5 Cleaning Tricks for People Who Don't Like Folding Laundry

“Yay! Time to fold laundry!” said no one, ever. But in fact, sorting and folding doesn’t have to be your least favorite chore. These quick tips make folding laundry a little less painful, and a little more fun. Be sure to also pick up products that make doing the laundry easier from start to finish.

1. Netflix and Fold

It may seem like a no-brainer, but just in case you’ve been standing in the laundry room to fold, wistfully thinking about all the other fun things you could be doing instead—here’s a tip. Incorporate some entertainment into your folding. Pile the laundry on the couch and binge your favorite Netflix show while you fold. Other ideas: listen to a podcast, crank up some music or watch a few YouTube videos. You could even make a laundry folding date with your best friend, and FaceTime while you fold!

2. Assign Each Family Member a Laundry Basket

Some believe folding laundry is the worst task, but others would argue that putting away the laundry is even worse. There’s usually several piles of clothing that now must be carried to several different bedrooms.

To make the putting away task a easier, assign each family member their own laundry basket. Line up all the empty baskets near your folding pile. As you fold, place the folded clothes in the correct basket for each person. Then it’s just a matter of delivering each basket to the correct bedroom. Or better yet, family members can simply grab their basket of folded clothes, and put the clothing away themselves. Now that’s teamwork.

3. Use a Folding Board

A BoxLegend folding board ($17) can get the job done quick. Simply place a shirt or sweater on the board, fold the flaps in the correct order, and the garments come out in perfectly folded squares. Your clothes not only will look like Marie Kondo herself folded them, but they’ll take up less space as well.

4. Take out Hanging Clothes First

Another time-saving trick is to remove the clothes that will go on hangers first. This will decrease that daunting pile of foldables to a more manageable size. Grab a pile of hangers before you begin, then place everything that needs to be hung on a hanger and stack them in a pile. When it’s time to put the hanging clothes away, grab the pile by the hooks and swiftly hang them in the correct closets. Easy peasy.

5. Wash Socks in Mesh Bags

What if we told you that you never have to lose another sock in the laundry again? It’s true. Give each family member a mesh laundry bag ($9 for 6 bags). Instruct everyone to start putting all their dirty socks in the mesh bag. When it’s laundry day, simply wash and dry the entire closed bag with the socks inside. No more lost socks!

Are those white socks not looking so white anymore? Try these secret laundry ingredients.

Done Folding? Reward Yourself with a Snack!

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Mini Mac & Cheese Bites Young relatives were coming for a Christmas party, so I wanted something fun for them to eat. Instead, the adults devoured my mini mac and cheese. —Kate Mainiero, Elizaville, New York

5 Tricks for People Who Don’t Like Folding Laundry

1. Netflix and Fold

2. Assign Each Family Member a Laundry Basket

3. Use a Folding Board

4. Take out Hanging Clothes First

5. Wash Socks in Mesh Bags