A Laundry Lifesaver

All morning and afternoon it's been absolutely pouring outside, so I had NO excuse to put off doing several loads of laundry today. A word about me and laundry: I completely despise the thought of doing it. Once I'm going through the motions, it really isn't that bad, but If I had a washer and dryer in my apartment, oh, what a luxury that would be! The fact I have to lug it up and down the stairs and PAY $2.50 per load just isn't fair. Though, I really shouldn't be complaining because at least my building has its own laundry room. My old walk-up apartment did not, so I had to haul it down 5 flights of stairs, 2 blocks up the street (through the rain, sleet and snow), then babysit it while biding my time in the laundromat for half a day, lingering by machines for the chance to grab one as soon as someone was finished, and guard my clothes when they were in the dryer so no one would steal them (a fairly common occurrence; one of my co-workers lost half her fall wardrobe).

So, in the midst of my 3rd load today, I have a RAVE for a new fantastic product by Tide that makes the process of washing delicate items SO much easier. You see, I've discovered the hard way that building washing machines (and especially the ones in laundromats) are incredibly harsh and relentless on clothes. They're usually older, and wrangle them around so much, I always spend a couple minutes after the cycle is over untangling pant legs tied up with shirt sleeves, and digging socks out of pant legs.

For lingerie and delicate tops whose labels read, "Hand Wash," yeaa....that's not going to happen when I have a gazillion things to get done. So, when I was in Bed Bath and Beyond the other day, I picked up the Tide High Performance Bra Bag. Victory! This little cylindrical micro-mesh product is simply genius.

Here's the way it works: The padded mesh protects the shape of bras and underwires and prevents delicate items from twisting, snagging, stretching, or tangling during the wash cycle. The mesh is ultra-fine, which means the hooks won't pierce through, but the material will allow water and detergent to penetrate for proper cleaning. Additionally, all seams in the Bra Bag are covered with smooth nylon material to further prevent delicates from ripping or snagging. The bra bag also features two zippered compartments with a mesh barrier between them, so you can easily wash two bras at a time (or a combination of delicates) along with your jeans with confidence; they will re-emerge from the depths of the washing machine unscathed!

But of course, always be sure to hang your delicates to dry. And if you have something extra fancy and/or delicate to clean - certainly take the time to wash it by hand and according to care-label instructions.

Available for $3.99 at Tide.com or the Container Store. I purchased mine at Bed Bath and Beyond, but I don't see them available via their online shop.