it’s convenient. If you want to beat the crowds, go during off hours. This might mean going when it’s slightly less convenient for you, but if you plan accordingly you won’t have to wait to use the washing machine. Your trip will be that much shorter for it.
Two Birds, One Load
You may feel trapped at the laundromat while your clothes wash, but you don’t have to be. If you plan ahead, you can make your trip to the laundromat count for so much more. They key is to figure out what else you could be doing while your clothes are in the washer and plan ahead accordingly. If you have work you can do, bring your laptop and get to it. If there’s a post office near by and you have some mail to send off, here’s your chance. The point is if you can accomplish more than just washing your clothes at the laundromat, the trip won’t be as much of a drag and it will be a more productive use of your time.
Make a DIY Dryer Ball
While dryer sheets and dryer balls will soften your laundry and fight static cling, there’s a cheap and easier way to do this. All you have to do is roll up a ball of foil and toss it into the dryer and let it do its thing. Chances are you probably have aluminum foil around somewhere, so this hack shouldn’t cost you anything and you won’t get shocked when you take your laundry out of the dryer.
Look Before You Load
Discovering you just washed your clothes in hot water will ruin your day if your clothes shrink. It’ll be just as bad if you wash dark clothes in a washer that was filled with bleach. These preventable accidents can be totally avoided if you remember to check the washer each time you hit the laundromat. Before tossing in your stuff, always check the washer’s settings and smell the machine itself to see if it reeks of bleach. Easy peasy
There may be no getting out of going to the laundromat, but it doesn’t have to be the downer it’s known for. Chores—especially ones that take time and are destination bound—aren’t usually fun and it’s part of life. But by planning ahead and taking smart precautions, you can make it easier on yourself. You may end up saving yourself some time and stress, too.