By Emilie Gruben.
Clothes. I wear them. I hope you wear them. Actually, I hope everyone wears them, come to think of it. Woah. We have a lot in common- wearing clothes. Who’d have thunk! You know what else we probably have in common? Loads and loads of laundry that never seem to end in quantity, no matter how much washing, ironing, hanging, and folding you do. Does that sound familiar? Unfortunately, it is the case for me and my family. In a house full of people where chores are shared, it is often a bigger ordeal than others. I’ll be sharing a few laundry tips today, and maybe they’ll help you!
Cleaning socks leads to dozens of pairs of socks and only one sock to each pair, from my experiences. A few ways I try to avoid this outcome when laundering socks is to clothespin a pair together before popping them into the dryer. Another way is by placing all of the socks into a mesh bag, like these, and then letting them wash and dry within the bag. Another way I found semi-helpful, was to just wash only a load of delicates such as underclothes, socks, gloves, etc, together to limit the loss and varied cleanliness of the smaller items.
When cleaning shoes, I found that giving them a spray down in the shower or perhaps with the outside hose, beforehand, helps to truly get the grit and grunt of the mess off before the wash. When laundering white or light colored shoes or shoelaces, I make sure to mix both dish soap and Oxi-clean together in a small cup and then lather it all over the surfaces I wish to clean. This process cuts into the grime with force, and even brightens the colors in addition to taking away stains! To keep less thumping from occurring in your washer when you are cleaning shoe pairs, you can also place the shoes into a pillowcase, firmly tying it so there isn’t much wiggle room, and then tossing it in. I wouldn’t recommend a dark colored pillowcase for lighter shoes or vice versa, though. Keep the general light and dark rules in mind!
We are slowly entering the time for sweaters and knit clothes. To refresh the sweaters from their long time in the back of closets or storage, it can be helpful to place some essential oils on a piece of cloth, or use a dryer sheet with a dryer cycle on delicate to give the pieces a fresh smell and look. But be sure to inspect the tags for detailed directions for the care of your pieces. But as a general rule, it’s best to fold sweaters-never hang them- after they’ve been dried, whether by machine or air.
Also on the subject of folding, there are some things I do to help me not just pile up the loads of warm, clean laundry and leave them for a few days. A tip is to fold them in the laundry room, placing the piles on top of the washer, and then handing them to their owners to put away. Or folding them into a basket and then stacking the baskets, elsewhere, to be put away in a simpler way. Small changes like these can really elevate your efficiency and motivation. Do it all at once without leaving the laundry room, and you are far less likely to say “I’ll do it later.”
In addition to lack of motivation, mistakes and spills also occur in our laundry room, semi often. When picking up, I try to think in a way that we can still benefit from the soap on the floor, or the smashed up bottle. If bleach or any whitener is spilled, I find the nearest thing that could be laundered with bleach, and use it to mop up the substance. That piece of lace with the slight stain? Perfect. The old dog towel that used to be whiter? Absolutely. Anything you can benefit from, use it. The same goes for laundry soap. Mop it up with a towel and wash the towel with others. Scoop up the detergent with your hands and spread it out on a welcome mat and then spray with an outside hose or in the shower. Be resourceful with your mistakes. There’s always some good in bad!
Our laundry is a blessing, as hard as it can be to see it, sometimes. I find myself complaining and lamenting another day of folding the same clothes, over and over. But there may come a day that I will not have the honor of folding others’ laundry. There could be a day when I am unable to use my hands to iron. I could lose sight of the colors of shirts, or not hear the beep of the washing machine and dryer. I have these abilities right now to honor and serve others. I have the energy to do as much as I can. I shouldn’t waste it wishing for anything different. Let us be joyful in whatever chores or season we are in.
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24.
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