Page 38 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • October 10, 2012 (ARA) Today, time is an incredible luxury - one we too rarely have. With family responsibilities, work commitments, and everyday stresses, it can often be hard to accomplish everything on the to-do list, let alone carve out time for oneself. A mainstay on the to-do list has always been laundry, and with the average American household doing 7.5 loads per week, the time spent washing, drying, and folding really adds up. In fact, a significant number of people are making sacrifices to make time for laundry. Americans find themselves neglecting exercise, family time, social calendars, and other Free up time: Revamp the laundry room routine is something you want to avoid. Have everyone in the family do his or her part. Collecting clothes is a time-consuming task, especially when unsorted clothes are left on the floor to pile up. Encourage family members to put dirty clothes into hampers, which makes it easier to gather items that need to be washed. “Another simple step is to provide everyone with two hampers -- one for whites and one for colors -- a time efficient way to sort,” Wisner suggested. Opt for a large-capacity washer. Getting more items into the washer equates to getting more done faster. But overloading an outdated, standard model can leave you with clothes that aren’t fully clean. Today’s washers are better equipped for the job, and the new mega-capacity frontloaders, such as the one from LG, are great for handling huge laundry tasks. “It can accommodate a king-size bedding set, including a comforter, and its TurboWash technology - which combines the “spin” and “rinse” cycles - saves 20 minutes per load, even on larger loads,” he said. Re-examine how you dry. “While a high-capacity dryer will help, there are also other ways to cut back on drying times,” Wisner added. Re-usable dryer balls can cut down on the time you need to keep items in the dryer and help to eliminate static. For items that aren’t dryer safe, keep a collapsible drying rack or retractable laundry line in the laundry room, so you don’t need to take them outside or to a different part of the house. Turning on a dehumidifier as hanging items dry can speed up the process, too. Of course, you should remember to clean the lint from the dyer following every load. Look at some of the newest innovations on the market and learn more about the ones you have. There are constant improvements to the stain-fighting and detergent categories: Today’s stain sticks help eliminate messy foods before everyday tasks, because of the time they spend on laundry, according to results of a national survey conducted for LG Electronics USA. The good news is that there is freedom from the task that more than 77 percent of women describe as tedious and time consuming. With some simple tips from LG Head Home Economist Mike Wisner, doing the laundry can be a faster and more efficient process. Keep the laundry room organized. While it is easy to let things pile up, keeping the room tidy and organized helps save time by making sure you know where all of the tools you need are located. Wisner advises keeping dryer goods separate from the items for the washing machine, and store ironing necessities in their own container. Check products periodically and re-stock before you run out. Having to run to the store for dryer sheets or detergent at the last minute they set, while easy-dose laundry packets, like Tide Pods, make it easy to use the right amount of detergent per load. “Also make sure you study the operating guide for your existing machine. Find out how often you should check hoses and filters and, most importantly, learn more about the benefits of using different cycles, speeds, and temperatures,” noted Wisner. Make sure your washer is ENERGY STAR qualified, as this can save tons in energy and electricity bills. “Get back a bit of your life,” Wisner added, “with these simple solutions to reduce time spent in the laundry room.” For more ideas and tips, visit www.lg.com/us/washers.