If you have clothes that are pure white, you obviously don’t want them to fade and start to turn yellow, brown, or gray. Nobody likes dingy whites!

It can be difficult to maintain the integrity of white fabrics since they stain and darken so easily.

When you wash your laundry, are you separating whites and colors in different wash cycles? An even better question, is your laundry service doing this?

With most wash and fold laundry services, you can rest easy knowing that your clothing is being handled by professionals that understand how to keep the integrity of fabrics intact. But, some low-cost providers will toss all your laundry in one wash cycle – creating dingy whites and fading colors. Before signing on with a laundry service, do your homework to see if they separate wash cycles. Most times, you get what you pay for!

There are also certain things you can do on your own, in order to keep those whites sparkling. Follow these tips below and follow along with The Folde for more laundry tips!

Tip #1: Don’t Use Too Much Laundry Detergent

You may think that more detergent will make clothes cleaner, but that is not necessarily the case. It’s important to use the proper amount of detergent as indicated by the manufacturer, especially when it comes to washing whites.

Laundry detergent performs two key functions. First, it cleans your clothes; second, it traps dirt and filth, preventing it from reappearing on your clothing. You’ll need enough detergent to capture all of the dirt in the washer and then flush it down the drain, but if you use too much, it could get backed up and leave a film on your fabrics.

You know all those bubbles and suds that you see in the wash cycle? Those are great for cleaning. But, too many bubbles and suds actually traps in the dirt and prevents it from properly rinsing out in the rinse cycle.

Too much laundry detergent is a thing! And, it is especially true when washing your whites.

Tip #2: Wash in Smaller Loads.

How many of us are guilty of waiting too long to do laundry and then shoving a mountain into the washer? We’ve all been there, but when possible, it’s a good rule of thumb to wash your whites in small loads.

Overloading a washing machine can make it extremely difficult for whites to actually get clean. In order to clean garments, the water and detergent require plenty of room in the machine to get between all the creases. The detergent and water can’t reach all the nooks and crannies if the clothing is jammed into the machine too tightly.

In addition, an overburdened machine may end up re-depositing dirt on garments, rather than flushing it away. If you don’t have time to do small batches, relying on a wash and fold laundry service may be a better option!

Tip #3: Do Laundry More Frequently

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Laundry doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” kind of deal. The best wash and fold laundry tip to stay sane is to be preventative with your laundry schedule. Don’t wait for the pile to be huge! Instead, work to knock out smaller, more reasonable loads throughout the week.

You can create a laundry schedule for yourself that comfortably places washing, drying, and folding time into your daily routine. Depending on the size of your household, you might be battling wash and fold laundry every day or every couple of days.

Throw in a load of clothes while making dinner, switch them over after you eat, and fold while watching your nightly Netflix episodes. Or throw laundry in when you get ready in the morning, switch it at lunch, and fold in the evening while you watch television. Essentially, plan your laundry time around your own schedule – you don’t need to dedicate all your time and energy to it!

The larger loads take more time. And, those give laundry a bad wrap. Slow and steady wins the race!

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. But a mountain of laundry is the least effective way to do laundry.

Remember – One bite at a time!