Dirty clothes go in and come out clean. For the average person that’s enough, but for the curious few what happens in between? We broke it down in this post.

Who Invented the Washing Machine?

The practice of washing clothes has always been around. In ancient times, people used rocks and sand to help with handwashing items. Invented by Alva J. Fisher in 1908, the first electric washing machine revolutionized households.

Advantages of Washing Machine

Time is the most precious resource. When the washing machine was first invented, although not mechanically perfect, it saved people a tremendous amount of time. Instead of manually washing clothes, washing machines allowed people to do other things while their clothes were being cleaned.

Another impact washing machines have had is in extending clothing life-span. By using different cycle customizations – delicate, heavy, cold or warm – users are able to get deeper cleans while maintaining the material.

It’s truly hard to grasp the net impact that washing machines have had on our everyday lives.

How Does a Washing Machine Work?

So what’s happening behind the curtain? Inside a washing machine, there are three primary parts – the inner drum, the outer drum, and the paddles – sometimes referred to as agitators.

The Inner drum is what you see inside. This part holds your clothes and filters water in and out. As the inner drum fills with water and spins, the outer drum is stationary and keeps the water from spilling.

The outer drum also controls the temperature. There’s a thermostat in the outer drum that monitors this. There are also three attached pipes – one for hot water, one for cold water and one for dirty water. Together, all three pipes control the temperature and water level of the inner drum.

The last part of the washing machine is the paddles or agitators. These, as you can guess, move your clothes while the inner drum spins.

Types of Washing Machine

There are three primary types of washing machines. Once you understand the difference, it’s simple to tell them apart. The three types are – Top Load Agitators, Top Load Impellers, and Front Loaders.

Top Load Agitator

Top Load Agitators are older machines, they’ve been around for 60+ years. Although reliable, they typically use three times the water and energy than modern machines. Top Load Agitators are the least environmentally friendly and will increase your water and energy bills.

Top Load Impeller

Also known as high efficiency (HE) washers, these are the most modern washing machines. These use an impeller at the bottom to move clothes. For efficiency, you can turn HE on for larger loads.

Front Load

Instead of using agitators to help move around clothes, Front Load Machines depend on clothes rubbing against each other naturally. This method is easier on clothes and extends their life span. Front Loaders work well with large loads

Fun fact! In general, you’ll see more front-load machines in Europe and top-load machines in the States.

Wrap up

As mentioned, there are three types of washing machines and three primary parts. Once you know the basics of how each one works, washing gets a lot more simple.

The washing machine undoubtedly saves us all much-needed time. That said, in today’s fast-paced world even that may not be enough. If you find yourself needing a little more time on your hands, consider hiring a laundry pickup and delivery service like Laundry Butler for You. They pick up your clothes and return them the next day clean and folded. One less chore off your list means that much more free time to do whatever you want. Head over to the Laundry Butler for You home page to learn more. 

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Is Sorting Laundry Necessary?

There are two types of people. Those who sort their clothes and those who toss everything in the wash all at once. It’s easy to be the latter, especially if it’s you who’s stuck doing the laundry. But taking that extra step will not only extend the life of your wardrobe but also save you valuable time. 

Healthy habits build. When you start organizing your laundry and building systems you’ll find yourself looking for other chores you can systematize. Next thing you know you’ll be finding ways to more efficiently wash the dishes or clean your room faster. These little hacks compound and can have a powerful effect – saving you a lot of time. 

The aim isn’t to organize for the sake of organizing. The aim is to build better systems in your life so you can free up time doing chores and start doing things you want to do. Now let’s get into the specifics. 

How to Sort Laundry by Color

Most washing machines today are able to prevent your whites and colors from mixing. To stay on the safe side, it’s best to follow a simple rule – separate your whites clothes from the colored ones. 

A hand full of other useful tips :

• Turn your jeans inside out while washing. This will prevent the outside colors from rubbing off. 
• Be careful with new clothes as these will bleed the most
• Red and blue colors tend to transfer to other fabrics most

Separating your clothes by color is an easy step that will extend the lifetime of your wardrobe. 

How to Sort Laundry by Fabric

More importantly than sorting by color is sorting by fabric. Modern washing machines haven’t yet solved the issue of mixing different types of clothes. The main fabrics or categories to separate are:

• Delicates (silk clothes, satin sheet, lingerie, etc…)
• Towels
• Denim and jeans
• Baby clothes
• The rest (cotton, blends, other)

Don’t risk ruining your favorite outfit. Spend a little extra time and your clothes will thank you. 

Best Way to Sort Laundry 

The best way to sort your laundry is to separate each task into buckets – do whites and darks, sort by fabrics, fold all shirts at once, and fold all the pants at the same time. 

When you separate each task into a separate entity you allow yourself time to get into a flow state. Flow state is a meditative state where you’re not thinking, just doing. This helps create momentum, making the task easier and time pass faster. 

Wrap Up

Sorting is essential. Technology has yet to make a self-cleaning, stain-free fabric – so until then, we’re all stuck doing laundry. 

