Let’s be honest—laundry is hardly anyone’s idea of a good time. —even for those operating high-capacity commercial laundry equipment. Here at Ace Laundry, we’ve gathered expert tips and insights to simplify your laundry routine, making it quicker and more efficient—whether you’re using household appliances or robust commercial machines.
1. Sorting and Streamlining: Less is More
First things first, the golden rule: Don’t over-sort. While mum and gran might have taught you to painstakingly separate whites, darks, delicates, towels, jeans, and sportswear, modern detergents and machines have evolved massively. Here’s a time-saving trick industry experts swear by—separate primarily by weight and soil level rather than colors, within reason.
For example, wash heavier items like jeans, towels, and sweatshirts together because they have similar drying times. Wash lighter items like shirts, blouses, and underwear separately—they dry faster and you won’t risk accidental shrinkage or excessive wrinkling from over-drying.
For those seeking more in-depth insights, explore these essential maintenance tips for commercial laundry machines to further improve your routine.
2. Smart Pre-Treating: Hit Stains Fast and Easy
We know it’s common sense to pre-treat stains immediately, but here’s where most people waste precious time. No need to scrub or soak endlessly. The best pre-treatment hack is simplicity: keep a small bottle of diluted dish soap or laundry liquid handy—1 part soap to 3 parts water—in a spray bottle. Spray this directly on the stain right when it happens. It cuts through grease, food, and everyday grime better than most expensive stain removers. Leave for just 10 minutes before washing and see it work wonders.
Here’s another pro-approved secret—white chalk for grease stains. Yes, regular white chalk (the kind used on blackboards) is incredibly absorbent. Rub it gently over a fresh grease stain, wait five minutes, brush off excess, then launder as usual. It often lifts grease stains brilliantly and quickly, preventing a costly or tedious second wash.
For stubborn stains that require extra attention, refer to this expert guide on how to remove stains like a pro.
3. Mastering Machine Efficiency: Quick Cycles and Correct Loads
Most modern washing machines come loaded with settings—heavy, eco, delicate, fast wash—and understanding these cycles is crucial to saving time and energy. In reality, 90% of your regular clothes do not need long cycles. Unless heavily soiled, selecting a quick wash cycle (usually 30 minutes) is sufficient. Modern detergents are designed to break down dirt quickly. Reserve longer cycles only for truly grimy items like gardening or sports gear. Much like an efficient commercial washing machine, household washers today offer multiple specialized cycles.
A second crucial tip: always run a full load, but avoid overloading. If you overload, clothes won’t wash or spin effectively, forcing you into another wash. A good rule of thumb: leave a hand’s breadth gap between the clothes and the top of the drum when loaded. That’s your sweet spot for efficiency.
4. Drying Smarter, Not Harder: Tricks to Cut Time and Wrinkles
The drying stage is often the longest, most energy-consuming part of laundry. But here’s a fantastic insider hack: toss a clean, dry bath towel into the dryer with wet clothes. Sounds odd? It works because towels absorb moisture faster, shortening drying time by around 20%. Just remove the towel after 15-20 minutes and continue drying the rest normally.
Wrinkles your worry? Ditch ironing as much as possible. Immediately removing clothes from the dryer and shaking them vigorously before folding or hanging them greatly reduces wrinkles. Another trick—hang shirts and dresses on hangers straight out of the washer and air-dry; the weight of damp fabric naturally smooths out wrinkles. If you dry clothes fully, use the “cool down” setting for the final 10 minutes. This sets the fibers smoothly, reducing creases significantly.
5. Fold and Store Efficiently: Simple Techniques That Work
Laundry often feels incomplete because of the dreaded pile of clean clothes left unfolded. Here’s an industry secret: fold clothes straight out of the dryer. They’re warm, less wrinkled, and much easier to manage. Another tip is to use folding templates or boards (you can even DIY one from cardboard) to rapidly fold T-shirts, tops, and jumpers into uniform shapes. It sounds tedious initially, but it makes clothes stack neatly and saves heaps of time sorting later.
Organize storage smartly. Vertical stacking—standing folded items upright rather than flat—is genius. It’s quicker to locate clothes and keeps drawers tidier longer. Another pro hack is to store bedding sets folded neatly inside one pillowcase from the set. This means no rummaging through cupboards and searching for matching sheets.
To streamline laundry days even further, check out these useful ideas on how to stay organized on laundry day.
6. Maintain Your Machines: Small Acts, Big Results
Time wasted on laundry often starts from inefficient machines. Here’s crucial advice: regularly clean your washing machine and dryer. Run a quick hot cycle monthly with a cup of white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda—this removes detergent residue and mold, ensuring maximum efficiency. For the dryer, clean lint filters after every use. Accumulated lint severely slows drying time. Occasionally vacuum the vent and lint trap housing. These small steps make machines run faster, last longer, and use less energy.
7. Net Bags Simplify Laundry Management
Using mesh laundry bags during washing can prevent smaller garments like socks, underwear, and delicate items from tangling, getting lost, or getting trapped in machine gaskets. Assign specific net bags for items that shouldn’t be tumble dried, creating a simple system to easily identify and separate garments post-wash. Mesh bags also protect delicate items like lingerie or knitwear, helping them retain shape and quality.
8. Inside-Out Washing for Longer-Lasting Colours
Washing clothes inside-out is a straightforward yet often overlooked hack. This simple step reduces direct friction on visible outer surfaces of garments, preserving color vibrancy and preventing premature fading, particularly beneficial for denim jeans, printed T-shirts, and darker items prone to noticeable color wear.
9. Dryer Balls to Boost Efficiency
Using wool dryer balls during drying cycles is a simple, cost-effective tip. These balls help separate and fluff clothing in the dryer, allowing warm air to circulate more efficiently. Dryer balls significantly reduce drying time, help soften fabrics naturally, reduce wrinkles, and eliminate the need for chemical-based dryer sheets or fabric softeners. They’re environmentally friendly, reusable, and maintain their effectiveness for hundreds of cycles.
These additional laundry tips, although simple, can make a substantial difference in streamlining the entire laundry process, extending garment life, and making the task altogether more efficient and eco-friendly.
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