Speed Through Laundry Day With These 4 Organization Tips

You love the fresh, clean feeling of having all of your laundry done, but getting there is a whole different story. Laundry day may be time-consuming, but there are ways to make it easier. Here are a few tips to help you organize your laundry and get it done in half the time.

  1. Sort laundry without even trying. It takes a lot of time to sort through your mountain of dirty clothes and separate the lights from the darks. Invest in a three-compartment hamper to do the sorting for you.
  2. Bleach more effectively. Bleaching seems like a fool-proof way to remove stains from white clothing, but it doesn’t always work as effectively as you’d like. The proper way to bleach clothes is by first letting the clothing soak in a pool of water. Add one cup of bleach and one cup of dishwashing detergent and let it soak for about half an hour. Finally, dump the whole thing into the washing machine and wash as you normally would.
  3. Prevent damage. To reduce fading, turn dark colored items inside out before washing. Use the cold water setting to prevent clothes from shrinking, and then hang them to dry instead of using the dryer. Also, only wash delicates, like bras and underwear, in a lingerie bag on the delicate cycle.
  4. Invest in a drying rack. Rather than tossing delicate items over the shower curtain rod or rigging some other kind of makeshift drying rack, invest in the real deal. They're usually inexpensive, and they fold into a flat shape to tuck away when not in use.

10 Tips and Tricks for Easier Laundry Days [Yahoo!]
Easy Laundry Tips [The Nest]
How to Do Laundry More Effectively [Babble]
13 Ways to Make Laundry Day Easier [BHG]

These Two Wedding Registry Sites Can Help You Take the Plunge

When it comes time to register for gifts for your wedding, it can be difficult to choose the right places to meet your style and your needs. It’s best to keep in mind that you want high quality items that will last a good while, but at prices that your guests can afford. Here are two great wedding registry websites that will make your decision a bit easier.

Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn’s wedding registry is separated into neatly organized sections that help you to create your registry from start to finish. It features a simple registrant information page that allows you to create your couple profile, and it even enables you to decide where you’d like each gift shipped and your preferences on receiving gift cards from guests. Once you fill out your registry, Pottery Barn also makes it easy for friends and family to find your profile and navigate the gifts that you’ve selected.

Williams-Sonoma
The popular kitchenware store offers an impressive wedding registry site that’s packed full of cooking and entertaining items to help you create the kitchen of your dreams. Easily create and manage your registry with just a few fill-in-the-blank questions, then select the items that you love from Williams-Sonoma’s expansive inventory.

How to Keep Your Houseplants Alive and Happy

Adding a green plant to your home's decor is easy; keeping it alive is a whole other story. Even if you aren't blessed with a green thumb, these three tips will help you keep your houseplants happy and thriving.

1. Go easy on the watering.
Over-watering is the number one killer of houseplants. Even if the soil on top looks dry, the plant may, in fact, have plenty of water. To test if your plant really needs a watering, stick your finger about two inches into the dirt. If it emerges dry, then your plant could use a drink. Otherwise, hold off on watering for a few days. After watering, ensure that the plant doesn't having water its tray, as this will cause root rot.

2. Find the right plant for your circumstances.
Before you bring that new plant to your home or office, read its tag to see its light requirement. Plants are divided into three light requirements: low light, medium light, and full sun. If your office doesn't have any windows, then a full sun plant won't work for you. Keep in mind that flowering plants require more light than foliage plants.

3. Ward off the chill.
Plants are typically happiest between 65° to 80° F during the day and 55° to 65° F in the evenings. Keep your plant away from heating/cooling vents, and don't allow its leaves to come in contact with a cold windowpane during the winter.

Houseplant Pests and Diseases [Gardener's Supply Company]
A Beginner's Guide to Caring for Houseplants [Mahoney's]
Care for Houseplants [Lowe's]
Tips on Caring for Houseplants in the Fall and Winter [HGTV]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/rickharris

Organize Your Kitchen in 5 Simple Steps

Is your kitchen overrun with dirty dishes, loose pot lids, boxes of cereal, and unused utensils? Here are five simple tips to achieve an organized kitchen that looks straight out of a magazine.

  1. Make the most of your cabinets. Cabinets are an important part of any kitchen, as they store all of your loose items and keep dry groceries out of sight. Add removable shelving and storage to make your cabinets work for you.
  2. Keep the most-used items within reach. Clear the unnecessary items from your countertops and keep only the items you use most, such as a few bowls and plates, basic cooking tools, and maybe a coffee station.
  3. Divide drawers. Stop overflowing your kitchen drawers and divide them instead. Simply place drawer organizers inside.
  4. Don’t forget about under the sink. Though many of us simply shove cleaning supplies under there, the underside of the sink is actually great storage space. Add a few storage containers or plastic drawers to keep things separated.
  5. Maximize odd-shaped spaces. If you have a skinny cabinet or a cabinet in a corner, don’t write it off. Add a lazy Susan to a corner cabinet to keep things within reach, and store flat objects like cutting boards in those ultra-thin spots.

23 Kitchen Organization & Storage Tips [BHG]
26 Kitchen-Organizing Tips from Real Cooks [Simple Bites]

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