Anne Taylor
Laundry is one of those household chores that seemingly never ends. Because it doesn’t. Whether you have a large family or just burn through a lot of workout clothes, you can easily spend hours each week sorting and folding. However, there are some handy laundry essentials out there that can help you burn through those loads much faster.
While we can’t make your dirty laundry go away, we can make washing it a little easier. All of the products below are meant to expedite this chore, keep you organized, and give you more time to do the things you actually enjoy.
A Laundry Sorter Basket
Sort your laundry as you throw each piece in the hamper, so you don’t have to take time to do this task later. This laundry basket has four compartments for lights, colors, darks, and delicates. It’s easy to assemble and will seriously expedite the cleaning process.
If you don’t usually sort your laundry before washing (no shame), this basket can help you get into the habit. Made of a cast-iron frame with heavy-duty casters (two of which have locking brakes), it’s also incredibly sturdy and durable.
Sock Clips
Nothing is more frustrating than searching for a missing sock while you’re folding and organizing a giant basket of clothing. These sock clips keep each pair together while washing and drying so nothing gets lost.
It also makes folding a breeze and cuts down the time you’ll spend after you pull everything out of the dryer. You get two sock docks, one for clean and one for dirty. Each one holds nine pairs of socks. You can also use SockDocks for other accessories, like scarves, headbands, or face masks.
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Delicates Bags
These mesh laundry bags keep delicate items, like underwear, bras, and slips, from getting ripped or stretched in the washing machine. They’re lightweight and won’t increase your load size.
These also work for lace items or anything with ties that could get caught on another item of clothing. This five-pack includes one X-Large, two Large, and two Medium bags.
A Sweater Drying Rack
Most of us are stuck doing our laundry in a confined space, so our ability to follow special drying instructions is limited. But these space-saving hangers can really help! They’ll allow you to lie your sweaters flat to dry so they won’t lose their shape.
Thick items and those made with stiff materials, like wool, can get bent out of shape when put on a normal clothes hanger to dry. Instead of draping your sweaters over chairs and couches around the house, you can place them neatly on this drying rack for a quick, efficient drying session.
A Hat Washer
If you have a lot of hat-wearers in your family, you know just how sweaty, dirty, and smelly they can get. But how do you wash a hat? Well, fortunately, someone figured it out! The Ballcap Buddy hat washers are little cages that protect baseball caps while you wash them.
You can put these in the washing machine (top-load only), but it’s recommended that you load them in the top rack of your dishwasher, instead! Either way, it’s much easier and faster than handwashing. This is also a three-pack, which will help if you’ve got a lot of mini leaguers in the house.
A Shoe Bag
Similar to the hat washers, these shoe bags will keep your shoes protected in the washing machine. This is great when you need to throw smelly sneakers or scuffed-up trainers in the washer, but are worried about them being thrown around.
These bags also prevent laces from getting pulled out and frayed. It also protects your machine from any damage from the shoes. This set of two means you can watch two pairs of sneakers simultaneously.
They’re made of long-lasting polypropylene and have locking zippers, so no shoes will escape during the wash cycle.
A Shirt Folder
No, this “shirt folder” isn’t your child, although, if you can bribe them to help, go for it! We’re talking about this cool folding board. It allows you to fold your shirts quickly and neatly instead of quickly and lumpy.
This is what most clothing stores use to keep their racks looking nice and organized. It really speeds up the process of putting clothes away, too. You’ll also save more space in your drawers by making every item of clothing a uniform size. It’ll also fold pants, towels, and thicker items of clothing, like sweaters.
Dryer Balls
Never run out of dryer sheets again with these eco-friendly alternatives. Wool dryer balls reduce static, keep clothes soft, and speed up drying time. Each one will last for over 1,000 loads, and you get six in this pack.
Also, these not only replace dryer sheets, but fabric softener, as well, so they’re real money-savers. They also shorten dry time, so you’ll save on your energy bills, too. They contain no fillers, chemicals, or synthetics.
A Retractable Clothesline
Air drying clothing can be a real pain, especially if you have limited space. Dryer racks take up a ton of room, and you have to assemble and disassemble them every time you use them.
That’s where a retractable clothesline comes in! This one from GorillaLine takes up very little space and makes it so much easier to hang clothes to dry. It’s easy to install and you can put it anywhere—bathroom, laundry room, garage—wherever you have the space!
The best part is, after your clothes are dry, you just push the button, and the line retracts, so it’s out of the way until your next laundry day.
Laundry Bag Backpack
If you have to head to the laundromat to wash your clothes, you need this laundry backpack in your life. It makes it so much easier to transport a large load of laundry down the street. Plus, it leaves your hands free to carry other bags and baskets, if necessary.
It can hold up to three loads and also has zippered pockets for your keys, phone, or wallet. The shoulder straps are adjustable and padded for comfort. You can also remove the nylon inner bag for days when you have lighter loads.
