Laundry day is only fun for a tiny population of humans. If you're responsible for doing laundry for your family, this activity may turn into more of an ordeal.
Endless clothes sorting, crumpled outfits which need to be ironed and stains which refuse to come out are enough to bring the most hardy laundry warrior to tears. But with these great hacks, struggles on laundry day will be a thing of the past.
1. Pre-sort bins
To save time on laundry sorting, have a permanent position by the washing machine where you can set up three baskets for pre-sorting.
Label them so it's easier for children or visitors to know where to put their dirty clothes. It eliminates one step which can otherwise take ages on laundry day.
2. Eliminate grease stains using this easy method
Are you using detergent to remove stubborn grease stains? Just use white chalk instead. Simply rub it onto the stain and wait for a few minutes.
Repeat this a few more times until the stain has faded before tossing it into the wash. Baby powder will work as well for this. Both substances are also known to remove lipstick stains.
3. Keep socks in mesh laundry bags
Somewhere in your house, there is a colony of missing socks trying to find their partners. To prevent your socks from going missing, mixed up, or just wasting time, trust us and purchase a mesh laundry bag.
You can find them in your local Target or most department stores. Have each member of your household keep one of these bags in their closet for their dirty socks. When laundry day arrives, simply pop them in the wash like normal and in the dryer afterwards.
The lingerie bags can even save you from sorting out the socks afterwards. Simply unload them into your sock drawer when they clean. This method works for stuffed animals as well.
*Side note - these are amazing for washing LEGO in.
4. Save money on detergent and fabric softener
Doing laundry every week is not cheap, especially if you're doing this for people other than yourself. Save money on buying overpriced detergents and dangerous fabric softeners by simply making your own.
They're easy to make, cost a fraction of the price and last much longer.
5. Dissolve ink stains with hairspray and hand sanitizer
Want to know the secret to removing ink stains? It's alcohol. Any substance containing ethanol will probably be effective at getting those dreaded pen marks off.
Hairspray and hand sanitizer are preferred though because they won't destroy your clothes with frequent use. Simply lay your clothing out and liberally spray it with either hairspray or hand sanitizer. Let your clothes soak in the products for about ten minutes and toss them into the washer.
6. "De-shrink" clothes with hair conditioner
Shrunken clothes happen to the best of us. Tossing that special dress in with the bedsheet may be done in a hurry but could have some lasting effects.
To "de-shrink" your clothes, soak them in a bucket with a dollop of rinse-out hair conditioner. Leave it in for 15 minutes before laying it out on a flat surface. After the clothing has relaxed to its regular size, lightly hand-wash it in cold water to remove the conditioner stains.
7. Give clothing a good shake before drying
Before tossing your clothing into the dryer, give each outfit a shake. This will reduce wrinkles and will ensure that none of the clothes are folded back on themselves. It also reduces the chances of ending up with tangled, damp clothes which have to be dried again.
8. Steam your clothes in the dryer
If you're in a hurry and you need that one outfit or you simply aren't up for ironing, you can easily use your dryer to straighten out wrinkled clothing.
The hack? Put a moist wash cloth in the dryer with your wrinkled clothing and switch it on. In a few minutes, your clothing will be fresh and wrinkle free. Adding the moist wash cloth effectively steams your clothes in the dryer.
9. Whiten clothes with baking soda
Bleach is known for its stain-removing effects. But it also destroys clothing, breaking down the color and tearing away at the material. It can also hurt children's sensitive skin.
To whiten your clothes, skip the bleach and pick up the baking soda instead. Add a cup of baking soda directly to your laundry, not in the dispenser. It'll make your clothes whiter in a safer way.
10. Use aluminium for your drying sheets
Don't bother buying anymore drying sheets after reading this hack. Save your dollars and treat yourself instead.
When drying your clothing, tightly ball up a piece of aluminium foil into the size of a small hand and toss it into the dryer. The aluminium will remove the static from your clothing and can be reused as many times as you want for up to six months.
