How to Save Time and Money in the Laundry

By Laundry Expert Nicole Gibson from Soka Australia

No matter the season, day of the week or whether you are on holidays, laundry is never cancelled. It can certainly be a never ending and thankless task that every parent experiences. Whether its sorting whites, darks, colours, delicates, towels, soaking stained items or searching for a missing sock, it is a popular area of the home. Given our lifelong commitment and time spent doing laundry, it makes perfect sense to work smarter not harder and have systems in place that will save you water, time, money, sanity and are better for the environment.

AIR DRYING

Air drying clothes will save on energy, helps you save money, disinfects clothes, reduces wrinkles and is gentle on fabrics. So often we put clothes unnecessarily in the wash to avoid putting them away. I know most kids tend to be the main culprits! Simply by hanging a worn item in a breezy sunny spot will be all that is needed to freshen and clean.

AVOID IRONING

Hate ironing? There are a few simple ways to reduce plugging in the iron but still make sure the kids are wrinkle free when leaving the house.

Hang clothes on a hanger straight from the washing machine
Skip the spin cycle
Fold clothes straight from the line
Wear fabrics that do not require ironing
DIY electricity free ironing spray made up of 1 litre of water and 20 drops of lavender essential oil. Lavender naturally relaxes the fabric fibers so when you spray lightly on dry clothes, they dry with less wrinkles and the lavender scent evaporates. This is perfect for school uniforms! Just shake before use.

HAND WASHING

Hand washing in smaller compartments saves a lot less water than filling up the laundry sink. It also uses less laundry detergent, allowing you to get a more effective clean using a more accurate ratio of water and detergent. By using a compartmentalized laundry soaking such as the Soka Tub system will also allow you to multitask different items and avoids the painful drip line to the washing machine.

EARTH FRIENDLY LOW SUD DETERGENTS

Earth friendly low sud laundry detergents are better for the environment because they are natural, safe, effective in cold water, free from toxins, nasty chemicals, and fillers. Fillers are the main contributor to washing machine build up which increases the frequency of cleaning the washing machine, and contributes to stubborn random stains after a wash cycle. Earth friendly solutions are also suitable for grey water systems and septic tanks, and low suds makes for cleaner clothes and eliminates that stiff and crunchy feeling.

WIRE MULTI PEG HANGER

A multi peg hanger made from marine grade stainless steel will not heat up in the sun and will not break, fade, crack, and will last a lifetime. Never again will you have to pick up broken plastic peg pieces or buy a new system. This is perfect for hanging smaller items of laundry and you can take it easily on holidays too. Such a great space saving system that you can hang anywhere.

Picture courtesy of The Organising Platform

HIGH EFFICIENCY WASHER

High efficiency washing machines cost less to operate because they use less water, energy, and detergent. They use up to 80% less water which over a year could save you significant money.

QUICK WASH

Choosing a quick wash is the perfect cycle setting for those visually clean items that may have been worn a couple of times. A quick wash uses less water, detergent, saves time and energy and is better for maintaining the integrity of fabrics and the shape of clothes.

PRE-TREAT STAINS

So often we throw stained clothing straight into the wash and hope it comes out stain free which is never the case. To save time, effort and money when treating stains, early intervention will get the best results. Try these easy options to be more successful with stain removal.

Rinse stains from the inside out
Avoid using hot water
Pre-treat with a stain remover
Pre-soak in a little laundry detergent

For daily inspirational stain removal videos, laundry tips, hacks and monthly newsletters follow @sokaaustralia or head to Soka Australia.