Back To School: Tips For Smoother Weekly Routine

A study estimates that school uniforms will cost parents £109 per child for the 2025/26 school year and will continue to rise, reaching £148 by 2030. Results from a poll highlighted that 76% of parents feel the cost of buying school uniforms and supplies puts a strain on their household budget.

“For parents, the start of the school year brings a different rhythm and routine but also a big demand on their household budgets,” says Salah Sun, Head of Product Management at Beko UK,a leading manufacturer of tumble dryers and other home appliances. “With uniforms to buy, long checklists and busy schedules to follow, parents need time and money saving strategies to help their households run like clockwork.”

Here, the experts at Beko offer tips to help parents refresh their term-time routines, to tackle uniform stains, stick to their household budgets and arrive at the school gates on-time. And whilst you might not get it spot-on each week; a solid routine will make it a lot easier.

Laundry Strategies to Keep Uniforms Looking Their Best

Keeping school uniforms looking their best whilst managing energy costs requires a well thought out strategy for washing and drying. Salah Sun explains, "Parents often underestimate how much proper laundry care can extend the life of school uniforms and reduce replacement costs. By using the right washing techniques and machine settings, you can keep uniforms looking new for much longer."

Tackle Tough Stains Before They Set

When it comes to the inevitable stains that come with school life, you need to act quickly. “For greasy spillages, white chalk is effective at absorbing grease before washing,” advises Salah Sun. “Simply rub chalk over the stain to absorb the grease, then wash as usual. For pen marks, soak the clothing item in cold water on the same day and apply stain remover before washing.”

Salah Sun offers a tip for common food stains on uniforms, "If your child comes home with food stains such as tomato sauce, dab with hydrogen peroxide as this acts as a mild bleach that can help restore whites."

Prevent Fading and Shrinkage

To keep uniforms looking crisp and avoid costly replacements, look on the clothing labels and you’ll find the correct washing temperature. Don’t exceed these temperatures, as this can cause shrinkage. Turn clothing inside out before washing to prevent friction damage and help colours last longer.

Salah Sun recommends, "Use colour catchers in your wash, especially with gingham dresses that combine white and coloured patterns. These can prevent white areas from developing a coloured tinge by half term."

Making Drying More Energy Efficient

Tumble dryers offer convenience for busy households by drying clothes quickly, especially useful in the damp UK weather. They can also help prevent mildew that can develop when laundry is air-dried indoors without proper ventilation.

When shopping for a new model, Salah Sun offers some advice, “Heat pump tumble dryers are a great choice because they dry clothes at a lower temperature, offering gentler care and better protection for your laundry. You’ll find that drying times are longer, compared to condenser tumble dryers, but heat pump tumble dryers offer great energy savings.”

For households managing multiple uniforms, Salah Sun suggests, "Fold uniforms as soon as they come out of the tumble dryer and leave them on top of the warm dryer to help remove creases naturally. By doing this you can reduce your time spent on ironing."

Weekly Organisation Systems to Reduce Morning Chaos

Creating systems for different weekday requirements can help limit the morning chaos in your household. One way to do this is by designating specific areas for gym kits, musical instruments, and other equipment needed on particular days.

"Prepare a weekly checklist showing what's needed each day and pin it somewhere visible," suggests Salah Sun. "Monday might be library books, Tuesday could be a swimming kit, Wednesday might require musical instruments. Having this visual reminder will prevent last minute scrambles that could make you late for school drop-offs."

"By encouraging children to hang up their uniforms and check their own bags, you can create independence and maybe even forget items less often," says Salah Sun. "These habits can help pave the ways for smoother school mornings."

Meal Prep Ahead of Busy Mornings

Preparing school lunches the evening before will save you precious minutes in the morning and reduce stress. On Sunday evenings, prepare sandwich fillings in batches and wash fruit and vegetables, storing them in labelled containers.

By making time to prepare homemade sandwiches and snacks you can save money too, compared with buying pre-packaged ready-to-go items from the supermarket. It will also allow you to control the ingredients and nutritional value more easily.

Salah Sun adds, "Batch cooking over your weekends and freezing portions can provide quick dinners throughout the busy week."

With some thoughtful preparation combined with a few tweaks to your laundry routine and organisation systems, your household will be running efficiently and acing the first term back to school.