Lighten your load: Knowing your laundry personality can make the chore a cinch

(BPT) – Chic, trendy, sporty, bohemian, sophisticated, fun, classic – you probably have a clear vision of your fashion and style personality. But do you know your laundry personality? How you wash the clothes you wear is every bit as personal and unique to you as the clothes themselves. And knowing your laundry personality could help ease the load and make the chore easy and fail-proof.

A quarter of American households say they aren’t doing laundry efficiently, according to a survey commissioned by LG Electronics. Even people who say they are doing their laundry efficiently still have complaints with the process. In fact, more than half say they aren’t satisfied with their current washing machine, and the majority cite a list of other things they’d rather be spending their time on besides laundry.

Recognizing your laundry personality, and choosing products that cater to your unique style, will make doing laundry an easy, and perhaps even enjoyable, affair. Here are four common laundry personalities, their identifying traits, and tips for achieving maximum efficiency:

The super sorter

Does the thought of washing dark jeans and a pink blouse in the same load leave you light-headed? You’re not alone; 39 percent of Americans say they prefer to avoid mixing items of different colors in the same load. Some of those surveyed also prefer to wash items like intimates (26 percent), sportswear (48 percent) and really grubby clothes (25 percent) separately.

Facilitate your separation efforts by using multiple baskets or hampers in your laundry room. Label them – darks, whites, delicates, workout, etc. – and encourage family members to drop their dirty clothes in the appropriate basket.

The light loader

Does your desire to separate and preserve clothes, including those delicate special care items, ever leave you with the only option to run the washer with just one or two items? You’re not alone. 19 percent of Americans often don’t have enough to make a full load, and nearly a third wish they could do multiple loads simultaneously.

New laundry technology now makes it possible to efficiently do a very small load, or two loads at once. A significant innovation that will soon hit the market is LG’s TWIN Wash with SideKick pedestal washer that allows you to run two separate loads of laundry at the same time. The main washing compartment is a large-size front-load washer, while the SideKick pedestal washer fits beneath the main machine. It’s specifically designed to wash small, custom-care laundry loads and its compact size makes it perfect for items you want to keep separate from normal loads, such as intimates and active wear.

The dumper

Do you do minimal separation? Whites in one load, colors in another? Do delicates, sportswear and intimates go into the washer alongside jeans, kids play clothes and adult work attire? Improved washing technology means it is possible to effectively wash clothes this way, but you’ll need to take some care, too. Use color-safe detergent and cold water for every load of colors. With today’s super-efficient detergents and better washing machines, you don’t need hot or even warm water to get clothes clean; cold will work just fine and will reduce the chance of fading or colors bleeding into each other. Laundry pods can also streamline your process by eliminating the need for separate detergent and fabric softener.

The logistically challenged

Let’s face it, laundry room configurations aren’t really very flexible. Where your washer and dryer sit is largely determined by where the builder put the hose and water connections when constructing your home. The configuration isn’t always efficient for people who like to easily and quickly transfer wet items from the washer to the dryer, especially those with top-loaders.

Appliances like the LG EasyLoad Dryer can solve some of those technical challenges. The dryer gives you two ways to load laundry; you can open the door hamper style (opening from the top with the hinge at the bottom) to easily load wet clothes from the top-load washer. Or, the door can swing to the side like a traditional front-load machine to allow you to quickly unload clothes into a laundry basket.

Whatever your laundry personality, you can find a washer, dryer and detergent that will make your chore easier and less time consuming. Then, you can spend that time on other things. In fact, Americans surveyed say if they could cut their laundry time in half, they’d spend that extra time hanging out with their kids, watching TV or doing other things they enjoy.