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There really is only one TRICK to doing laundry. Don't let it pile up. Make a schedule for doing your laundry that you can stick to, and don't get behind. The longer you wait, the more clothes you'll have to wash. You should never, ever run out of clean socks or underwear. If you have a baby, you'll be doing even more laundry (bibs, sheets, clothes, socks). Here are some TIPS for making laundry easier and more cost efficient:

~ SORT YOUR LAUNDRY: Separate the darks and the lights, of course. I have a separate basket for clothes that need to go to the dry cleaners. I also typically wash towels and sheets separately, because I like to use fabric softener on my towels.

~ SAVE ENERGY: You can do three easy things to save energy when doing your laundry: (1) only wash clothes when you have a full load; (2) use cold water to wash your clothes; and (3) don't wash clothes that aren't dirty.

~ PRE-TREAT STAINS: Your stains will come out much better if you pre-treat them before you wash your clothes. Follow the directions on your detergent box or bottle on how to pre-treat your clothes.

~ DON'T USE TOO MUCH DETERGENT: Whether you use liquid detergent or powder detergent, you're not supposed to fill the measuring cup full. Read the back of the box or bottle for instructions on how much detergent to add to the water. If you are washing a small load, use less detergent.

~ READ THE LABELS: Most of us never bother to read the garment care labels on our clothing tags. But, the labels are there for a reason. Some items of clothing will be ruined if you make the mistake of washing them in your washing machine.

~ DON'T LET WET CLOTHES SIT: If you let your clothes sit wet for more than an hour or two, they will start to stink. Even when you dry them, they will have a distinct odor.

~ IF IT'S NOT DIRTY, DON'T WASH IT: This may seem obvious, but it's easy to toss something into the washer because it's wrinkled, or you tried it on, didn't wear it, and threw it on the floor. Washing your clothes when they're not dirty is a waste of water, and it adds additional wear and tear on your clothing.

~ CHECK THE POCKETS: I washed my husband's Motorola cell phone once because I neglected to check the pockets. Avoid costly mistakes and ruining valuable items by checking the pockets.

~ AIR DRY: When possible, air dry your clothes (indoors) to make them last longer and save energy. You can dry them in your dryer for 15 minutes, and then hang them to finish drying naturally.

Learn more about this author, Caroline Atkins.
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