3 useful tricks to try on your next laundry day

MANILA, Philippines – When was the last time you looked forward to doing the laundry?

Many tend to think of it as a tedious, “special” event that requires an entire afternoon in the laundry room – separating clothes, washing them in batches, tossing them in the dryer, and hanging each piece on the clothesline.

But contrary to popular belief, doing the laundry doesn’t have to be such a thankless activity. There are plenty of surprising tips and tricks to make your clothes last longer and looking brand new. Doesn’t this just make washing worth your while?

Here are some of the tricks you can try and make you say, “Thank God it’s laundry day!”

Wash denim jeans inside out to prevent fading

Jeans are a wardrobe staple for both men and women. Chances are, you’re one of the many people who wear jeans a few times a week, if not everyday! But if you don’t care for your favorite pair properly, its colors will fade sooner than you want them to.

To prevent this, before tossing your jeans in the wash, turn them inside out. Then, use a detergent specifically made for colored clothes. This way, not only are the colors preserved, its inner side gets thoroughly washed, too!

Make clothes softer and static-free with a ball of foil 

Some of you might be familiar with, if not actually using, dryer sheets to make clothes softer and static-free. As its name implies, these are thin sheets that are tossed along with freshly washed clothes inside the dryer.

But since dryer sheets aren’t as accessible as laundry detergents, bleaches, and fabric conditioners, you can opt for a piece of balled-up aluminum foil instead! Simply pop it in the dryer as you would a dryer sheet and spin. It’s cheaper, eco-friendly, and reusable.

And if you used fabric conditioner during the final rinse before drying, your clothes would smell great, too.

Separate clothes according to type of material and wash with the right detergent

Aside from separating the whites from colored clothes, items that shed fibers and threads should never be washed with clothes that attract lint to make them last longer.

The same goes for light clothes and heavy items like bedsheets and denim, which should never be put in the dryer together. Why? According to Carolyn Forte of Good Housekeeping Institute Home Appliances, Cleaning, Products, and Textiles Lab, doing so can cause the light clothes to shrink.

It’s important to wash clothes with the right detergent, too! To keep them looking good as new, use specific detergents that will boost colors of colored clothes and brighten whites. Detergent brand Surf, for example, offers detergents, bars, and fabric conditioners that do the job while keeping clothes soft and fragrant.

Oh, and here’s a bonus hack: When you do the laundry, be on the lookout for promos and freebies! Brands often offer them to loyal customers as a way of giving back, so don’t just throw those packs and sachets away. Read the print or check the inside to win instant surprises such as discounts or even free load and data allocation*!

New Year, new you

So this year, as you tick all boxes with the goal of becoming a better and happier you, don’t forget to include learning a few tricks in hacking your laundry and housekeeping in general. Regularly check out tips that can upgrade your skills from online pieces or time-tested hacks from your mom, tita, or lola.

With these tricks and maybe a Spring Cleaning Spotify playlist in the background, doing the laundry doesn’t have to be a boring and difficult chore anymore.

Got any tricks of your own? Share them in the comments! – Rappler.com

*Surf launches Patextival 2018! Now on its 7th year, Patextival gears up for its biggest year yet as it’s set to give away free 90 all-day texts and up to 5 MB Facebook data allocation in every Surf pack.

All Surf users have to do is look for the code inside specially-marked packs of Surf powder and 28ml Fabric conditioner and text SURF <space> CODE to 4388 to instantly redeem the texts and Facebook data allocation.

The free all-day texts and Facebook data allocation from Surf may be redeemed only by Smart, TNT, and Sun subscribers. Promo runs from January 8 until May 31, 2018, while codes may be redeemed until July 15, 2018.