When a heat wave hits, everyone knows the basics: drink more water, find the nearest air conditioner, keep the blinds closed, and seriously reconsider any plan that requires standing outside in the afternoon. What nobody talks about is all the regular household stuff that suddenly becomes approximately 400% more annoying when it’s scorching outside.
Cooking dinner feels ambitious, errands become strategic missions, and turning on another heat-producing appliance is the last thing anyone wants to do. Somewhere in the middle of all that is laundry, quietly waiting for you with a basket full of sweaty clothes and an impressive collection of towels.
Your Electric Bill Is Already Working Overtime
The temperature isn’t the only thing climbing during a heat wave. Your electricity bill can head in the same direction, largely because your air conditioner has to work harder and run longer to keep your home comfortable. Add fans, refrigerators working against hotter indoor temperatures, and all the appliances you normally use throughout the day, and summer energy consumption can quickly add up. Electricity costs can jump during warmer months as households use more energy for cooling.
That makes a heat wave a particularly good time to think twice about running load after load of laundry. Washing machines use electricity and water, while electric dryers can be one of the more energy-intensive appliances involved in your weekly routine. If you’re on a time-of-use electricity plan, when you run those appliances can affect what you pay as well, since electricity prices can be higher during peak-demand hours.
Your Dryer Does Not Need to Join the Heat Wave
When your home already feels warmer than you’d like, running appliances that generate additional heat isn’t exactly appealing. Clothes dryers release heat as they operate, and even properly vented machines can contribute some warmth to the surrounding laundry area. In a smaller home or apartment, that can make an already uncomfortable space feel even less inviting.
If laundry can wait until temperatures cool down, shifting loads to another time of day can make the chore more comfortable. But if your hamper is already staging a rebellion, this is also a particularly good week to consider outsourcing it. A laundry pick-up and delivery service means you can keep your machines off, send the laundry out, and focus your energy on the far more important summer task of staying somewhere near a fan.
Don’t Let Sweaty Clothes Become Tomorrow’s Problem
Heat waves have a special ability to make every outfit feel like workout clothes. A walk around the neighborhood, afternoon errands, or simply existing outside for five minutes can leave clothing noticeably sweatier than usual. Add actual exercise, sports, outdoor jobs, and summer activities, and your household can suddenly generate a lot more laundry than it does during cooler months.
The temptation is to throw everything into the hamper and deal with it later, but damp clothing benefits from being allowed to dry rather than remaining crumpled in a pile. Moisture trapped in sweaty clothes and towels can contribute to unpleasant odors, particularly when everything is packed together. Giving damp items some air before they enter the laundry pile can make summer laundry considerably less funky when wash day finally arrives.
Sunscreen Belongs on You, Not Forever on Your Clothes
Sunscreen is non-negotiable during sunny summer days, but your favorite white shirt may have some complaints. Sunscreens, lotions, body oils, deodorants, and sweat can all end up on collars, sleeves, swimsuits, towels, and other fabrics. Combined with more frequent wear and washing, summer can be surprisingly demanding on your wardrobe.
The solution isn’t necessarily to attack every load with extra detergent. Using too much detergent can leave residue behind when it isn’t rinsed away effectively, so more isn’t automatically better. Paying attention to garment care instructions and treating noticeable stains appropriately can help your favorite summer clothes survive the season looking considerably better than they might otherwise.
Survive the Heat Wave With Sparklean Laundry
At Sparklean Laundry, we’re happy to take one hot, repetitive chore completely off your summer schedule. Our convenient laundry pick-up and delivery service handles the washing, drying, folding, pick-up, and delivery, so your household can keep enjoying fresh laundry without spending the hottest days of summer running load after load.
Whether your hamper is overflowing with sweaty clothes, your beach towels have officially taken over, or you’re simply refusing to spend another hot afternoon doing laundry, Sparklean is ready to help.
Learn more about our residential laundry services or book your first pick-up today, and consider laundry officially removed from your heat wave survival plan.