Must Have Items for the Laundry Room

How often do you wash clothes? A family of four may have to wash as often as 3-4 times per week. Consequently, it is very important to have in place a quick and efficient laundering process. In addition to having the right washer and dryer for your personal needs, there are other products and tools you can purchase to help make your laundering experience more pleasant. These products will also extend the life of your fabrics, and make them cleaner, brighter, whiter and softer.

1. 20 Mule Team Borax - In addition to basic laundry staples such as detergent, bleach and fabric softener, borax is a necessity for your laundry room. For the last century or so, 20 Mule Team Borax has been used to boost the effectiveness of laundry detergent. Borax also works against problems like hard water and the yellowing of whites.

2. Fabric/Garment Steamer- Most families own a standard iron, but in addition to an iron, a fabric steamer is a great asset to any laundry room. Fabric steamers are needed to remove wrinkles from more delicate items such as curtains, wools, silks and linens. Nonetheless, steamers also work well in removing wrinkles from everyday clothing including jeans and t-shirts.

3. Mesh Washing Bags - Protect your delicates by washing them in laundering bags. These bags can also be used for socks or other small items to ensure they are not lost in either the washer or dryer. The bags are made out of net or mesh material allowing your laundry to get a complete wash while protecting it from pulls, snags, tears and stretching.

4. Dryer Vent Brush - Although you may clean your dryer filter on a regular basis, a dryer lint brush can help to extract lint that may be trapped in the vent. Keeping your dryer vent clean can help your dryer function more efficiently resulting in shorter drying times.

5. Linen Water - Sprinkling garments with linen water will keep them fresher longer, and ironing will be much easier. Linen water is available in many fragrances but the most common is lavender.

6. Storage Containers/3 Bin Laundry Hamper and Sorter - Organization in your laundry room is extremely imporant to the laundering process. Use storage containers to house extra products. Having these containers will allow you to buy double or triple of your favorite laundry products when they are on sale. Another great product to aid in organizing your laundry room is the 3 bin laundry hamper and sorter. This bin will allow you to more easily separate or sort your laundry. Simply use one bin for whites, another for bright colors and another for darks.

7. Shelf For Flatdrying - Most households need a place to air and flat dry lingerie and other items that cannot be put in the dryer. Many retailers now offer collapsible drying racks. These shelves are great for small laundry areas as they can be tucked away in a corner when not in use.

8. Stain Remover - Many perfectly good clothes are ruined by stains. Having a stain remover in your laundry room can help you to preserve and actually save on your wardrobe. Simply pretreat clothing with a stain remover before laundering.

Doing laundry does not have to be a tedious task. Add these products to your laundry room and you'll soon see an improvement in the quality and ease of the laundering process.