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| I think the laundry fairy must have come… |
The following are a few tips shared from a survey I've been working with others on. Maybe something in the list will help you do your laundry better?
Pre-Treating & Stains
1. Soak your socks in oxi-clean or bleach to keep them from looking dirty.
2. If clothes have blood in them, soak in cold water to get it out.
3. Alcohol can get blood out of things you cannot wash or don't like to wash frequently – like bedspreads and cloth furniture.
4. For stubborn stains, squeeze lemon-juice on it and place it in the sun for a bit before washing.
5. Use a toothbrush when pre-treating stains to get the product into the clothing material and the stain out of it.
6. For white clothes, put bleach on the stain and let it sit prior to washing.
7. Remove grease with chalk sticks.
For Smells
8. Use white vinegar to clean the Washing Machine tub between washes.
9. Bleach also works for cleaning the machine between washes.
Sorting
10. Empty ALL pockets! Tissue lint can really create a mess! (As can pen ink and crayons!)
11. Use different hampers to sort clothes into lights, darks, and whites.
12. Wash your really dirty clothes separate from the rest of your clothes.
13. You may consider separating your clothes by fabric type – keeping towels and linens in loads separate from regular clothes and/or washing synthetic and cotton fabrics separate from one another.
14. If not using a laundry bag for delicates, hook bra clasps together so they don't get hung on other clothing or twisted up too much.
15. Flip clothes inside out before washing to maintain color and keep decorative clothing from ruining in the wash.
16. Separate delicates and work clothing from other clothing to keep them looking their best and lasting for a long time.
17. If you have a pet, consider using a lint roller on your clothing prior to putting it in the wash to get extra dog hair off of clothes, towels, blankets, etc… and keep it from spreading from one item to the next.
18. Place socks in a laundry bag so they are easier to match later.
Jeans
19. Only wash jeans with other jeans to maintain their color and make them last longer.
20. Button your jeans to keep the button from banging on the side of the washer or dryer.
21. Wash jeans in cold water and add a bit of vinegar to maintain color.
Washing
22. Put the detergent in the tub before the clothes in order to get them cleaned more thoroughly.
23. Use more detergent than is called for to get your items sparkly clean.
24. Dishwasher detergent will get your whites super bright, and clean deodorant and oils from clothing.
25. Wash bathroom rugs on the shortest cycle so it uses less water. They don't need to be as clean as other things.
26. Add baking soda to the wash to make your towels extra fluffy!
27. Hand-wash intimates and dry clean items or use the delicate cycle on your washing machine with only one or two items in it, depending on your comfort level.
28. Wash delicates in cold water so that they maintain their shape.
29. Consider stopping the wash mid-cycle after it agitates for a bit and there are bubbles so that it can sit and soak for some time before resuming the wash to get really dirty clothing cleaner.
Drying
30. Never allow clothes to completely dry in the dryer. Pull them out and let them finish by air drying.
31. Use a tennis ball in the dryer to get your clothing to come out fluffy!
32. Always open up clothes fully when moving them from the washer to dryer so that they dry faster.
33. You will also be able to see if any stains have been removed, and if not you can rewash them right away rather than having the stain set in the dryer.
33. You will also be able to see if any stains have been removed, and if not you can rewash them right away rather than having the stain set in the dryer.
34. To dry clothing faster, throw a dry, clean towel in with the rest of the load.
35. If you spread your jeans and towels out between multiple loads, your clothing will dry faster.
36. Door knobs are great for hanging things on if you don't have a line-dryer inside or out.
37. If you do an extra spin cycle in the washing machine for heavier items like towels and jeans, they dry faster in the dryer.
38. Line drying will provide a fresh outdoor scent.
39. Flip clothes inside out when line drying to keep pollen from showing on your clothes.
40. After line drying, put clothes in the dryer to get any stiffness out.
41. Use a used dryer sheet to help get all of the gunk out of the lint screen. It seems to attract the lint and the screen come clean easier.
Dealing with Wrinkles
42. Steam your clothes by hanging them in the bathroom while you shower.
43. Throw a wrinkly shirt in the dryer with a wet washcloth to get the wrinkles out.
Folding/Hanging
44. Fold clothes as you remove them from the dryer to save time when putting them away.
45. Hang nice shirts and dresses immediately out of the dryer so that they are easier to iron later.
46. Put dryer sheets in your drawers so that your clothes always have a fresh out-of-the-dryer smell.
Saving Energy & Money
47. Do laundry at night and in the early morning so that the house doesn't get so hot.
48. Using cold water when washing is better for the environment.
49. Hang, line, or air dry clothing to save on electricity.
50. Make your own laundry detergent using Borax, Fels Naptha Laundry Soap, and Washing Soda.
Did you learn anything new from this list? Will you be trying something different the next time you do laundry?
