The festive season brings joy and merriment, but amidst the cheerful chaos, laundry often takes a backseat in the whirlwind of holiday activities. You can rest assured because we’ve wrapped up a batch of Christmas laundry tips to help you through the season without getting entangled in laundry woes.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas brings us the luxury of presents and togetherness. Amongst all that, it is a time when you need plenty of preparation with all the hosting, decorating, shopping, and eating (our favourite part!). Leaving all these to the last week will set off panic stations. To get you in the festive spirit, here are 4 ways to prepare for Christmas!
Christmas is associated with love, joy, and togetherness (don’t let the Grinch tell you otherwise!). To help you prepare for Christmas and stay organised, make a list of people you want to send gifts and Christmas cards to; Friends, family and even your children’s teachers!
It’s also worth creating a budget so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank by the time Christmas day comes around.
The magical part of Christmas is spending time with family. It’s also an opportunity to get the kids involved with decorations. Kids no doubt love presents (thank you Santa Claus!) but encouraging them to get involved in the planning helps you to prepare for Christmas!
Kids are creative and will no doubt have a lot of inspiration on how they want the Christmas tree to look like.
In addition, get the kids in the kitchen and bake cookies together! Homemade chocolate cookies and eggnog lattes are crowd-pleasers!
If your kids do leave behind messy aprons – just get in touch with us and we’ll clean the aprons!
We can’t begin to imagine how full the laundry basket is at this time of the year. All those events and hosting get-togethers make your laundry heavier than Santa’s bag of presents!
It’s always tempting to say ‘I’ll do it later’ but Laundryheap can help you prepare for Christmas. Having laundry done has never been easier.
By booking with Laundryheap, your laundry will be collected on the day and returned to you within 24 hours! No waiting, no Christmas stress and no laundry ruining the most wonderful time of the year!
People love cards and presents as much as we love doing laundry but be on the lookout for the mail delivery times. If you have friends and family that live far away, you will likely be relying on the mail to deliver your Christmas cards and presents.
As you are aware, the post office becomes very busy during the holiday season, so we highly recommend buying your stamps early and sending out everything a little early to beat the rush.
December is a busy month for everyone but now we’ve told you 4 ways to prepare for Christmas, preparation should be easier!
Have a magical December!
To learn more about Laundryheap, visit our website or download the free app on iOS or Android.
Nothing says it’s picnic season like the summer holidays and July – national picnic month. To mark this occasion, we’ve compiled a list of 5 cheap picnic ideas for you and your family. After all, a picnic is one of the joys of the summer so why not enjoy it even more on a budget?
Make the most out of the sun shining by planning appetisers that will please the family. Picnics would be incomplete without appetisers after all.
For cheap picnic ideas, you can’t go wrong with salad. Not only are they cheap but they are easy to make and simple to transport. Some examples of salad recipes would be Greek salad, potato salad or fruity pasta salad.
If you want more variety, go with hummus and carrots to get the picnic rolling! You’ll see your family members’ faces light up with excitement as they go for their first hummus dips but remember to bring the napkins!
Simple foods are made for picnics. You don’t have to cook a big meal instead you can just bring budget-friendly food from the local supermarkets. Pasta, sandwiches, wraps or even canned tuna are all cheap picnic ideas that the whole family will love! If you ask us, sandwiches are the best budget-friendly picnic food because they don’t take much space in the basket.
Don’t forget about the drinks, plastic cutlery, and rubbish bags!
If you do leave food stains on your clothes, don’t stress! Our services have got you covered!
Great memories always include desserts! To save money, bake a dessert at home! Chocolate brownies or banana cakes are simple to make and bring to the picnic. You’d be surprised at how much money you’ll save by avoiding buying already-made desserts.
However, if you’ve left it late and urgently need desserts, don’t hesitate to buy muffins or cookies from coffee shops to bring to the picnic. They don’t usually cost a lot!
Additionally, ice coolers will save you money as you don’t need to constantly buy ice every time! Days prior to the picnic, prepare well by filling your ice cube tray and keeping it in your freezer.
