When it comes to laundry, we know a thing or two. Here’s a list of 101 of our laundry care favorite tips, tricks and hacks to help make getting the laundry done way easier.
1. What’s the secret to soft, fluffy towels? Vinegar and baking soda. Add these two ingredients to your load of towels plus half the recommended amount of detergent.
2. If you don’t have time to press your shirts/slacks simply hang them in your bathroom while you take a hot shower. The steam will help release the wrinkles from your garments.
3. Whoops! You’ve accidentally shrunk your favorite sweater. No worries – soak it in a solution of hair conditioner and warm water, then gently it back to it’s original size.
4. Rock salt stains on your slacks? Brush the pants with a soft hairbrush in a sweeping motion to remove dried rock salt, mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with 1 quart of warm water and sponge on any remaining salt stains. Let them air dry and then launder pants as usual.
5. Road salt can damage leather. To preserve your leather shoes, dip a clean, soft rage in a one-to-one solution of water and vinegar and wipe away the salt. You may need to do several times to get out all of the salt.
6. Skip the fabric softener and dryer sheets to make your towels last longer and more absorbent.
7. Vinegar and Baking Soda instead of detergent will revive your old towels.
8. Tennis balls in the dryer will decrease wrinkles in your bed linens.
9. Looking for a DIY bleach alternative? Sprinkle washing soda into the washer.
10. Add table salt to the wash to prevent colors from fading
11. Wash colors inside out to prevent fading over time.
12. Maintain the shape of your sweaters by laying them flat to dry as opposed to hanging them.
13. Reduce drying time by adding a towel to the dryer.
14. Freeze jeans once a month to kill odor causing bacteria.
15. Place aluminum foil under your ironing board cover to cut ironing time in half!
16. Squeeze a large lemon in with those workout clothes! It will break down oils trapped in fabrics & leave a clean fresh scent.
17. Wintertime can be harsh on your favorite leather shoes. Using saddle soap with a wet sponge in a circular motion will not only clean your leather, but keep them conditioned throughout those long winter months.
18. Adding 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar to your rinse cycle is a natural fabric softener.
19. Stinky Washer? Run your machine on hot with vinegar and baking soda to sanitize and remove odors.
20. Keep a piggy bank in your laundry room to collect all that spare change.
21. Running late? Hang your items in the bathroom while you shower to release wrinkles.
22. Swimsuit stretched out? Avoid the urge to wring out all of the water. Instead lay flat between towel and roll to remove excess water.
23. A little dish soap, a toothbrush, & some hot water do wonders for ring around the collar.
24. Trying to get a blood stain out? Use hydrogen peroxide and rinse well.
25. Did you shrink your favorite sweater? Try soaking it in lukewarm water & baby shampoo, work the material to relax the fibers while gently stretching.
26. Want to speed up dry time for your air dry item? Place it in a salad spinner to help remove excess water.
27. Make DIY Dryer balls by rolling aluminum foil into a ball and placing in the dryer.
28. Using a flat iron designed for hair can help take our minor wrinkles without pulling out your whole ironing set up.
29. Wash dark clothes and jeans inside out and air dry them to keep from fading.
30. Clean and sanitize your washer at least once per month.
31. You can save drawer space by rolling clothes instead of a traditional fold.
32. Save energy and time by throwing a dry towel into the dryer with your wet laundry.
33. Remove stubborn armpit stains with lemon juice and baking soda.
34. Use hot water for white loads, warm water for the average load, and cold water for bright colors.
35. Jeans can be washed every 3-5 wears to preserve their original size and integrity.
36. Too much detergent will leave towels stiff, use half the recommended amount to keep them fluffy.
37. Wash your socks in lingerie bags to ensure they’ll never lose their match.
38. Use chalk to eliminate grease or oily stains.
39. Add Borax to every wash to keep your whites, bright and your colors, colorful.
40. Standard detergents work best in warm/hot water so make sure to use a cold water formulated detergent for your cold water loads.
41. The best way to sanitize any garment is in really hot water with bleach.
42. Over drying clothes is the leading culprit of static cling. Always set your dryer to the recommender dry time.
43. Regularly cleaning your dryer filter not only prevents fires but also cuts dry time.
44. Always dry towels, comforters, sheets and other bulky items separate from your lightweight items.
45. Not a fan of bleach? Brighten whites instead by adding 1 cup of white vinegar oxygen booster lemon juice to the wash. Air-dry your clothes in the sun. You’ll have bright whites with a fresh, clean scent.
46. Make sure to clean off your dryer’s lint filter between every load.
47. Never over fill your dryer as this causes wrinkling and/or extended dry time. Most dryers max capacity is about 2/3 of the drum.
48. Prevent clothes from getting wrinkled by immediately removing them from the dryer when done.
49. Sort your clothes by color and fabric; like items should always be washed/dried with like items.
50. Some Dry Clean recommended clothing can be hand washed. But if the tag says Dry Clean Only it means Dry Clean Only!
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51. Chlorine based bleach is more aggressive than non chlorine bleach and sometimes can destroy fabrics. Always try the least aggressive first.
