Laundry — it’s one of those inevitable chores that can seem to take forever to complete, especially if you have children. However, there are a bunch of tips and tricks out there that will make doing laundry easier and much more effective. Check ’em out!
1. Reverse The Shrink
There’s nothing worse than your favorite shirt shrinking once it’s gone through the dryer. If this happens, soak the item in question in baby shampoo for about 15 minutes. When the time’s up, wash as you normally would and the piece of clothing should go back to its original size
2. Distilled Vinegar
To clean your washing machine and cleanse your clothes of built-up residue, throw a cup of distilled vinegar in with your regular wash cycle. Distilled vinegar also works wonders at removing that damp mildew smell from towels.
3. Aspirin For Whites
Instead of bleaching your whites, throw a handful of Aspirin in with your next load of whites. The Aspirin will help to remove yellow sweat stains and brighten up all of your clothing.
4. DIY Dryer Sheets
All out of dryer sheets? No problem. Just make a few balls out of aluminum foil and throw them in the dryer with your clothes. They’ll take the static right out.
5. Preserve Baseball Caps
Baseball caps can become full of dirt and sweat, but washing them in the washing machine tends to damage their shape. To preserve their shape, simply wash them in the dishwasher before letting them air dry.
6. Towel Tip
If you’re air drying something and would like to speed up the process, hang a dry towel on either side of the item in question. This will make the garment dry far more quickly.
7. DIY Fabric Softener
Traditional fabric softeners can leave lots of residue on clothes, and their smell can be quite overwhelming. For a scent-free yet effective fabric softener, add 1/4 cup of baking soda and one cup of distilled vinegar to the final rinse cycle.
8. Cold Water Wash
When washing delicates and clothing with colors that tend to bleed, you should always wash with a cold water cycle. This will preserve your clothing and save you money on your next utility bill!
9. Less Is More
We tend to think that the more detergent we add to a wash, the cleaner the clothes will come out. However, adding more detergent only creates more residue on your clothing and in your washing machine. Adding more detergent tends to irritate our skin. There are plenty of washing chemicals, but it’s hard to choose the one that is most harmless and is a great grease remover. A win-win option will be to pick a mild detergent sheet. Laundry detergent sheets will leave your laundry fresh and stain-free without washing harmful chemicals down the drain.
10. Wrinkle-Free Drying
No one wants to spend time ironing when they’ve already dealt with the washing machine and the dryer. To avoid wrinkled clothing, remove clothes from the dryer the second the cycle is finished and either fold or hang them right away.
