Laundry 101: The Best Laundry Tips for Fashionistas

After years of shopping, you've worked hard (and possibly spent a lot of money) to curate a picture-perfect wardrobe. Your beautiful fashion pieces deserve the highest level of care, so I want to help you give your laundry a little TLC this season. I've put together a short list of the best laundry tips, tricks, and awesome products to help you keep your clothing in tip-top conditions for years to come!

Prep

• SORT BY COLOR: Your mom was right. It's important to sort your clothes before throwing them into the washing machine to keep your clothes looking their best. Mixing colors can cause your clothes to become dull due to the color transferring from one item to the next.  I sort my clothes into four categories: whites,  brights, darks, and delicates (undergarments and delicate fabrics).
• SORT BY TEXTURE: It's also important to sort your clothes by textures. I separate extremely thin (undergarments or delicate fabrics) and extremely thick (towels, large sweaters) from my normal laundry loads to maintain the texture of the fabric.
• PREP EACH ITEM: As you place each item into the washing machine, double check that it's properly straightened. Rolled cuffs, twisted hems, and inside out arms can leave your clothes wrinkled and misshaped after washing. You'll also want to ensure that all of the pockets are empty to prevent laundry mishaps.
• PROTECT EMBELLISHED ITEMS: If you're washing any clothing items with a design or embroidered finish, turn the item inside out to protect the details.

Wash

• USE A QUALITY LAUNDRY DETERGENT: The new method laundry detergent is 4x concentrated, and its naturally derived cleaning power is tough on dirt and stains. The biodegradable and hypoallergic formula will help your colors stay bright and your whites stay white. The clear container highlights the gorgeous  colorful liquid, and the scent inside each bottle is heavenly. I'm partial to the Spring Garden scent (duh- it's pink), but all of the available scents are amazing! If you want to try out the method 4x concentrated laundry detergent yourself, use the code THREEFORME to receive$3 off your online purchase at method!
• USE THE COOLEST SETTING POSSIBLE: If at all possible, use the cold setting on your washing machine. The cold water will help you use less energy, and it will also keep your laundry's colors bright. Before you switch to using cold water, make sure that your laundry detergent can perform at low temperatures. Thankfully, my favorite method laundry detergent works like a champ in any water temperature!
• PRE-TREAT STAINS: Give your laundry stains a one-two punch by pre-treating them for an hour before washing and using a stain-fighting laundry detergent. I'm always crunched for time, so I like to use multi-tasking products. The method laundry detergent can be used as a pre-treatment for pesky stains, so you don't have to remember to use a variety of products before you put your clothes in the wash.

Dry

•  DON'T LET STAINS DRY: As soon as you take your laundry out of the washing machine, check to make sure each item's stain has been completely removed before placing it in the dryer. If the stain still remains, pre-treat and wash it again immediately to prevent the stain from becoming a permanent part of the fabric.
• RE-SHAPE MISSHAPEN ITEMS: If any of your clothing has become twisted during the washing process, smooth it out before drying. Once the heat sets the fabric, the wrinkles will be harder to get out.
• SORT OUT NON-DRYER FRIENDLY ITEMS: Not all clothing items are meant to be dried with heat. Take the time to hang up delicate items and lay out sweaters to prevent damaging or shrinking the fabric in the dryer.
• USE THE LOWEST HEAT POSSIBLE: As we mentioned earlier in the washing process, don't use excess heat on your clothing. Heat damages your clothing's fabric, and it also dulls the color. Even if you're unable to switch to the lowest setting, try to transition from high to medium heat. You'll save energy and protect your clothing from heat damage!
• DON'T LET YOUR CLOTHES OVER-DRY: Over-drying your clothes can make them shrink, and it can also damage the fabric. Check your clothes before the dryer beeps and take them out as soon as they feel mostly dry.

For more fashion inspiration, check out method's collaboration with ASOS to see how several fashionistas refreshed their wardrobes! Plus, you can enter to win a $1,000 shopping spree to ASOS!

What's your #1 laundry tip?