5 Tips to Make Laundry More Fun (and Productive)

By now, you’ve probably seen influencers on Instagram or TikTok cleverly organizing their laundry rooms. With everything from labels to handy containers available on places like Amazon, it’s fun to see how just dressing up supplies can make a laundry room more inviting. If a simple move from plastic jugs to nice jars helps make a laundry room more enjoyable, we’re all for it!

Let’s face it: laundry isn’t a favorite task for most people. But being in the laundry business, many of us at Oceanside have found ways to make home laundry more enjoyable. Here are our five best tips.

  1. Give yourself some elbow room.

Everywhere you look, reducing clutter is the trend (have you followed Marie Kondo?). Why not apply these ideas to an often-disorganized laundry room? Take advantage of readily available bins, wall hooks, rods, shelves, and portable counter tops. Adding these space savers to your laundry room helps to make smart use of every available spot. For example, try adding a folding station and narrow drying racks (which can be hung on a wall, too). You’ll be surprised how giving yourself some breathing space helps make doing laundry more enjoyable.

  1. Get into nice containers.

There’s nothing wrong with pouring detergent out of the same plastic bottles you’ve used for years. But storing detergent in glass containers can add some novelty. While more attractive and higher quality, special containers also add a bit of a twist to your old routine. You can also make your own labels or buy them online to dress up the containers even more.

  1. Tackle those stains.

It’s very frustrating to wash your clothes only to find stains on them afterwards. To avoid the hassle of washing items again, check for stains before dropping an item into the washer and remove them by pretreatment. The American Cleaning Institute has an easy-to-use stain guide for everything from barbeque sauce to baby formula, using common household items like vinegar, bleach, rubbing alcohol, and over-the-counter stain removers.

  1. Try safer products.

Most of us get in a rut and use the same laundry products month after month. The truth is, this space is constantly evolving and new products are often available. For example, the laundry detergent aisles now are full of “safe” products, usually with labels of “Safer Choice” or “Design for the Environment.” Here’s a list. The safest products are hypoallergenic, dye-free, phosphate-free, and fragrance-free.

  1. Get outside if you can.

Sun-dried laundry has a fresh smell no pre-scented dryer fabric can ever capture. Living in Florida, we enjoy hanging clothes out to dry when we can. Not only that, but line drying puts less wear and tear on clothes, extending their life. Plus, line drying reduces use of the dryer and saves energy, and the sunlight naturally disinfects. Best of all, line drying is a great excuse to get us outside, into the fresh air.

Laundry still sound like a drag? We can be your backup

If these ideas to make laundry more fun don’t cut it, or if you need a break, Oceanside Cleaners’ “wash and fold” service can make tackling your laundry easy. That starts with complimentary pick up and delivery for any machine-washable garments, sheets and towels. Plus, rush service is available at no extra charge. Not only do we deep clean with Endex-99 (which reduces bacterial count by 99.9%), but everything is neatly folded. We also handle comforters, blankets, pillows, mattress pads and sleeping bags.

Seven Bridal and Wedding Trends for 2023

Following the recent New York Bridal Fashion Week, designers and wedding planners are beginning to offer a peek at 2023 bridal fashion and wedding event trends. If you’re beginning to plan your 2023 wedding, here are seven key trends.

First, wedding gown trends:

1. Blue is in

A trendy blue wedding gown. (Photo by Trent Bailey, Brides Magazine.)

White gowns will forever be the number one choice of brides, but each year a new color becomes popular for less traditional brides. In recent years, these trend colors were beige and pink. In 2023, the trend color is blue, particularly soft shades of blue.

2. Colors accents galore

Color accents will remain popular, as they were in 2022, with some brides selecting floral prints or using color in accessories. But be discreet, wedding experts say. For a vibrant look, less is more.

3. Gloves are back

Inspired by period streaming shows, like Downton Abbey, gloves add a classy reference to the past and a layer of elegance. Fabric may be lace or traditional silk, with colored gloves offering a touch of color to a white gown.

4. Ruffles and Feathers

Ruffles and feathers. (Photo: Justin Alexander Signature)

Brides are adding a softer look with ruffles and feathers in combination with starker lines. An example is a mermaid gown with a ruffled skirt, as shown in the photo. ­

Next, wedding event trends:

5. Personalized weddings

2023 will see changes that go beyond the bride’s dress. One common prediction is called the “micro wedding.” These are small weddings limited to family and close friends. Non-traditional venues will become more popular, as brides and grooms choose sites that reflect their values, such as a nature center. Eco-friendly touches will be a trend, too, such as invitations on recycled paper, re-use of bouquets as table decorations and serving health foods.

