8 Ways to Make Doing Laundry Easier

Getting to the bottom of the mound of dirty laundry each week can feel like climbing a mountain. And while you might not be able to change the sheer amount of clothing, bedding and towels that need to be washed, there are ways to bring joy to caring for your family’s launderables. Discover eight simple ways to make doing laundry easier below.

Make laundry time me-time

Stop dreading laundry day and turn it into a treat for yourself. Get the whole family involved in bringing their hampers to the laundry machines. Then when the loads come out of the dryer, take your full baskets somewhere quiet and fold everything while watching your favourite show, listening to a podcast or just enjoying some sweet, sweet silence.

Create a laundry schedule

Whether you’re a laundry-every-day devotee or a once-a-week workhorse, set a schedule and stick to it. Having a routine lowers the chances of anyone running out of clean underwear and makes assigning weekly chores easier.

If you do one or two loads a day, a washer with an agitator is great. Agitators do a good job of breaking down dirt and getting extra messy loads clean. If you’re trying to get through a week’s worth of laundry in a weekend, you might want a bit more room. That’s when it’s handy to have a washer with a two-in-one removable agitator.

What’s an agitator? It’s the tall spindle in many top-load washing machines that twists or agitates clothes to help break down dirt and stains.

The Whirlpool® Top Load Washer with the industry-first 2 in 1 Removable Agitator makes big loads easy. Remove the agitator to make more room and feel confident that your clothes are still getting clean with the machine’s built-in impeller, which cleans by rubbing clothes against each other and drives laundry into the middle of the machine, rather than having it sit against the sides.

Get divided hampers

Instead of having to sort through soiled clothes to separate them by colour or wash cycle, buy divided hampers and teach the kids to put light clothes in one and dark in the other, or simply clothes in one and linens in the other. You may choose to separate your own laundry into clothes that can be washed with your kids’ grass-stained togs and the items that require a more delicate touch. Then when the hampers hit the laundry room, each load is ready for the wash.

Tip: Delicates do best in a machine without an agitator—or, for the best of both worlds, explore the Whirlpool® Top Load Washer with the 2 in 1 Removable Agitator.

Pre-treat stains

While pre-treating your laundry may sound like more work, it means you only have to deal with those stains once. Set up a station near the laundry sink, if you have one, where you can add extra detergent, baking soda or other stain treatments to clothes before popping them in the wash. Or, spring for a washer like the Whirlpool Top Load Washer with the 2 in 1 Removable Agitator, which comes with a built-in faucet right in the wash basin, perfect for pre-treating and rinsing stains.

Tip: When it comes time to wash your clothes, try Swash® laundry detergent. It comes in two fresh scents: Smells Like Nothing and Smells Like Clean Laundry, and just one squeeze of the bottle is enough for every load.

Use Wash Bags

While great for protecting tights, swimsuits or lacy lingerie, wash bags aren’t just for delicates. Use a bag to keep kids’ socks from disappearing or identify items that shouldn’t go in the dryer so you’re not sifting through wet laundry trying to find those shrinkable items.

Invest in a smart washer

Never open the washer to find a musty, days-old load again. If you’re considering a washing machine upgrade, a smart appliance is well, a smart choice. Schedule wash cycles so laundry is done on your time and get notified when it’s ready to dry. Plus, you can assign tasks, like moving the load to the dryer, to family members and they’ll get notifications on their phone.

Wash bigger items together

Clothes often take priority over sheets, towels, comforters and duvets because linens tend to take up too much washer real estate when everyone’s waiting for their favourite t-shirts and jeans to be clean. Save time and frustration by washing those bigger items together and choosing the Bulky setting.

Tip: Washers without agitators have more space for large items. Get the best of both worlds with the Whirlpool® Top Load Washer with the 2 in 1 Removable Agitator.

Keep a basket for pocket items

If you’ve got kids, you’re probably adept at checking pockets before loading their clothes into the wash. If not, you’re likely used to finding granola bars, toys and markers in your washer. Keep a small basket in your laundry room for these items so kids can find their beloved minifigures and bouncy balls later—and so your clothes don’t get damaged.

Tip: With all the dirt that goes through your washer, it’s important to keep it clean. Try Affresh® washing machine cleaner, specially formulated to help remove dirt and residue build-up that can affect your washing machine’s performance.