So.... laundry...
I have so many things to talk about with regard to laundry. But I'll try to keep it brief.First, I like to be clean. Like REALLY clean. I'm an impulsive hand washer, and my wife likes to say that when I clean something "nothing survives." Still, I have some unconventional views about laundry, and I'm curious to see what you stink think:
- Fragrance free. Though I beg my wife to wear perfume and I enjoy scented candles, I think there is way too much scent in most laundry products. Fragrance is a leading allergen and once you banish it from your laundry routine, you won't miss it. (If you do.. just add a single scented bounce sheet to the dryer cycle, okay?)
- Less soap. You just don't need that much if you use a high quality enzymatic cleaner (like virtually any of the leading laundry brands!)
- Use technical soaps for technical clothing. Hard to describe, but technical clothes last longer and perform better when you use a product like Sports Suds to wash them. (My guess is that it's mostly baking soda, but who knows!)
- Use the cold, delicate cycle--for almost everything. Even with the increased wear, less soap, and lack of fragrance I recommend above, I think you're better off if you wash pretty much everything on cold/delicate. Thinks come out super clean and clothes just last longer. Way longer! Needless to say, more aggressive cycles are available should you be facing more aggressive dirtiness, but try making "delicate" your go-to and I think you'll be surprised.
- Wear clothes more than once. Americans are unique in the world in that we wash clothes after one wearing. My recommendation is that you make a rule for each type of clothing and stick to those rules to keep your mind employed on more important tasks. I know that sounds silly, but once you make these sort of decisions you can set up systems to support them—and you can avoid the "smell test" once and for all. For example:
- Underwear: wear once
- Wool socks: wear twice
- Dress shirt (for work): wear twice (ironed twice)
- Dress pants (for work): wear twice (ironed twice)
- Jeans: wear three times
- Suit: wear three times
- Sweaters/Overshirts: wear until soiled or stinky
- etc. (you get the idea)
- Wash stuff that isn't supposed to be washed. Your mileage may vary, but mine's been great. There is virtually nothing I won't try to wash in our front-loading washing machines (on delicate, with less soap, etc.). Sofa cushions, suit jackets, rugs, luggage... and more! So far I have not had a single bad result.