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For many, doing laundry can feel like an endless cycle of washing, drying, and folding. It’s a time-consuming task that can quickly fill up the laundry basket, needing constant attention.
To help you make the most of your laundry routine, here are 16 tips to help you master it. From tackling tough stains to reducing the time you spend washing, these tips will make your laundry sessions a breeze.
Set a Designated Laundry Day
A steady laundry routine is key to maintaining a clean home. Choose a specific day each week for laundry to stay organized and do laundry. This will help to make your laundry sessions a bit more manageable.
Sort Laundry
Always sort and separate your laundry at the start of every wash. You can sort by color, texture, or material type. Sorting your laundry allows you to prevent darker colors from bleeding into lighter clothes. Separating also helps to preserve garment quality.
Incorporate Ice Cubes
A quick solution to de-wrinkling or ironing your clothes is incorporating ice cubes into the dryer. Simply toss one or two ice cubes with your wrinkled clothes into your dryer and set it to the warmest possible setting. The steam from the melting ice cubes will help reduce wrinkles and creasing.
DeWrinkle Clothes in the Shower
Another de-wrinkling solution is to simply hang your wrinkled clothes in the bathroom while taking a shower and allow the steam from the shower to release the wrinkles from your clothes.
Read Garment Labels
Make sure to read your garment care labels. Follow care instructions to ensure proper washing and extend the lifespan of your clothes.
Treat Stains Immediately
Act quickly and address stains on your clothes. Use a preferred liquid detergent or stain remover to prevent the stain from setting.
Related: 9 Secret Ways to Whiten Your Laundry Without Bleach
Wash Dark Clothes Inside Out
To maintain the vibrant color of your dark clothes, turn them inside out before placing them in the washing machine. This easy trick helps prevent fading.
Use the Right Temperature
For most laundry, the ideal washing temperature is warm. Warm water is suitable for washing colored clothes, regardless of fabric type or color intensity. Warm water offers a balance of effective cleaning while minimizing shrinking, wrinkling, and fading.
Handwash Delicate Fabrics
Some delicate materials like silk are best hand washed. You can hand wash your delicates in a sink or bucket filled with cold water and detergent. If you want the comfort of using your washing machine, put your delicates in a mesh bag and wash on a delicate wash cycle.
Remove Sweat Stains with Lemons
Use a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda to combat sweat stains before washing.
Related: How to Clean Thrift Store Clothes
Use a Mesh Bag for Socks
Constantly dealing with missing socks? Place your socks in a mesh bag before washing them to keep them organized and prevent loss.
Short Cycles Work
Unless your clothes are deeply stained, washing them on a lengthy cycle is unnecessary. The shortest, quick wash cycle will do just as well and help preserve your clothes for a lot longer.
Revive Old Towels
If your towels feel rough, vinegar and baking soda can help bring them back to life.
Switch to Wool Dryer Balls
Wool dryer balls speed up drying, soften clothes, and are chemical-free.
Related: How to Make Wool Dryer Balls
Tennis Balls Can Help
No wool dryer balls? Try a tennis ball instead. Tennis balls can help reduce wrinkles in your bed linens and clothes. Simply toss a tennis ball in your dryer. As the dryer spins, the tennis balls’ movement helps unwrinkle the fabrics and prevents them from tangling up together.
Use Vinegar as a Fabric Softener
Instead of using fabric softener in your laundry, opt for a natural alternative by adding a capful of vinegar to your washing machine to soften clothes.
How to Declutter Your Kitchen: 20 Items You Must Toss
The kitchen holds a special place in our homes, serving as a hub for cooking, meals, and gatherings. However, even though it’s the center of our daily lives, it’s easy for clutter, disarray, and items that have outstayed their welcome to accumulate in this space. Check out the 12 items in your kitchen that should be thrown away immediately.
How to Declutter Your Kitchen: 20 Items You Should Toss
10 Uses for Dryer Sheets You Probably Didn’t Know About (And It’s Not Laundry)
Dryer sheets have become essential laundry room staples, adding fresh scents and reducing static in our clothes. They’re appreciated for making laundry softer and more fragrant. But these sheets offer more than just laundry benefits. They can be quite handy around the house. Here are ten ways to use laundry sheets for more than just laundry.
Tamara White is the creator and founder of The Thrifty Apartment, a home decor and DIY blog that focuses on affordable and budget-friendly home decorating ideas and projects. Tamara documents her home improvement journey, love of thrifting, tips for space optimization, and creating beautiful spaces.
