Laundry is a necessary evil of life! No matter how much you do, there is always more. Because it is such a dreaded, time-consuming chore oftentimes we rush through it and end up spending more time doing laundry to fix our mistakes.

Here are 7 helpful tips to make laundry day easy:

1. Read and Follow Clothing/Linen Care Labels

Clothing labels contain important information regarding the care of the garment. If the label states “permanent press” it should be washed in this cycle.

Garments indicating “dry clean only” should be washed dry clean only. Often these materials cannot be placed in water and must be cleaned a certain way (i.e. leather, suede, sequined tops, etc.)

2. Use the Recommended Detergent Amount

Do not use more detergent than recommended, you may think using extra laundry detergent means your clothes will get extra clean, this is not the case. Too much laundry detergent can get trapped in the folds of clothing/linens (under collars, in pockets, etc.) and can actually lead to bacteria build-up.

Use the recommended measurement on the detergent label based on your load size and/or washer.

3. Don’t Use Fabric Softener if Not Recommended

Fabric softener is not recommended for certain types of clothing, it can cause a build-up or even inhibit the garments intent. Towels, undergarments/lingerie, workout clothing, children’s pajamas are a few items that use fabrics that should not be exposed to fabric softener. Read all item labels to learn when fabric softener can/can’t be used.

4. Know When to Use Bleach

Bleach is a fantastic disinfectant, if you bleach it, you KNOW it is clean. Bleach also is a great way to get out certain stains. However, bleach is not very good at removing “protein” stains, such as blood or sweat. White socks, underwear, and those t-shirts with the nasty yellow underarms may seem like excellent candidates to get bleached, but bleach is not the best option.

Instead, toss the garments into some hot water with lemon slices. Lemon will help keep whites their whitest.

5. Zip Clothing Zippers Before Laundering

Not zipping up zippers on jeans/pants/shorts/etc. will not prohibit the clothing from getting cleaned, it is just a smart way to avoid harming your other clothing and linens in the same cycle. Zipper teeth can snag other items in the load, ruining them. Best to close those zipper teeth.

6. Unbutton Shirts Before Laundering

It may seem smart to button up shirts before you toss them into the wash, technically buttoned or unbuttoned the shirt will get clean either way. However, a washing cycle can put undue stress on buttons and buttonholes, which can lead to buttons falling off or buttonholes becoming stretched and ineffective.

7. Put Socks in Washer First

It is almost inevitable that a sock will go missing with a load of laundry. This is because socks like to attach themselves to other items in the load. The best way to avoid socks going off on their own and abandoning their partner is to place socks into the washer first on their own. Then place the rest of the load on top of the socks.

Care for the Clothes You Wear

We all have our favorite pieces of clothing we want to last forever and clothing, linens, towels, blankets aren’t cheap. When you care for these items properly, they will last for a long, long time to come.