10 Best Laundry Practices

By Cyndi Prince

Between sports, workout routines and everyday wear, our family of three generates a lot a dirty laundry. And laundry, it so happens, is my small business.

More than a decade ago I wanted to make our home the healthiest place it could be. Once I discovered dryer sheets were toxic, I got rid of them and got to work figuring out an alternative. A lot of trials and even more errors, I came up with a replacement: LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls. They’re reusable, sustainable and energy saving, reducing dry time up to 25 percent. LooHoos are also an essential component to my laundry routine.

I keep about a dozen dryer balls and our new all-vegan Dryer Gems in a big basket on a shelf above the washer and dryer—ready to report for duty.

As a leading expert in laundry practices, I am often asked about my own routine, which I am happy to share with you all.

How many LooHoos do you use?

I prefer five to eight LooHoos per load and since they’re kept in one place, despite their ability to roll under a piece of furniture and hide in a shirt sleeve or pant leg, they are easily accessible.

How often do you do laundry?

I wash a full load every other day and combine my and my husband’s clothes. I wash and dry the load during the day, while evenings are reserved for the serene ritual of folding. Doing laundry is surprisingly therapeutic; I find solace in sitting on the floor, surrounded by fresh laundry, though I have to admit that my least favorite part is dealing with underwear.

How full do you go?

I fill the washing machine half to three-quarters with laundry. This has been a tough one to teach a teen!

Does your son do laundry?
Absolutely! We are a family and that means sharing the load—or loads—of chores around the house. Graham, 14, has been handling his own laundry duties for the past three years, completing this chore weekly. He tends to fold his clothes the next day or even a couple of days later. His least favorite thing to fold is shirts. Graham likes to use the entire basket of LooHoos to fluff his pillows.

Do you wash your pillows and bedding?

Yes! Every couple of months we wash our cotton pillows, two at a time, and dry on the normal setting. We clean blankets and comforters every month unless they need more washing.

When do you treat stains?

Stains usually come up after they’ve gone through the wash once or twice. I treat them with our stain stick and it can take one to two tries before the stain comes out completely.

Do you separate your laundry?

Not all laundry dries the same so if I dry everything together, I risk running the dryer longer for some pieces and not long enough for others. For this reason, we wash bedding on the weekends and a load of towels once a week.

How do you prevent lost socks?

I wash our socks in pairs in LooHoo mesh bags so they’re always together.

What type of washer do you have?

We have a front-loading washer—our space is designed for it since a top loader would not fit. I’d be happy with either. Both our washer and dryer are Whirlpools. My uncle worked at Whirlpool for decades and that’s how we ended up with that brand. Our dryer is 17 years old; I think we’ve had to replace one part and have had just one service call. It’s been a reliable machine.

What is one laundry practice you never do?

I never leave wet laundry in the washer overnight. I usually dry a load right away. My washer and dryer are right outside my office door so I can hear when the wash finishes.