Putting away the same day

Short answer: Clothes that are put away the same day get worn. Clothes left in a basket get creased, forgotten and often washed again without ever being worn. It is a small habit that saves both time and washes.

Creases form in the basket

Clean clothes are pressed flat by their own weight in a basket. The top layer pushes down on the bottom one, and the folds set while the fabric lies still. The longer the laundry sits, the clearer the creases. If you fold it the same day, while it is still loose, you avoid smoothing it out later. See bamboo slips.

Hang what should hang

Some pieces are best kept on a hanger. Dresses, slips and tops with thin straps sit badly in a pile and crease easily at the straps. Take them out as soon as the laundry is dry and hang them up straight away. The rest can be folded afterwards. This quick sorting takes a moment and leaves the clothes ready for next time.

Forgotten clothes get washed again

If something sits at the bottom of the basket for a week, it often ends up in the next load. When everything is mixed, it is hard to tell what is clean and what has been worn. So clean clothes get washed an extra time. That costs time, water and power, and adds wear to the fabric. See women's bamboo tops.

Fewer washes, less wear

Every wash wears the fabric a little, even when the piece has only been lying in the basket. Colours can fade and elastic gives a bit each time. When clothes are put away the same day, they are only washed once they have actually been worn. It is a simple way to make clothes last longer without doing anything extra.

Five minutes is enough

A normal load can be put away in about five minutes. That is less time than searching a full basket for one particular top a single time. Once you know it only takes five minutes, it is easier to do it right away instead of putting it off until another day.

Sort into groups

It goes fastest if you sort as you take things out. Put socks in one pile, tops in another and underwear in a third. Then each pile only goes to one place, and you do not walk back and forth between drawers and wardrobe. Fold socks in pairs so they do not get separated in the drawer. See bamboo socks for women.

When the drawer is full

If it is hard to fit the clothes into the drawer, there is usually too much in it. Take out the pieces you have not worn for two seasons. What you keep can then lie loosely and in plain view. A drawer with room is quicker to fill, and you can see what is in it when you choose.

Make it a fixed habit

It gets easiest when it happens the same way each time. Empty the machine or drying rack, sort, put away and put the empty basket back. An empty basket is a clear sign that the job is done. After a few weeks you stop thinking about it, and the full basket in the corner disappears on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Why put clothes away the same day

Because otherwise they get creased and forgotten. A basket of clean clothes quickly becomes a basket that gets washed again, which adds needless wear to the fabric.

How long does it take

About five minutes for a normal load. That is less time than searching the basket for something once, and it gets quicker as the habit sets in.

What if there is no room in the drawer

Then there is too much in the drawer. Sort out what you have not worn for two seasons, and the problem goes away because the rest can lie loosely.