Laundry Love

Laundry is a fact of life - let’s face it. But whereas, (for me at least), that satisfying sniff of freshly washed laundry is usually preceded by a lot of: “I wonder if I’m doing this right?” ruminating, this book gives a lot of insight into just HOW to do it right. And also: Why it’s better to actually wash clothes, including cashmere, other types of wool, and silks (that one I actually already knew! ;), than it is to take them to the dry cleaner, which is, he says, expensive, time consuming, toxic, and very hard on fabrics. And speaking of toxic, he gives all the reasons, and all the recipes for making your own non-toxic, gentle, and effective laundry detergent that’s better for you, your clothes, and the planet we live on. As an aside, I personally have never been a militant environmentalist for reasons of convenience, (selfish, I know), but in this book he gives you plenty of reasons to get on board. One of them being that you can easily scent your own (beautifully washed) clothes and bed linens just by putting a few drops of essential oils on wool dryer balls instead of using fabric softener. I haven’t used fabric softener for years since I read long ago about how it ruins your clothes AND your machines, and I’d already been using wool dryer balls for years with good results, but I hadn’t thought to personalize my laundry scent in that way, so THAT was a great tip! …And it’s just one of the many sort of life-changing how-tos that makes this book a kind of laundry bible for all of the formally semi-clueless bumblers like myself. And one that can actually turn a dreaded chore into a pleasant and satisfying part of life. I feel like “Laundry Love” might be to laundry in the 21st century what “The Joy Of Cooking” was to cooking in the 20th century. Revolutionary.

This is a beautifully written, joyful, inspiring book about my favorite subject - laundry. Patric Richardson's expertise and effervescent personality illuminates every page. Laundry Love distills his formal education in textiles, years of experience in fashion, and passion for clothing and cleanliness into a book that is just the right length. His methods are practical and he describes them concisely, with enough explanation of the science to be enlightening and helpful, but not so much that one gets bogged down in details. If something seems counterintuitive, he explains the reasoning behind it and makes it make perfect sense. Some fascinating history of laundry is included and even a little bit of poetry, which was a delightful surprise. I was a bit concerned before I read a book by an actual "laundry evangelist" that I would need to purchase a bunch of expensive tools and exotic potions in fancy bottles and spend additional hours doing laundry to follow his guidance, but that is not the case at all - using his methods will actually require far fewer products, all of them less expensive than what I'm currently using, and will take significantly less time. This book is so uplifting, informative, and enjoyable that I would recommend it to anyone, even someone who has no intention of ever doing any laundry. It's just that good.

How to do laundry efficiently and at lower cost than the normal methods

Pretty good book. An enjoyable, light read with laundry know-how and stories to go along with it. There are some parts that feel like filler. The back page lists Kain B. Miller as the "Coauthor", though we don't hear anything from her; it is written in the first-person of the topline author's voice (Richardson). The cover lists Miller as "with". She seems a named ghostwriter, but they made nice book.

This book offers great insights into laundry. Especially about what works for getting your laundry clean, not using the high priced stuff they are selling you in TV commercials (which is actually worse for your clothing). There is a section on stain removal. You can find what type of stain you need to remove and this will tell you the best way to remove the stain using common household items like vodka or white vinegar. This is a great present for any household.

The author shares his amazing knowledge on how to properly launder - which I never realized was a thing and apparently doing completely wrong! Like, how do we not learn these basics in life?!?! Not only is proper laundering WAY CHEAPER, but it takes LESS TIME as well 🤯 Listened to the audiobook (the author is adorable!) then purchased the hardback to keep forever as reference because there’s just so much great stuff in here! The hubs and I were both skeptical going in, but he explains the hows and why’s and it all makes so much sense. And he makes it low-key so it all feels very do-able. We made some immediate changes in my household (blueing, laundry soap, wool balls and spiky balls for dryer) and it’s made SUCH A DIFFERENCE! OMG y’all, I seriously can’t believe how excited I am over LAUNDRY 🤣😂 I’ve spoken with everyone I can about this the past few days and have my parents and four coworkers on board 😂 I could keep going on and on giving details because I’m so excited over this, but just READ IT! Or LISTEN! It’s life-changing laundry greatness✌️

Very well written book - who knew that laundry could be a fascinating subject?! Tons of practical advice and interesting information, presented with a lovely sense of humor. Bravo! I will be ordering this book as a gift for a few friends who will appreciate it.

I've been buying a lot more gently used clothing lately and that need a little more attention while washing. This book has been the perfect handbook for me! I gifted one to my sister as well, as she has a toddler and has spills and accidents. It is a great little handbook to keep in every laundry room and simple to reference pasges with a post it note or sit down and read.