This week’s newsletter is brought to you by Life Kit digital editor Malaka Gharib
I am really bad at doing laundry. I threw a new pair of black jeans into the wash knowing that the colors would bleed (they sure did, and now my husband’s gray-ish undershirts are an even duller shade of gray). I wash my bras without putting them into a mesh bag. And I put everything in the dryer — even wool sweaters! 💀
But recently, I’ve changed my ways thanks to this brilliant Life Kit episode on laundry. In the piece, we talk to Patric Richardson, a household cleaning pro and the host of the TV show The Laundry Guy on Discovery+ and HGTV.
Here are some of my favorite tips that I learned from the episode — with notes about how they turned out when I tried them at home.
🏃 Embrace the express cycle. The technology behind washing machines has improved over the last three decades and includes more custom settings, like an express cycle. This option offers a shorter wash cycle and a high-speed spin cycle, which helps quicken drying time. If your washing machine has this setting, take advantage of it. Anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes in warm water will sufficiently cleanse most clothes, says Richardson. Note from Malaka: I tried this setting for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It works great — especially on smaller loads of laundry!
🧼 Use less soap. "With almost every commercial detergent, you can use two tablespoons for a very large load of laundry and that's plenty," says Richardson. When you use more detergent and soap than is necessary, it doesn't thoroughly rinse out of your clothes. As a result, your clothes can feel sticky. Note from Malaka: I started doing this and realized I don’t even notice the difference when I use less detergent. The clothes still smell and feel clean.
👖 Air dry your yoga pants. When it comes to clothing made with Lycra, spandex or elastane, which includes many athleisure items like yoga pants, you want to reduce the time they spend tumbling around with other clothes as much as possible. Heat, when applied to these materials, can dry out the fabric and reduce the stretch of the clothes. So, air drying is best for workout items.
"If you love your yoga pants because of how they fit and you start throwing them in the dryer, it breaks down the Lycra pretty quickly and they will lose the ability to maintain that shape," says Richardson. Note from Malaka: This was an easy enough step to incorporate into my routine. All I had to do was pull my yoga pants and sports bra from the wet load and throw them over the washing machine door to dry.
Last week, we shared an episode on soups. Chef Sohla El-Waylly explained how to make a flavorful broth and shared a recipe for a good fall soup. Life Kit listener Megan Ostuni emailed us with some advice of her own.
“Keep a bag of [meat] scraps and bones in the freezer. When the bag is full, use [the scraps] to make a batch of bone broth in the Instant Pot. I put the broth that I don’t use into an ice cube tray to freeze and use later.”
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👁️ How screens are changing our eyes. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is on the rise in children as a result of reduced time outside and screen usage. TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi talks to optometrist Dr. Maria Liu about how to slow down this progression — and how adults can protect their eyes too. Listen to the episode here.
😘 How to ditch the apps and date offline.Tired of swiping through dating profiles on your phone? Maybe it's time to get out there and meet people in real life. A sexuality and relationship educator shares advice about how to meet new people, strike up conversations and move on from a love interest if the vibe isn't there. Listen to the episode here.
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