If you have ice cream at home, take it with you and put it in the ice cooler. Not only does it make your kids happy but it will save you from spending money on ice creams from ice cream vans around the park!
Don’t overcomplicate your picnics, they don’t have to be fussy, but they do need to be fun! Look for parks that are free and have good opening hours. Do a little research about the parks so you are aware of the rules. If you are planning a BBQ, look for BBQ-friendly parks.
Ideally, if you are with kids, find somewhere they have free access to a playground or sports place. Or bring a kite, ball or frisbee to provide entertainment!
These are the cheap picnic ideas for you to consider. Spending a lot of money isn’t needed to have a great picnic this summer. All you need is great company, simplicity and great weather!
Enjoy your picnic on national picnic month!
To learn more about Laundryheap, visit our website or download the free app on iOS or Android.
Flowers are blooming, days are getting longer and there are chocolate eggs all around us! Easter is a fabulous time to spend with family but it can also be a stressful time of chores and preparing. To egg you on, we’ve made a list to help you prepare better so your easter is less egg-hausting and more-eggciting.
We will all be spending this Easter weekend in self-isolation. But that does not mean that we can’t have a fun-filled Easter. Here are 10 fun activities to do in self-isolation this Easter weekend.
Easter egg hunts are an Easter weekend staple that doesn’t have to stop because you’re in self-isolation. Whilst shopping for your essentials, pick up some Easter eggs of varying sizes. Utilise the space that your home has to offer and hide them in new and inventive places- think inside a plant pot, hidden under a lampshade, etc. If you have a garden, utilise that space as well.
To make the hunt more interesting why not make it themed? Or leave clues scattered around your home that hint to where the eggs may be. You can even video call your friends and family and get them involved.
Egg decorating is just as fun for children as it is for adults. Plus, decorating eggs provides you with colourful new Easter decorations for your home. Either hard boil or poke a small hole into the bottom and top of an egg to drain all of the liquid from inside of it. Grab all the crafty things in your home together- pens, paint, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, anything at all- and let your imagination run wild. You could even make this activity into a game and award a prize for the most inventive egg decoration.
Easter nests are easy to make and come with the added bonus of being edible.
You will need:
Begin by melting your chocolate either in a saucepan or in the microwave- make sure to keep a close eye on it to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Once the chocolate is melted stir in 3 tbsp of your golden syrup and your cereal of choice. Stir the mixture well to make sure that ALL the cereal is covered in chocolate. Spoon your mixture into cake cases and complete your birds’ nest with a sprinkling of chocolate eggs. Leave them to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes before digging in to an eggcellent Easter treat.
Bingo may come with connotations of pensioners but Easter bingo is fun for all ages. It’s much the same as normal bingo, but instead of calling out numbers you call out Easter related words. You can even make the game more interesting by including Easter themed images. If you head over to Pinterest, there are an abundance of free Easter bingo print-outs you can use, or you can spend an afternoon making your own before settling down for a night of friendly Easter competition.
Get messy this Easter and finger paint your own Easter bunnies. All you need is an array of colourful paints, plain paper and your own fingers. This activity is perfect for keeping your children, and your inner child, entertained for an afternoon. Just make sure that all hands are washed before they touch anything other than their canvas.
Who said that Pinata’s had to be saved for birthdays? Why not get creative and make your very own Easter chick piñata?
You will need:
Firstly, blow up you balloon and tie off the end. Then, cover your balloon in strips of newspaper dipped in glue, 3 layers should be sufficient. Once the glue has dried, cut off the bottom so that you can insert your sweets. Mark on the eyes and mouth, before painting the balloon yellow until no newspaper is showing. Next, cut your crepe paper into 2 inch squares. You will need to completely cover the balloon, however they don’t all need to be uniform. Cover your piñata with the squares, being careful to avoid the eyes and mouth. Use your card to form a beak for your chick by cutting out two triangles. Draw on your chicks eyes, or, if you have them available, use googly eyes. For the finishing touch, cover your piñata in feathers and insert your sweets, making sure to glue the bottom of the balloon back on to seal them in. Grab your household and enjoy an Easter Fiesta!
