7 Laundry Habits That Will Make You Feel Like You Have Your Life Together

Or at least like you could hold down a conversation about fabric softener.

Let’s be honest: laundry is less a chore and more a slow, spiralling performance art piece. One where clean clothes never quite make it to drawers, odd socks vanish into alternate dimensions, and you’re still not sure what half the symbols on care labels actually mean.

But here’s a secret: you don’t need to master laundry—you just need to do it in a way that looks vaguely intentional. Here are seven habits that will make you seem terrifyingly competent (without actually requiring too much effort).

1. Separate by colour like you’re being judged on it

Black, white, colours—and if you're feeling spicy, throw in a separate pile for towels and sheets. Is it essential? Maybe not. Will it make you feel like the kind of person who owns matching coat hangers? Absolutely.

Bonus points for pretending your sock pile is a deliberate installation titled “Chaos in Cotton.”

2. Pretreat like a professional (or at least a mildly responsible adult)

Did you know stains are easier to remove before they've been baked into the fabric by a 60-degree spin cycle? Shocking, we know. Invest in a pretreatment spray. Or just channel your inner nana and dab with soda water and unsolicited wisdom.

3. Schedule your laundry days (and don’t pretend Sunday is the only one)

You don’t need to run a tight domestic ship—just don’t let it become the Titanic. Pick two laundry days per week. Mark them on a calendar. Tell your flatmates/family/pets it's a sacred time.

Optional: yell “Laundry Day!” like it’s a national holiday.

4. Stop panic-washing one item at a time

Washing a single T-shirt like it's the only clean thing standing between you and social ruin? We've all done it. But your power move is batching. Full loads. Logical rotations. Just enough structure to pass for a grown-up.

5. Fold like someone might actually open your drawers one day

You don’t need a label maker or vertical folding technique imported from Tokyo. Just fold something. Occasionally. Before it wrinkles into the shape of your regrets.

Think of it as origami for people who haven’t had a proper weekend since 2019.

6. Know your cycles (and not just the spin kind)

Delicate, heavy, mixed, eco. These aren’t personality types—they’re wash settings. Get to know what your machine can actually do. Who knows, you might find out what that mysterious “drain & spin” button is for. (Spoiler: it’s for draining and spinning.)

7. Accept that the dryer is both a time-saver and a trap

Yes, it’s fast. Yes, it’s glorious. But it’s also where clothes go to shrink, crisp, and occasionally melt. Use it, but with caution. Like a toaster. Or dating apps.

For extra points: actually clean the lint trap. (We know you haven’t.)

Summary

You don't have to be a domestic goddess. Just aim for "vaguely competent and slightly smug about it." Laundry is less about perfection, more about the illusion of control. Fake it till you fold it.

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