Better yet. If you can’t wait for a self-cleaning fabric, you can always outsource your laundry to laundry pick up and delivery services, like Laundry Butler for You. To start, simply schedule your pickup through the website or mobile app, and have your clothes cleaned and delivered back to you the following day.

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The summertime is lovely. Finally, the weather is warm enough to keep everyone healthy, the food is tasty, and if your kids get restless, you can just send them outside for an hour or so.

Regardless of the lemonade, free-time, pool parties and all-you-can-eat barbeques, summer has the ability to drive any parent crazy. All that free time can get the best of even the most well-intentioned family. Below, we’ve come up with some ideas to help keep your family functioning as a unit. Let Summer 2018 be the best one yet!!

• Plan an Actual Vacation: You’ll probably spend the majority of your summer taking care of things around the house, but planning to go out of town is often the only way for families to devote their undivided attention on one another. Whether you’re heading to your favorite campsite, Grandma’s house, the beaches of Hawaii, or Paris, you’ll be excited to not have to worry about real life for a few days.
• Keep Using a Calendar: Time is short, but the activities and responsibilities still run high. Having a calendar or schedule on your fridge or mud-room wall will help keep everyone on the same page. Bonus Tip: have each family member use a different colored pen or marker.

• Remember to Relax: Let yourself and your family sleep in, spend time outside, go swimming, or just enjoy the warm weather. The summer months are the perfect time to take a moment and catch up on all the things that make us successful, most importantly, sleep.

• Keep Everything in Order: Whether you’re on the go, or taking the time to relax, it’s a great idea to keep your house orderly and clean. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in a more chaotic situation when it’s time to send everyone back to school. Now is the perfect time to outsource more chores so that you can also take a break, don’t forget – it’s not just about the kids! Outsource your meal prep, laundry, and other household care, and you’ll be in for a treat!

• Take Pictures: Summer is usually when everyone is the most well-rested and relaxed. Be sure to snap a few candids! You’ll love those messy popsicle and backyard barbeque photos for years to come.

Did we miss anything? What are you most looking forward to this summer?

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1. Time: This is perhaps the most practical of the three. Time often goes hand in hand with money, but generally in the number of hours worked versus the number of hours spent in leisure. Without getting too morbidly philosophical, none of us really know how much time we have left. Now, there’s not a lot you can do other than live your life to the fullest, and often that means working a bit. Now if you have a job you love, why not also have a life you love? A life you love probably doesn’t even consider chores. So why not have all your chores, like grocery shopping and laundry, outsourced?
2. Enjoyment: This goes hand in hand with the idea of not doing your own chores anymore. How much enjoyment are you getting paid each week? Is it above or below the national industry standard? Of course, this is a somewhat impossible question to answer accurately, but enjoying life, finding happiness in the things and activities you love should be a part of your virtual paycheck.
3. Fulfillment: Is your day to day life meaningful? Do you feel that you are serving a greater purpose in your daily activities? Of course, someone has to crunch the numbers, but are you able to also give back to your community, or spend enough time with your kids? We often work over 40 hours a week, but to what end? Some might be perfectly satisfied with the life they’re living, can you say the same?

What are some other abstract resources you find important?

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1. Make a list of five reasonable things you want to accomplish

Maybe you want to read 5 books before June or your want to walk an extra mile everyday, whatever it is that you want to change in your life, make a list. Start small, but dream big!

2. Plan and Set Yourself Up for Success:

One of the best ways to actually ensure change is to set yourself up for success. Maybe that means re-organizing your home or work space, or hiring extra help where you need it. Take a day and sit down to plan out your ideal menus, make sure you have all the right tools, from labels to lunch containers, and make a plan. Ultimately, do your best to stick to your plan, even if you use it as a loose guideline.

3. Keep the Necessities

You’re leading a busy life, you don’t have time for things that don’t truly matter. If you’re not passionate about cooking, don’t waste time with meal prep, sign up with companies like Blue Apron for a more efficient but perfectly healthy meal option. You might also appreciate cutting out excess chores, especially laundry as this can be a major time taker. If you’re around

4. Get Enough Sleep and Eat Well:

Get those eight hours in! Sleep is just as important as exercise, but is often one of the areas we skimp on. Eating well can also be a challenge, especially if you’re constantly out on the run. Conquering both getting enough sleep and eating well can be challenging, but that’s where planning comes in. Sure, life throws curve balls, but if you have a guideline to refer to, you’ll feel a lot more secure.

5. Focus on Others:

Sometimes we focus so much on living the best life possible that we forget to think about those around us. We are not here just for ourselves. While achieving our own goals is essential to a happy life, it can be abundantly rewarding to help others. This could be volunteering for your local homeless shelter, or it could be making a pan of brownies for your next door neighbor.

Ultimately, the best way to accomplish anything personal is to use a method that works best for you! Don’t worry about all the latest and greatest trends and journaling techniques. Take a moment, and reflect on what you need to succeed and take action! The last thing you want is to be feeling like you didn’t live up to your full potential on New Year’s Eve 2019.

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