How to Do Less Laundry – See the Bottom of the Washing Basket!

How to Do Less Laundry – See the Bottom of the Washing Basket!

Doing laundry is a chore no matter what time of the year it is but it’s definitely worse in the winter when you can’t dry it outdoors using sunshine, wind and fresh air. In the summer, I don’t really mind doing washing every day as I can usually get it done and dry in the same day.

In the autumn/winter months though, it’s all about creating less laundry as it’s so difficult to keep on top of it if there’s too much. We have a washer/dryer which is great as it makes a huge difference but dryers are really expensive to run and most of my clothes and my husband’s clothes can’t be dried in the dryer as they’ll shrink or be damaged.

So, the solution is to create less washing in the first place so that it’s not as difficult to keep on top of it. Here are a few things that we do to create less laundry:

• Protect your clothes when you’re eating/cooking/doing crafts. This is especially helpful with kids but adults can be clumsy and messy too! Use wipe clean bibs or aprons for kids and just place a napkin on your lap when you’re eating.
• Wear things more than once! In our house, pants and socks get washed after each wear (of course!) but all other things get checked to see if they’re fresh/clean enough for another day’s wear. The kids often wear the same jumpers and trousers for two or three days which helps A LOT. Anything that’s dirty or stained goes in the wash.

• If something is fine to wear again, hang it up on a chair or a hanger to keep it nice for the next day — don’t just chuck it on the floor.
• Use a good deodorant! If you don’t get sweaty and smelly, you’re clothes will not either!
• Have your bath or shower at the end of the day so that you can put your sleepwear on and use your bed when you are completely clean. This means that you don’t need to wash your pyjamas and sheets as frequently as you do when you shower in the mornings instead.

• After your shower or bath, make sure you hang your towels up nicely to ensure they dry properly. Then you don’t need to wash them as often either. Same with your bath mat if you have one.
• If you’re using cloth nappies for your baby or toddler, learn how to boost them properly so that they can be worn for longer. I’ve just bought a bunch of Little Lamb boosters for our nappies and they make a huge difference even though they’re really thin and small. This means that there are not as many cloth nappies to wash as they last much longer when boosted.

Want more laundry tips? Check out my previous articles here:

• Laundry Tips for Busy Mums – Reach That Empty Washing Basket Goal!
• #LightentheLoad Challenge with Ecover + Laundry Tips