Tips to turn laundry into less of a chore

The age-old chore of laundry is still one of the most frequently done but disliked household tasks and even continues to cause a domestic divide in the home. According to a recent survey conducted by Whirlpool brand, 70 percent of American women report that they do more than three loads of laundry in a typical week, with only 50 percent of men taking on the task that often.

The washer/dryer rap really has very little to do with the machines themselves. In fact, 77 percent of those surveyed dislike the tasks associated with doing the laundry more than the actual task itself, including gathering dirty laundry and folding and putting away clean clothes.

"In response to consumer demand, manufacturers are creating more efficient and productive appliances," said Rosario Ciancimino, senior category manager, Whirlpool brand. "For example, the large capacity and speed of the Whirlpool Duet fabric care system allows users to wash 16 pairs of jeans in a single load while using half the water and energy."

Here are the top five tips from the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science to help reduce some of that laundry angst.

+Pre-sort laundry in designated lights, darks and whites baskets as laundry accumulates, so it's ready to throw in the washer whenever there's a minute to spare.

+While sorting, close all zippers and hooks and check pockets to avoid "washing" tissues, money, lipstick or other small items.

+Streamline the laundry process by incorporating storage solutions and flat working surfaces into the laundry room. This will keep laundry in the laundry room by eliminating the need to treat, sort and fold in other rooms of the house.

+Wash small loads as needed between laundry days. Today's high efficiency machines use substantially less water and energy than a conventional top-loading washer, meaning one can do small loads at any time, rather than waiting for the basket to fill up.

+Don't overload the washer or dryer. Clothes come out cleaner and less wrinkled when given room to move freely.

This story is provided by State Point Media.