The Fastest, Easiest Way to Do Laundry (With Time-Saving Hacks You’ll Actually Use)

Laundry doesn’t have to be a half-day event. In fact, if you’re smart (and a little ruthless), you can get it done faster than you ever thought possible — from sorting to folding.

Here’s the no-fluff guide to doing laundry in under 30 minutes of actual effort, with some of our favorite DadMode-approved hacks for saving time, mental energy, and your favorite shirt.

Step 1 — Pretreat Smarter, Not Harder (Time: 2 min)

Don’t wait until laundry day to fight stains.
The fastest move is to pretreat as you go.

• Keep a bottle of stain remover near the hamper

• Spray the stain when the shirt comes off

• Let enzymes do the work while it waits to be washed

🕒 Time saved: Up to 10–15 minutes per load by not spot-treating before the wash plus skipping the 1-hour you’d need to opt for.

Step 2 — Sort With Baskets, Not Brain Power (Time: 1 min)

Sorting laundry isn’t rocket science. But it can be brainless:

• Use multiple hampers or bins (whites, darks, towels)

• Teach the kids to toss their clothes into the right one

• Boom — auto-sorted

🕒 Time saved: 5–10 minutes of sorting (and guesswork) per week

Step 3 — Use Delay-Start Like a Boss (Time: 1 min)

Most modern washers have a delay start function — it’s basically a cheat code:

• Load your clothes at night

• Add detergent (and a stain-fighter if needed)

• Hit “delay” for 3–6 hours

• Wake up to fresh laundry

This means you batch your laundry and your life. You can also do this if you forgot to pre-treat your stained clothes until that moment, as the Deep Stain Remover requires at least an hour for the 7-enzyme formula to work.

🕒 Time saved: You don’t stand around waiting for the cycle to start — and enzymes have more time to work if you pretreated

Step 4 — Skip the Dryer When You Can (Time: 0 min)

Dryers are great, but they:

• Take 45+ minutes

• Can shrink stuff

Air drying saves your gear and lets you start the next load immediately while one hangs dry.

🕒 Time saved: You move faster between loads and avoid rewash cycles from dryer mishaps

Step 5 — Fold Faster With One Rule: “Don’t Over-Fold” (Time: 8–10 min)

Folding doesn't have to be neat — it just has to be done.
Set a timer. Put on a show. Or better yet — involve the kids. As long as the clothes are roughly where they belong, you win. This isn’t MTV Cribs – nobody is going to judge you on your 4-year old’s closet. 

Bonus: If it doesn’t wrinkle (like underwear, pajamas, kid clothes), skip folding altogether. Just toss into a labeled bin or drawer.

🕒 Time saved: 5–15 minutes of perfectionism erased

Step 6 — Build a System Once, Then Just Run It (Time: 0 ongoing)

Want real efficiency? Stop reinventing the wheel.
Build a system once:

• Set laundry days (e.g., Sunday + Thursday)

• Keep detergent, stain remover, and dryer sheet refills stocked

• Use the same settings every time

• Teach the family your system

🧠 The less you have to think, the faster you’ll move. That’s true for chores and startups.

Total Time Breakdown (for 1 Load):

Laundry running in the background = zero lost productivity.
Efficient, effective, and quietly heroic.

DadMode Products Built for Speed (and Sanity)

We built DadMode to save time and eliminate excuses:

• ✅ 7-enzyme stain remover that works while you sleep

• ✅ Zero-waste liquid detergent that crushes odor in cold water

• ✅ Products you’re proud to leave out on the shelf

→ Shop the DadMode Laundry System