With so much going on in a day, getting around to unloading the washing machine can fall to the the bottom of our to do list.
But there's always the risk that leaving your wet clothes in the machine will make them smell damp and disgusting.
So how long can you really leave them in there for before this happens?
Thankfully we now know the answer, as an expert from the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science has revealed the right amount of time - and the number might surprise you.
According to the expert, washing can be left for an entire day, between eight to 12 hours, before being hung up to dry.
And they're not the only ones who think this - Martha Stewart also agrees.
Speaking to Today she explained that it's not an issue to leave your washing in the machine overnight.
She said: "I would say that it's perfectly all right.
"I mean, don't leave it for a long time... don’t leave it for a week. If you get up in the morning and throw it in the dryer, it should probably be OK."
So how do you know whether you've left it too long and need to re-wash?
Simple, just trust your nose!
Stewart says: "One way you can kind of tell is if it smells all right.
"That mold and that bacteria that starts to grow on damp clothes and environments, that's very pungent."
Despite these words of advice, it's still a good idea to hang your washing up sooner rather than later if you can.
And even Stewart adds not "to make a habit" of having half-finished laundry.
However if you're concerned your washing smelling odd, a cleaning fan known as Mrs D recently shared her top tip for getting "beautiful" smelling clothes every time.
Posting on her Instagram account, Mrs D shared a tumble dryer sponge hack with her 27,000 followers.
She explained: "So I do not like tumble dryer sheets. They don’t smell the same, when you put the tumble dryer sheet in the tumble dryer and your clothes have finished drying, you can’t smell that scent of that tumble dryer on your clothes.
"I just find them completely pointless, they don’t do anything. This does."
She went on to show viewers exactly what it is she does.
Mrs D begins by taking a plastic container, which has a tight lid, so it can't leak.
She adds water to the container as well as two cap-fulls of her favourite fabric softener.
Then she pops a sponge in the liquid and allows it to soak for a while. She often buys a pack of two sponges, so she can alternate the soaking between doing laundry.
Once you're ready to put the clothes in the tumble, all you have to do is wring out the sponge, getting rid of excess liquid so it's not dripping, but is still damp.
She added: "Pop that into your tumble dryer with your clothes and I promise you your clothes are going to smell beautiful.
"Stay away from tumble dryer sheets they’re a waste of money, this will save you money."