Awaken your competitive spirit this Easter and host your very own Easter Olympic Games. Gather your household and set a series of challenges to be completed, each with an Easter twist. Think, egg and spoon race, bunny hop challenge, and even pin the tail on the bunny rabbit. Award each challenge with a bronze, silver and gold award, until the person with the most gold medals is declared the winner. Take your Easter Olympic games one step further by creating your own medals out of yogurt lids and string. May the best athlete win!
Another way to get your households creativity flowing this Easter is by making Easter masks.
You will need:
Firstly, cut out two eye holes so that the mask wearer can sufficiently see. Next, think about what Easter character you want to create. Are you going to be a chicken? A bunny? Or maybe a lamb. Once you’ve decided on your character, use your crafty materials to construct your character however you see fit. Once done, and any wet materials are dried, cut a length of string that can reach around the back of your head without being too tight or loose. Use two bits of sellotape to secure each end of your string to your mask and then show off your creation to the rest of your household.
Sometimes the best way to spend Easter is by relaxing with your loved ones, feasting on Easter eggs and watching Easter films. There are plenty of films to be enjoyed by all the family, and plenty of chocolate to eat, so don’t forget to have some downtime this Easter weekend.
From all of the team at Laundryheap, Happy Easter!
Laundry isn’t usually on the top of people’s list of ways to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. If you are someone who does multiple loads of laundry every week, it could be having a more substantial effect on the planet than you might think. The amount of water, energy, and products used when doing laundry can inevitably add up.
Washing and drying your garments in a more environmentally conscious way can make for a more Eco-conscious household. These simple switches will not only reduce the environmental impact but will also save you money while you’re at it.
Up to 90 % of the energy used when doing your laundry involves just heating the water. Most of us know that having a long, hot shower is less environmentally friendly than a quick, short one. The same applies when doing your laundry.
Washing clothes at 30°C instead of 40°C uses about 40% less energy. Doing your laundry at a lower temperature can also be better for your clothes. Exposing your clothes to hot temperatures can shorten the lifespan of the garment.
Reducing the number of loads you do per week will save water and save you money. Even the most environmentally-efficient loads can use up to 40 gallons of water per load.
Try reducing your loads as best you can throughout the week to reduce your carbon footprint. You could wear some clothes more than once before washing. This solution doesn’t go for all pieces of clothing, socks and underwear come to mind, but not tossing your jeans in the laundry basket after one wear is the first step to improving your laundry habit.
We are not suggesting that everyone throws out their current working washing machine and head to the shop to buy a new eco-friendly one today. If you are in the market for a new washer or dryer, buying a greener model can save energy and use less water, lowering your bills in the process.
High-efficiency machines use between 20% to 60% less water and as little as 50% energy as traditional washing machines. Investing in a green washing machine will significantly reduce your environmental impact at home.
Conventional washing detergents can be very damaging to the ecosystems where the dirty water we wash down the drain can end up. Standard laundry detergent contains phosphates which can have disastrous effects to marine life that comes in contact with it.
When purchasing more Eco-friendly detergents, make sure you keep an eye out for labels that indicate the product is biodegradable and phosphate-free. These detergents are often more gentle on the skin, too.
We know this option will cause some people to wince. Hand washing can be time-consuming, but there are some ways to make the process easier. Tools like a pedal washer can allow you to exercise while you wash your laundry, helping your body and the environment at the same time.
Hand washing can give you a sense of just how much laundry you’re going through weekly. As well as helping you see where you can cut back on the amount of laundry you do.
Your dryer uses up a lot of energy – so anything you can do to cut down the time using this machine will help the environment. Not using your dryer as much can also save you money on your electric bill.
Little things like cleaning the filter in your dryer can also save energy. If the filter is clogged, the clothes take longer to dry, meaning more energy wasted.
One of the most optimal ways to cut down on time using your dryer is to hang your clothes to dry. If weather permits, hanging your clothes to dry on the line outside can take away 100% of the energy used when using your dryer.
For people who live in a warmer climate drying clothes outside can be quick and easy. Those who live in wetter corners of the globe, can always line dry indoors all year round. Hanging clothes to dry will not only reduce energy, it will also cut your electric bill and make your clothes last longer.
