5 Favourite Laundry Helpers!

I recently mentioned what was the easiest way to sort your washing and now I want to let you know about some of my favourite 'Laundry Helpers' to make it all a bit easier. Washing the clothes, drying it all AND ironing takes a long time, a lot of effort and isn't that enjoyable but some things can make it easier.

1. Little Feet Sock Pairers
I mentioned this in my article about sorting the wash, but anyone who missed it, these clever Little Feet will ensure your socks stay together when in the wash or tumble dryer. Simply push the socks securely into the Little Feet and place into the washing machine. See one happy customer comment:

I have had little feet sock pairers before and find them excellent. I bought some more for my family. Children's socks (and gloves) can be put 1 pair in each hole, and great for organizing the wash if you can just be bothered to apply yourself. Socks stay paired all the way through. End of sorting headache! No more odd socks!
S Berkovitz - Tuesday, 2nd February 2010

2. Dryer Balls
A re-usable, safe, non-toxic & environmentally friendly way to soften your laundry without using chemicals or fabric conditioners. The pink & blue "Tumble Dryer Balls" soften fabrics the natural way. And they save you money because they reduce drying time. Place both balls in the tumble dryer on the usual setting. As well as retaining heat, the balls lift washing and increase circulation of air within the machine.

The specially designed nodes physically break down hardness in fabrics created by water when drying, leaving your clothes beautifully soft. These clever Dryer Balls even reduce the amount of lint (waste fluff) as well as creases and wrinkles - saving you time at the ironing board!

And they are anti-static too. This amazing environmentally friendly alternative to fabric softener and dryer sheets is reusable so there is no need to ever worry about softening your washing again.

3. Ecoforce Peg Basket with 24 Strong Hurricane Force Grip Clothes Pegs made of Recycled Plastic
Make hanging up the clothes as simple as possible. This strong & durable Peg Basket has 100% more grip than a standard peg, is 100% washable in the dishwasher or washing machine, no broken springs or peg stains and frost proof. Being 93% recycled plastic, 100% metal free and Made in the UK, the only thing you need to feel guilty about is asking someone else to do the hanging up!

4. Ironing Cloth made of a heat resistant polyester fabric
Use an ironing cloth to protect your delicate garments whilst being ironed & prolong the life of your clothes. This one is made of a heat resistant polyester fabric. 45 x 30 cms ( 17 3/4 " x 11 3/4 ") and will help to prevent fabrics looking shiny after ironing as the iron is no longer in direct contact with the material.

5. Net Washing Bags
With many sizes available from a Household Pack to individual Bra Wash Bags (in sizes A to K) they will protect your laundry in the washing machine & tumble dryer. Great for shared washes and great for using when sorting your wash! Plus Shoe and Trainer Wash Bags also available to protect your machine!

For many more ideas on products to make your washing day easier check out our Homecare Range.

Get sorted - How to sort your laundry

We all have household tasks that we hate more than others... for some it's dusting, others vacuuming, for me it's doing the laundry (it was bad enough just doing my own, but now that I'm doing laundry for 2 adults and 2 children it can feel as though it's getting out of hand!) I'm not alone in this, and although I can't make this an enjoyable job, I have reduced the time it takes by following a strict routine and using some products which are proving real helpers.

I now have set days for doing the clothes washing and I stick to this so that it doesn't get out of hand by the weekend. So firstly, sorting the laundry. Is your Washing Basket up to it? You  use it every day yet many of us don't exactly use very useful trolleys to store (and sort) the clothing - see my previous article featuring some great Laundry Trolleys.

Rather than sorting it all when doing the wash you can do it as you go by using a Laundry Hamper with separate compartments, such as the Deluxe Double Chrome & Canvas Laundry Hamper. With removable double canvas laundry bags & chrome folding frame, it's large enough for most and ideal for the family home.

If necessary remove any clothes that need to be presoaked or are particularly stained and do them in a separate wash - you may need to do these with a particular stain remover or at a higher temperature. Obviously separate your colours from your whites (why a Laundry Hamper with compartments is so useful) and then have a scan of the clothes to check whether there is anything that needs to be removed (broaches, tissues in pockets, cufflinks - I even found a belt left on a pair of trousers once!) I also double check that there are no delicates or hand wash items in with the rest of the wash.

The best way to avoid such items getting into a regular wash however is to put any handwash or delicate items in a Wash Bag within the Laundry Trolley - this way not only are you avoiding them getting mixed up into an incorrect wash cycle and possibly being ruined, but you're also saving time because you can then just put the wash bag straight into the wash. (By the way, Wash Bags are also brilliant for sorting your dirty laundry for when you're travelling, enabling you to keep it separate from your clean clothes and then just put it straight into the wash when you return!)

