A good way to cut down on laundry is to eliminate extra clothes where possible— beginning with the sock drawer. "I mean, why have different colors?" asks Author Elaine St. James, who advocates having just seven identical pairs to last the entire week. Put them all in a mesh bag to wash and dry them, then put the whole bag straight into a bureau drawer. "You'll never have to fold them or hunt for the mates," she says. "It saves a tremendous amount of time."