January 2023

Sometimes living in an apartment means making trips to the laundromat or using coin operated machines in the basement. But we wanted to make life at VIDA easier and more fun than that. So, we include a washer and dryer in every residence. Because the less time and money you spend on laundry, the more time you have for the things you really enjoy.

To help make doing your laundry easier and your clothes cleaner, here are our favorite laundry tips.

Don’t Let Stains Sit

The key to getting stains out is to not let them sit for too long. As soon as you’re able, rinse the stained area in cold water and then apply a stain remover. Waiting until laundry day reduces your chances of success.

Smaller Loads

Washers clean better when there’s room for the clothes to move around in the machine. While you might be tempted to stuff as much as possible into one load to save time, your clothes won’t come out as clean and you’ll put undo stress on your machine. On the psychological side, you’ll also be more likely to fold and put away your laundry if you don’t have to deal with a mountain of clothes.

Prevent Fading

Turning your darks inside out will help prevent fading because there’s less abrasion of the fabric’s surface.

White Whites

There’s no single reason your whites get gray and dingy, so try to follow each of these tips. Wash them separately, don’t overload the washer, use the hottest water recommended for the fabric, and add distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Mesh Bags

Zippered mesh bags are great for more than just undergarments. Use them to keep all your socks together, because the sock monster is hungry. They’re also helpful for washing things that have straps, belts, or drawstrings that can get tangled.

Use Less Detergent

One of the biggest laundry mistakes is using too much detergent. They can be hard on your clothes and lead to premature wear. Unless you’re washing something that’s heavily soiled, just pre-treat stains and use slightly less than the recommended amount of detergent. If you don’t overload your machine, everything will come out clean.

Unwrinkling Clothes

Do you leave your clothes in the dryer too long and they get wrinkled? Get a small hand towel damp (not soaking wet), put it in the dryer with your wrinkled clothes, and run it for 5-10 minutes. In the same way an iron uses steam to get out wrinkles, that damp towel will unwrinkle your clothes.

Folding Clothes

The hard truth is that your laundry isn’t done until you fold things and put them away. When it comes to folding, the best hack is to change your mindset. Think of folding as practicing mindfulness. Just fold the clothes and only think about folding the clothes.