Knowing how to do laundry used to be simple: separate the delicates, add detergent, push a button, walk away. But somewhere between the rise of air-dry minimalism and TikTok stain hacks, the art of clean got complicated.
That’s why we at Laundry Sauce decided to press pause on the chaos and lay down some modern rules for doing laundry like an adult, not a college freshman. We’ve called in the wisdom of fabric experts, professional perfumers, and people who actually fold their clothes to bring you a definitive guide to doing laundry with style, purpose, and maybe a little pride.
We’re covering everything: when to wash, how to wash, what not to mix, and the small, civilized rituals that separate the freshly pressed from the perpetually wrinkled. These aren’t your grandma’s laundry rules. They’re the new etiquette of clean for 2026 and beyond.
Your clothes, your sheets, and anyone who’s ever borrowed your hoodie will thank you.
1. Your care tags are there for a reason. They’re not suggestions. They’re survival guides for your clothes. Read them like they’re a text from your landlord.
2. Wash your sheets weekly. If you’re too busy to wash, at least have a backup set. Sleeping in filth is not a personality trait.
3. Towels go solo. They’re absorbent by design—don’t make them absorb your T-shirt’s lint.
4. Hang dry when you can. Dryers are convenient, but they age fabric faster than Hollywood sunlight. Let your clothes breathe once in a while.
5. But if you do use the dryer, toss in some dryer sheets. Your clothes shouldn’t come out clingier than a desperate ex.
6. Clean your dryer vent. Lint buildup dulls performance, ruins fragrance, and (occasionally) causes fires.
7. Sanitize your washing machine once a month. Yes, even the thing that cleans needs cleaning. Think of it like therapy for your Whirlpool.
8. Do laundry for loved ones when you can. Acts of service smell better than any detergent, even when it’s Australian Sandalwood.
9. Find a signature laundry fragrance. Your clothes should smell like you—not “Spring Meadow, Volume 6.”
10. If you don’t have time to iron, steam. If you don’t have time to steam, spray with fabric refresher. If you don’t have time to spray, don’t wear it.
No matter what your care tag says, these must-haves keep your clothes looking and smelling their best—minus the guesswork.
11. Use cold water more often than you think. Hot water fades colors. Cold water preserves them. Be chill, literally.
12. Sort by more than color. Texture matters. Delicates don’t want to mosh with denim.
13. Don’t overload your machine. You’re not saving time—you’re just giving your detergent performance anxiety.
14. Fold towels in thirds. You’re not running a hotel, but you could fool someone into thinking you are.
15. Treat shared laundry facilities like a dinner party you weren’t technically invited to. Mind your manners, keep it brief, and clean up after yourself.
16. Never put sweaty gym clothes straight into the hamper. Let them breathe. You’d want the same courtesy after leg day.
17. Use fabric softener, but treat it like cologne or perfume. A capful is classy. A drench is desperate.
18. Pre-treat stains before they set. Like bad habits, they only get harder to remove with time.
19. Don’t underestimate the power of a lint roller. Pet hair is not an accessory.
20. Refresh between washes. A good fabric spray buys you time, dignity, and an extra day before laundry day.
21. Never dry darks in direct sunlight. Unless you’re into premature fading and existential regret.
22. Add scent boosters the way you’d season a meal. Enough to enhance, never enough to overwhelm.
23. Invest in a mesh laundry bag. It’s not pretentious—it’s protection. Your delicates deserve a soft landing.
24. Underwear gets one wear before the wash. We shouldn’t have to say this. Yet here we are.
25. Detergent overdose is real. More suds ≠ cleaner clothes. It’s science, not vengeance.
26. Air-dry sweaters flat. Otherwise, gravity turns them into abstract art.
27. Zippers up, hooks closed. The washing machine isn’t your enemy—carelessness is.
28. Teach your kids to do laundry early. Independence starts with the spin cycle.
29. Switch to laundry pods. Liquid spills, powder clumps, and detergent sheets feel like craft projects.
30. Air out your clothes between wears. Everything deserves a little fresh air, especially the shirt you wore to “just grab one drink.”
31. Keep a stain stick handy. Life happens. Wine spills happens harder.
32. Never leave wet clothes in the washer. You’re not “letting them soak.” You’re cultivating mildew.
33. Don’t pretend your jeans don’t smell. “Raw denim culture” isn’t an excuse for biohazard. Wash them, gently.
34. Retire holey socks with dignity. You wouldn’t keep expired milk “for comfort.”
35. Stop washing everything after one wear. Knit sweaters, structured pants, and jackets deserve grace. Overwashing is fabric aging in disguise.
36. Button your shirts before washing them. It preserves shape and prevents a tangled scene that looks like your wardrobe got into a fistfight mid-spin.
37. If you’re washing sneakers, use a shoe wash bag. It’s the difference between “fresh and revived” and “looks like you drum-circled your shoes in a blender.”
38. Wash hoodies inside out. Protect the fleece, protect the color, protect the dignity of your favorite sweatshirt.
39. Don’t use the “quick wash” cycle as your default. It’s the laundry equivalent of skimming the book and claiming you read it.
40. Your laundry room should smell as good as your clothes. A candle won’t kill you.
