Whether you’re a newbie to doing laundry or not, these Laundry Love tips from “The Laundry Evangelist” Patric Richardson’s book just may forever change the way you do this common chore.
Laundry Love is basically the laundry BIBLE. This book offers you both new tips you hadn’t heard of before AND dispels common myths about washing your clothes. You will live by his methods after reading it (I certainly did!) and will return to it to refresh your memory (along with your clothes).
In addition to writing Laundry Love, Patric Richardson is the host of a television show and has sold out “laundry camps” to thousands of people. He gained a love of laundry as a toddler from his grandmother and honed his skills over several decades, including as an employee of Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. He also has a laundry products store in the Mall of America!
Richardson says that laundry is an act of love, and I personally see it as an act of gratitude for the clothing you own. When you learn the right ways to do laundry, you can also save a lot of time and money in the long run.
For me, it’s about both appreciating and taking care of my investments. I like to try to maintain a personal capsule wardrobe in which I buy only what I truly love and need and wear it a lot.
Thinking of my wardrobe this way changed the way I thought about laundry and is what got me interested in Laundry Love. I have implemented Richardson’s Laundry Love tips for about a year now, and I absolutely swear by them, including the products he recommends. I do it all, and it’s changed my life.
So, below are some FAQs about laundry followed by my personal review of Laundry Love tips from the book to get you started on your own journey to actually enjoy the chore.
(And while these tips are meant to provide a quick and easy, helpful resource for you, they are just a small review of the full book, and I definitely recommend that you read Laundry Love too. In addition to the endless tips it contains, you will love Richardson’s Midwestern charm and anecdotes too.)
A Few Great Laundry Love Tips
Below are just a few great tips from Laundry Love to give you a feel for what it has to offer. Read the full book to dramatically improve your laundry game!
Decide what to wash and what to treat and re-wear. And you can use a spray bottle of 1/2 vodka and 1/2 water to lift odors.
Sort the clothes you are washing properly. Richardson recommends five categories, regardless of what the item is: whites, blacks, cool, warm, and athletic.
Protect delicate clothing. For example, turn silky items inside out and place them in mesh bags. Place wool items and underwear in mesh bags as well. (This is exactly what I do.)
Tackle stains and odors for good. You can also use a laundry bar of soap and a horsehair brush for stain removal. (This has NEVER failed me.)
Add the right ingredients to your washing machine. Add baking soda to fight stains and odors and soften fabrics. Keep whites white with a tablespoon of oxygen bleach (this is the one I use).
Use LESS detergent than recommended. This way, it fully washes out of your clothes and makes your clothes cleaner than they are with more soap. I use a small amount and have never felt my clothes came out unclean.
Wash with warm water on the express cycle. It may surprise you to learn that cold water settings don’t clean your clothes well. And, unless something is really, really dirty (like athletic clothing), your clothes don’t really need a longer cycle. I ALWAYS wash on the express cycle.
Decide what to air dry and what to put in the dryer. Hang drying your clothes makes them last about a year longer. And wool dryer balls can help cut down on drying time. I usually make this decision based on what the tags of my clothes say, as well as whether I want to risk any shrinkage for an item.
Conclusion
Those are all the best Laundry Love tips from this must-read nonfiction book and my personal experience to change the way you wash your clothes. I use them all the time in my laundry room!
For even more, read the full book Laundry Love.
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