6. Local weddings

The glamor of destination weddings wore off during the pandemic and has given way to local and more personalized weddings in the bride’s hometown. This way, family and friends can afford to attend. It’s all part of a trend away from glamor and glitz and large-scale events that sometimes leave everyone exhausted and unconnected. The new focus is on who you are, not where you are.

7. Longer planning

The backlogs coming out of the pandemic apply to all things wedding. Wedding planners for 2023 events are cautioning brides to start early. Wedding dresses can take six to eight months to order, depending on the manufacturer. In addition, sites are booking a year in advance. Even photographers, musicians and florists want as much lead time as possible. Why the crunch? Competition is growing. Axios predicts 2.2 million weddings will occur in 2023, which would be a record.

And then there is the issue of picking the actual date

Along with these trends is the issue of the actual wedding date. While any date between May and October is common, many brides and grooms are consulting astrologists as to the best date to schedule their wedding. In 2023, astrologists say the luckiest wedding date is September 10, when the sun and new moon are in Libra, which promises less conflict during the marriage.

Start planning now!

No matter what your beliefs and influences, 2023 promises to be a hectic wedding year. It’s best to begin planning as soon as possible and that includes planning for the details related to the bridal gown and other attire. Oceanside Cleaners specializes in wedding dress (and wedding party clothing) alterations, but we book up early so ask that you please plan in advance. Oceanside also cleans gowns before the ceremony (if needed) and afterwards and offers a popular wedding gown preservation service.

Storing Clothes in Plastic Bags Harms Them

clothes on hangers in plastic bags

Customers often ask us if it is best to store their dry-cleaning items or laundered clothes in the plastic bags we send them home in.

The answer is: No! Long term, plastic harms the clothes.

This surprises many customers, who then ask why we use the plastic. The plastic is meant to protect the clothes on the journey home. Then it should be removed and, if possible, recycled. Our plastic poly is 100% recyclable. If you’d prefer to return the used plastic to us, we’ll happily recycle it for you.

How is plastic harmful to newly cleaned clothing?

Dry cleaner plastic bags are meant to protect items during the trip home. Remove and recycle them to prevent damage to fabric. 

Plastic prevents fabric from breathing, as it naturally is made to do, and leads to yellowing, weakening of fibers and mildew. Yes, mildew! Even though our process is called dry cleaning, there is a little moisture involved, which is why a plastic covering can cause mildew.

The discoloring culprit is a chemical called BHT, which is used in the manufacture of the plastic. BHT breaks down over time, causing yellow pigments that attach to the cloth.

We have other concerns about leaving the plastic in your closet, and that is printed right on the plastic. Thin plastic is a risk to children. If children play in the closet, the plastic can be dangerous.

Cotton is a better clothing protector than plastic

With the season changing, you may have items you want to store until next year. We do recommend covering newly cleaned clothing, table linens and other keepsakes that are stored for any length of time. Covering keeps off dust, especially on the shoulders of garments or the folds over hangers.

What should you use instead of plastic? The ideal covering is a white cotton sheet. Just fold the sheet and cut a hole for the hanger. You can sew the covering into a pouch, but it’s not necessary. Cotton lets the cleaned items breathe while keeping out dirt or stains from items nearby.

How to clean garments stained by plastic coverings

If your yellowed item was originally dry cleaned, and you’re ready to use it again, bring it into us and we’ll dry clean it again. This often removes the yellowing. In general, we’re always happy to give you advice on removing specific stains. Stop by any time with the stained item, and we’ll share our experience as to what should be effective.

Grace

“Oceanside was recommended by both my wedding planner and seamstress. I was very nervous about giving up my dress so it could be steamed and delivered, but Clare was so easy to work with, accommodating and trustworthy.”

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Fallon

“I always knew I wanted to preserve the dresses since they were my mom’s. I can’t wait to have a little girl and display the shadow box in her room.”

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Callie

I knew I wanted to get my dress preserved because my mom had preserved hers and I was actually able to remake it and wear it for my rehearsal dinner!

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Thalya

What honestly sold us was when my mom was speaking to the woman on the phone, she said her name was Claire, which was my nana’s name.

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Jenna

We heard from friends that Oceanside was the best for alterations, and we got very lucky that they fit us in on a tight timeline.

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