Ironing is top of most peoples most hated chores list. So why not cut it out when it isn’t necessary? Ironing consumes excess energy and can deteriorate the fabric on your clothing.
We understand that even the most environmentally conscious of us still don’t want to rock up to a job interview with a creased shirt. To avoid looking scruffy, all you have to do is hang up your shirt straight after the wash cycle is complete. For materials that are more prone to creasing, like linen, just cut the final spin cycle on your wash, leaving more water in the fabric, resulting in fewer creases.
It might sound unconventional, but commercial washers and dryers tend to be more efficient than domestic machines because they are bigger and can take bigger loads. By using professionals like Laundryheap, you can lessen the number of loads, meaning less wasted energy and water at home.
Only full-time, busy working, parents know the real struggle of having so many responsibilities with little time. It’s challenging taking care of your kids and tending to their needs while working, running errands, managing house tasks and looking after yourself. So, here are a few quick tips for all you busy parents that can help with your time management.
Since you might not be able to do everything on your ‘to-do list’ straight away, you should prioritise your responsibilities in terms of critical and not critical, depending on what you have going on. You’ll be able to differentiate the two if there are tasks that you can do at a later time.
Every day is different. Sometimes your children are up and ready to get the day started before you and sometimes they aren’t. Sometimes you won’t get around to doing that thing you needed to do because something else came up. Whatever you’ve got planned, you need to be flexible with your schedule so you can adapt to any changes.
Since you might not be able to do everything on your ‘to-do list’ in one day, you should prioritise your responsibilities in terms of critical and not critical, depending on what you have going on. Sometimes, prioritising also means saying no to hanging out with friends because you want to spend quality time with your family.
Whether it’s your kids’ school uniform or meals for the week, preparing such things in advance will save last-minute rush and valuable time. Assess what you have going on in the week and make advanced preparations. If, for example, there’s an after school training or practice session, you can save yourself preparing dinner late by pre-cooking it.
Save yourself the extra hours and outsource tasks such as grocery shopping or doing the laundry. You can get groceries delivered to your door and schedule a laundry pickup and delivery. Although you have to spend a little to outsource, it may be worth the extra free time you’ll gain from it.
It can be super difficult to keep up with the laundry when you’re a large family and it’s especially challenging when you have little kids who go through numerous clothes a day.
For the families who have more than 4 kids that are looking for a laundry system that works, here a few things you can do to help make doing laundry a breeze:
It helps to get the whole family involved in helping to do the laundry. Divide the laundry tasks between your children who are old enough to help. For example, you can assign someone to load the washer, load the dryer, fold the clothes etc. When it comes to putting clothes away, let your kids who are old enough, do it themselves. Don’t hesitate to get your younger kids involved and teach them how to laundry.
Put a laundry basket in every kids’ room, including yours, so that the laundry isn’t all piled up in one big laundry basket.
Instead of doing one big family wash, you can do individual washes which saves time on sorting.
Create a laundry schedule that works for you. Whether you choose to wash a little more often or not, choose a routine that you can follow. If your children can do their own laundry, then perfect! Set them their own laundry day.
A simple trick to avoid sorting clothes by colour before washing? Avoid buying whites clothes! Stick to buying darker coloured clothes for your kids since they’re prone to getting their clothes dirty. This way you can put clothes straight into the washer and saves time on sorting..
Take some time to clear out unwanted, and outgrown clothes in your kids’ closet. This ‘strategy’ is so that you technically have fewer clothes to wash and your kids who like playing dress up don’t have the need to keep changing clothes.
There is no need to wash clothes after every wear as most clothing items can be worn up to 2-3 times. Lessen the laundry loads by knowing how often you should be washing your clothes and tell your kids that just because their clothes touches their skin for a few seconds, doesn’t mean it’s already dirty.
If for some reason you’re little behind on laundry, to which now you have a massive pile of dirty clothes, you should outsource your laundry. We at Laundryheap aim to deliver a convenient laundry and dry cleaning service designed to fit around your day-to-day schedule. Just schedule a collection and have your clothes cleaned and returned to you in less than 24 hours.
