Home Streamline Laundry Day Checklist Laundry day is easier than ever when you incorporate a few pre-emptive measures and the right troubleshooting tools into your routine. By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 9, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: PAPERCUT Set a "right side-in" rule.Don't let inside-out tees and balled-up socks slow you down or prevent items from getting as clean as possible. Encourage everyone to "right" inverted items before tossing in the hamper.Give everyone their own color-coded basket.Purchase attractive but sturdy woven hampers in a variety of colors—one for each family member—and aim to wash/dry/fold everyone's clothing separately. You'll save more time sorting, and can easily ask individuals to help with their own folding and putting away.Arm yourself against the sock monster.Invest in a collection of sock clips to keep pairs together from the moment they hit the hamper to the minute they go back in the drawer. Purchase them in colored sets and encourage family members to clip using their own color before they toss in the basket.Auto-ship your must-have staples.Ensure your most trusted laundry day must-haves, like Tide with Acti-lift detergent, are always on-hand by signing up for automatic delivery with your favorite online retailer. Bonus: It will lighten your load on grocery day!Make sure you have a clean machine.Residue from soils, detergents, and hard-water minerals can leave an unpleasant odor not to mention telltale signs on your clothing. Run Tide Washing Machine Cleaner alone in a normal cycle 1x a month to fight and lift residue for a cleaner washer and clothes.Prepare for automatic dryer freshness.Ensure you never forget the dryer sheet again with the Bounce Dryer Bar. Just attach it to the inside of the machine and enjoy that "fresh laundry smell" you love for up to 4 months.Assemble a stain-fighting toolkit.Items to consider include rubber gloves, baking soda, salt, glycerin, spray bottle, toothbrush, and a printed "cheat sheet" for pre-treating common stains. For bonus stain-fighting power, add Tide Boost in-wash booster to every load along with your regular detergent.Create a "lost and found" basket.Designate a container in the laundry room for pins, buttons, loose change, and more so you know where to toss and keep track of miscellaneous items—and they know where to look.Use a fabric softener.Save time battling wrinkles and static cling by adding Ultra Downy April Fresh to your washing machine dispenser or by hand during the rinse cycle. Bonus: New scent technology provides a week's worth of freshness in just one wash.Fold clothes as they come out of the dryer.You'll keep the process moving, and cut back on wrinkles created by piles of clothing crumbled into a basket. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit