The Icy Owl

Laundry Day

Doing laundry is just not one of my favorite chores. I doubt that anyone enjoys doing laundry, but nonetheless it must be done.

Step One: Sorting

First, there's the sorting of the soiled clothing and other articles. This takes time. Yes, I know there are those who just simply toss everything and anything in the wash without sorting beforehand. That's their choice and I respect that.

I sort not only by color, but by type of material and type of article. Whites and light colored materials go in one pile, brightly and mixed color materials in another, and dark colors into a third pile. But that is not enough! Some materials have to be washed in cold water or in a 'knit' type gentle cycle. Others, such as white cotton articles, get cleaned best when washed in a 'hot normal' cycle. So each pile gets further broken down. Whites that need the 'hot normal' cycle, and whites that require a cold, gentle cycle create two loads. Colors that can be washed in a normal cycle at any temperature, and colors that need that 'gentle' cycle create another two loads.

Furthermore, I also like to do all towels in one load, T-shirts in one load, and jeans and other pants in another load. Boy, do I end up with a lot of loads!

Step Two: Loading the Washer

Well, now that we've gotten all of our laundry all sorted into about 50 gazillion piles, it's time to load the washer with one of them.

Depending on your machine, you will either put the laundry detergent in the washer before the clothing or you will put the clothing in first and add the laundry detergent afterwards. Mine wants me to put the detergent in first. You may have other additives such as bleach or fabric softeners to add - your choice. I generally try to just stick with the basic detergent. Either way you do it, be sure to measure your detergent according to the instructions given by the manufacturer of the detergent. Don't just dump a random amount in the machine.

You also need to judge if your load is small, average or extra large. Most machines will have a setting for this and this is what tells the machine how much water to bring into the compartment. You also have to decide the temperature of the water for the wash and for the rinse cycles. Again, this is determined by the material type and color of the most sensitive item in the load.

Step Three: Drying the Laundry

Okay. The laundry is clean and the laundry is wet. It has to be dried, and fairly soon else it will mildew (not a nice thing to have happen).

You have two ways to dry a load of laundry. One is outside hung on a clothesline, using solar energy and perhaps a bit of wind to do the job. Nothing like sun-fresh laundry, or is there? My main complaint with drying the laundry on a clothesline is that it ends up somewhat stiff although it usually smells great. It will also require ironing.

I prefer to use a dryer to do the job with a sheet added that has been made just for the purpose of softening and scenting the laundry as it dries. Don't use those if you have allergies to them, the results aren't any fun.

Place the wet laundry in the dryer, add a dryer sheet if desired, set the drying temperature/cycle to one that best fits the most delicate item in the load. Turn it on and let it run until the laundry is dry. Be sure to be around when it finishes to avoid wrinkles caused by it just sitting still in the dryer, else you will need to run the dryer on a fluff cycle for another 20, 30 or 40 minutes. Or iron.

Step Four: Finishing the Laundry

The laundry is now all nice and dry. You cannot just leave it in the dryer any longer, as previously mentioned.

Each item in the load needs to be folded or hung on hangers, determined by the type of item.

I hang pants, button-up shirts, skirts, dresses and jackets. I fold T-shirts, underwear, socks, shorts, sweaters and towels. How you fold them is up to you. Easy. Then put them all away in their proper locations so that they are ready to grab when you need them.

You are done. The laundry is done.

This article is dedicated to Visible Soul, who detests laundry as much if not more than anyone I've ever encountered. :-)