52. Hang pants by the cuff to allow better airflow and to keep them wrinkle-free.
53. Occasionally use a fan to circulate air through your closet; it will keep your clothes from becoming dusty.
54. Wash new clothes before wearing them to remove the pre-treated anti mold/antibacterial chemicals that were added during manufacturing.
55. Cold water and hand soap wash out blood stains.
56. Get rid of acrylic paint stains with some rubbing alcohol.
57. Add a tablespoon of ground pepper to your wash to help keep your clothing bright.
58. Next time you are folding sheets, place them inside the matching pillow cases. When its time to switch, you’ll already have a matching set.
59. Make your laundry process move quicker. Use a three hamper sorter to keep clothes sorted and ready to wash.
60. Naturally whiten your clothes. By using lemon juice and sunshine you can help them to be clean to smelling fresh.
61. To keep your black clothes dark, add 2 cups of brewed coffee or tea to your rinse cycle.
62. Add a 1/2 cup of mouthwash to your washer and run it through a cycle. It will help to disinfect your machine.
63. Pesky grass stains? Try removing it with vinegar.
64. Swimsuits should be rinsed in tap water, by hand, to remove the chemicals without damaging the spandex.
65. Air dry swimwear flat on a mesh drying rack or in a ventilated area.
66. To make ironing easier, start with a damp garment.
67. If you find that you’ve gotten a makeup stain on your clothing, try removing it with some shaving cream.
68. Whiten whites with a touch of lemon juice and sunlight.
69. Do not dry swimwear in a dryer because the high heat damages the spandex.
70. If you see any oil or lotion stains on swimwear, remove with baking soda or vinegar. Apply directly to the stain and allow to soak; then proceed to wash by hand.
71. Do not wring out a swimsuit as the material can stretch.
72. To remove mud from clothing, allow the mud to dry thoroughly before washing.
73. Red wine stain? Try combating it with white wine.
74. Once mud is completely dried on an item, shake off excess dirt.
75. Spot treat set in dirt stains with a brush and dish soap on both sides of the fabric.
76. Blot dirt covered garments with rubbing alcohol and a sponge.
77. For mud and dirt stains; once you remove all loose dirt, stain treated any set in dirt, then wash the item according to the care tag.
78. Use a dry erase marker on your washer to keep items organized.
79. Distilled white vinegar is a softener, wrinkle releaser, and odor reducer that should be used in every wash load.
80. To sort laundry correctly for optimal washing first make piles by color (lights, whites, brights, darks) then sort by fabric (synthetics, cotton, linen, other natural fibers).
81. Certain fabrics should ALWAYS be air-dried. These include synthetics like polyester and lycra as well as loose knit garments and wool. Bathing suits, bras and pantyhose all are examples.
82. Love a laundry scent on your clean garments? Gain Flings was voted number for fresh laundry smell. Looking for a light, hypoallergenic detergent scent? Try Persil Sensitive Skin for a great smell that’s gentle on your skin.
83. The best way to sanitize garments at home is with hot water, steam and chlorine based bleach.
84. Never lose a sock again by putting your dirties in a mesh laundry bag. Toss the bag in the washer/dryer and you’re guaranteed to never lose a mate.
85. Damp towels left in the washer? No problem! Wash them on a hot cycle with NO detergent, only half a cup of distilled vinegar plus baking soda. Repeat until the smelly mildew has been completely removed before drying.
86. The best defense to any stain is to treat as soon as possible. Keep a Tide-To-Go Stain Remover in your purse or vehicle for those “Oh-no!” moments.
87. Hang a dry erase board in your laundry area so that you can make notes on special care items.
88. Take old dryer sheets and place them in your drawers to help keep clothes smelling fresh.
89. Lay your sweaters flat to dry rather than on hangers. This will keep their shape.
90. Prevent tennis shoe bang by placing the laces in the door of the dryer or buy a sneaker dryer bag or air dry shoes.
91. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from hand washed and air dried items.
92. Remove gum from clothes by freezing it in your freezer.
93. Got grease stains? Just rub some chalk over it before the wash and it will get absorbed in the wash.
94. Rub hairspray or hand sanitizer to get rid of the worst ink stains.
95. For dirty school uniforms, process darks inside out on the gentle cycle with cold water to avoid removing the stitching from any patches or embroidered letters.
96. Soak dirt covered items in warm water, detergent, white vinegar and then rinse.
97. Periodically, use the long nozzle tip on your vacuum cleaner to remove the lint that collects below the lint screen in the lint screen slot of your clothes dryer.
98. Line drying clothes also saves energy and money on laundry! To keep line dried clothes from getting stiff, throw them in the dryer for just a few minutes before hanging them to dry.
99. You can reduce drying time and energy use by setting your timer carefully. Over-drying your clothes uses more energy than necessary, and shortens the life of the fabric.
100. Use less detergent to save money and make each bottle last longer.
101. To loosen a stuck zipper, rub a bar of soap over the teeth.
Do you have a tried and true laundry tip, trick or hack to share? Let us know your favorites in the comments.