There are now some new additions to the Wash Bag range, with a choice of Lingerie Wash Bags in 3 sizes from A to K (I use the extra large size for several items of lingerie) and don't forget you should always use a wash bag to wash your knitwear, such as the "I Love My Wool" Microfibre Wash Bag which avoids fading, felting, pilling & shrinking. Again you can save time and potential disasters by putting your knitwear straight into the Wash Bag rather than into your Washing Basket.

One final tip on sorting... Little Feet Sock Pairers. How annoying is it when you're folding your dry washing and end up with a pile of unmatched socks. Even if you do find the other sock you can guarantee they will end up separately in your drawer because you don't have time to find the first one! Avoid this problem by using these Little Feet.

I automatically put my used socks into them and then into the Washing Basket. They are very durable, can be used over and over again, are designed for use with both the washing machine & tumble dryer, you simply push the socks into the Little Feet and place into the washing machine. Our customers reviews say it all:

Little Feet are such a brilliant invention - and at just under 60p each they are not exactly over-priced

I have had little feet sock pairers before and find them excellent. I bought some more for my family. Children's socks (and gloves) can be put 1 pair in each hole, and great for organizing the wash if you can just be bothered to apply yourself. Socks stay paired all the way through. End of sorting headache! No more odd socks!

This product ensures no more hunting about to pair up socks after the wash. Robust bits of plastic do the trick

Keep an eye out for more washing tips once you've done the sorting!!

Fed up losing your socks in the wash? We have a solution!

Most people may think that walking around with mismatched socks is just a fact of life and the only explanation seems to be that ‘my washing machine ate it!’ Where do these socks go? Do they go missing in the machine, when loading or removing them from the machine, when hanging them up? Or does the washing machine have certain powers?! You’d be forgiven for thinking so because we’ve all been there, but there are certain things you can do to avoid this amazingly annoying problem!

The best way to avoid it is to keep your socks together from the start of your wash! And the best way to do this is with sock clips such as Little Feet Sock Pairers. As soon as they go into the wash pair them up with these ingenious and yet simple Little Feet – each one holds one pair of socks. Simply push each of the socks from a pair into one of the Little Feet, and place directly into the washing machine. The Little Feet device will ensure your socks are securely retained in pairs whilst they are being washed. Little Feet can be used in the tumble dryer too. They are made of a very durable Thermo-Plastic Polypropylene which is heat resistant. This means they can be used over and over and you won’t ever lose a sock again! Or at least until you remove them! If you have children you may indeed have lost the sock long before it ever made it to the laundry basket… but for all lone socks make sure you keep them in a special place… you never know you may in future be able to match them up again and thus avoid buying yet more socks! See testimonial from the Caraselle Direct site:

“This product ensures no more hunting about to pair up socks after the wash. Robust bits of plastic do the trick”

Little Feet Sock Pairers are available as a single pack of 5 (for 5 pairs of socks) and there is a special multipack saving on this product also.

Fed up losing your socks in the wash? We have a solution!

Most people may think that walking around with mismatched socks is just a fact of life and the only explanation seems to be that ‘my washing machine ate it!’ Where do these socks go? Do they go missing in the machine, when loading or removing them from the machine, when hanging them up? Or does the washing machine have certain powers?! You’d be forgiven for thinking so because we’ve all been there, but there are certain things you can do to avoid this amazingly annoying problem!

The best way to avoid it is to keep your socks together from the start of your wash! And the best way to do this is with sock clips such as Little Feet Sock Pairers. As soon as they go into the wash pair them up with these ingenious and yet simple Little Feet – each one holds one pair of socks. Simply push each of the socks from a pair into one of the Little Feet, and place directly into the washing machine. The Little Feet device will ensure your socks are securely retained in pairs whilst they are being washed. Little Feet can be used in the tumble dryer too. They are made of a very durable Thermo-Plastic Polypropylene which is heat resistant. This means they can be used over and over and you won’t ever lose a sock again! Or at least until you remove them! If you have children you may indeed have lost the sock long before it ever made it to the laundry basket… but for all lone socks make sure you keep them in a special place… you never know you may in future be able to match them up again and thus avoid buying yet more socks! See testimonial from the Caraselle Direct site:

“This product ensures no more hunting about to pair up socks after the wash. Robust bits of plastic do the trick”

Little Feet Sock Pairers are available as a single pack of 5 (for 5 pairs of socks) and there is a special multipack saving on this product also.