The weekend is here at last! Time to relax with a book or spend time with friends and family. Maybe host a party or go on a weekend getaway. Or your favorite -- spend the weekend doing laundry! When making weekend plans, the last thing anyone looks forward to is spending an entire Saturday at the laundromat. But with a few tips, that weekly trip can go quickly and easily so you can get back to having fun.

Save Time

To take back a few precious minutes, sort your clothes before you get to the laundromat. When you arrive, simply toss your pre-sorted clothes in the washing machines. Then toss in a pod of laundry detergent, which is much easier to carry than a huge detergent jug, put in a few quarters from your always-on-hand stash and you're all set! That quick routine saved you at least five minutes of sorting, detergent measuring, and change making. Another huge time saver is cleaning out the lint trap on the dryer. Full lint traps can make drying your towels an endless chore, but with clear ones, your towels will dry in a snap.

Save Your Clothes

Make sure that someone else's laundry mistake doesn't ruin your clothes. Before putting your clothes in the washer, give it a quick sniff test. If you smell bleach, try another machine. You wouldn't want leftover bleach from another person's load to ruin your favorite pair of jeans. It's also a good idea to pour a bit of vinegar in with your load of clothes. It'll leave your clothes smelling fresh and repel any odors left from the last person's load of clothes. Before you put your clothes in the dryer, take a quick peek inside. A sock left behind won't hurt anything, but a tube of lip balm could leave your favorite outfit a grease-spattered mess.

Multi-Task

While your clothes are in the washer or dryer, run all those little errands that tend to pile up. Go to the post office, return those library books, or make a quick trip to the grocery store. To make the weekly laundry trip something to look forward to, ask a friend to meet you for coffee. Just be sure to leave behind a laundry basket or mesh bag in case your cycle ends before you return. That way, other customers have a place to put your dry clothes so they can use the machines.

For a local laundromat, try City Laundry or do an online search.