Using a communal laundromat has some obvious challenges.  After a year and a half of dealing with the laundry monster via a laundromat, I’ve come away with some tricks up my sleeve.

Today I’m sharing 7 tips for using a laundromat.

1. Use a Timer. At times I’ve left laundry in the machines too long after the cycle was done. A timer (or phone reminder) is the perfect solution. That or a sticky note on your machine in case someone is waiting on your machine.
2. Clean the Machine. This may seem like overkill and it can be, but if a washer is noticeably grimy on top or inside the rim, I wipe it down with a dirty towel that has been soaped up. Towel goes in the wash and my clean clothes don’t get dirtied up when I take them out of the washer.
3. Avoid Bleach Machines. This is not pleasant but after having a load of darks ruined by a machine, I recommend it. To determine if the last load had bleach in the dispenser, simply smell. Avoid that machine or run your whites through it instead of your darks.
4. Fight Mold and Mildew. We do our best to let towels dry out between laundry days. At times I just can’t seem to stop the mildew smell from infecting our towels though. Adding 1/2 teaspoon of tea tree oil to the washer when towels are included helps to keep the mildew at bay.
5. Use a Detergent Pod. I switched over to the pods because I got tired of lugging my big detergent jug to the laundromat. I love them. Now I recognize these pods are more expensive, but I’m no longer using too much detergent and the convenience is pretty sweet.
6. Use or Make Color Catchers. To keep colors from bleeding on other clothing, I highly recommend Color Catchers. These are also handy when we have 1 1/2 loads of darks and only 1/2 load of whites, (we mix if necessary – I know – that’s a no-no!) You can buy Color Catchers or check out One Good Thing By Jillee and her instructions on how to make them yourself.
7. Keep Clothes Dry in the Rain. Unfortunately, laundry day doesn’t always fall on sunshiny days. For those days, bagging folded laundry in a garbage bag makes sense.

So those are my tips to tackling the laundromat. Any you care to add?

Living in a camper and prepping meals for a family of 6, has been an adventure.  If you’re faced with a small kitchen space, this post will help you not only survive, but thrive in a ridiculously small kitchen.

Today I’m sharing my favorite small kitchen tools and equipment to make that tiny kitchen more workable.

Ikea Butcher Block

I use this multiple times each and every day. If you’re an RVer, your sink likely came with an cutting board insert. Ours came with an insert but it wasn’t a cutting board, so we bought this from IKEA for $10. That’s right $10!

I place this over half the sink and it more than doubles my counter space.

Magnetic Knife Strip

Ditch the knife block and save your counter space. As a Fulltime RVer, I have NEVER had a knife fall when we’ve been driving. These nifty strips are strong, convenient and a space-saver.

Baskets

Keeping your smaller items contained in baskets is a perfect solution to reduce your cabinet clutter. I’m lucky enough have really narrow and deep cabinets, (note sarcasm).   These baskets not only contain smaller items but allow me slide my pantry goods OUT making them accessible.

Multipurpose Appliances.

I love a good yogurt maker and stand mixer as much as the next person.  However, if your space is limited there are many appliances you can ditch, (and you won’t even feel deprived). Think outside the box and get creative with how you prep your food.

The appliances I currently have:

coffee grinder
coffee maker
crockpot
immersion blender
bread maker
skillet
waffle iron
blendtec blender
toaster

Of my list of appliances the 3 that I’d classify as frivolous and specialty appliances are the waffle iron, bread maker, and toaster. Let’s address those space-wasters and why I’m keeping them.

I love my waffle iron and would like to be buried with it, or cremated…I’m not sure but I don’t want to part with it. Someday I’ll make cookies with it, or hash browns, or waffle bread. Then it will all be worth while and I can tout about how it’s multipurpose.

My bread maker has one foot out the door. I stopped buying bread for the kids and started making my sprouted whole wheat bread again.  I don’t want to fuss with my RV oven so I have the bread maker. It’s history once we replace our microwave with a convection oven/microwave combo. I promise – it’s almost gone.

My toaster is so not necessary, but we can fit it in the cabinet.  We don’t use it often and if we were even more pressed for space, we’d ditch it.

Appliances should pass some sort of test, (my test looks something like this)…

1. You can fit it comfortably in your small kitchen.
2. Multipurpose / Multifunction.
3. Very useful.

My FAVORITE multipurpose appliance is my immersion blender.  I use that baby to blend up black beans for Black Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies, make whipped cream, Tangy Italian Salad Dressing, or my Low Carb High Protein Pancakes (and more odd jobs).

Final thought on this – I highly recommend keeping the appliances you use.

You need to decide which appliances are worth the space they take up in your small kitchen.

Lazy Susans

These are perfect for smaller cabinets to make sauces and condiments more accessible. Instead of stocking a cabinet full and having a jumbled mess, lazy susans keep everything at hand’s reach with a simple spin.

Collapsible or Nesting

Space is prime real estate and this only makes sense.  Salad spinners, collanders, bowls, measuring cups, even funnels.  There are many collapsible items available.

Drying Mat

This little puppy cost all of $4 and it saves space in comparison to a regular metal or plastic drying rack.

If you’re in a tiny kitchen, your standard drying rack gobbles up sink, counter, or cabinet space.  A drying mat serves our purposes well.

 

Cabinet Hooks

My last recommended tool is a simple one, cabinet hooks.

These are so convenient and slip right over the edge of a standard cabinet door. We use ours for hanging our drying rack in the kitchen to dry, (and to hang my purse, and towels in the closets/bathroom).

 

So that is my list of  Small Kitchen Tools & Equipment Must Haves.  If you have any you’d like to recommend, I’d love to hear it!