21 Handy Laundry Tips to Make Laundry Suck Less

Laundry, the bane of every person’s existence!

But fear not, dear reader, for we have come to the rescue with tips that will make laundry suck less.

That’s right, you heard it here first, folks. No more tears, no more frustration, and no more socks that disappear into the depths of the dryer.

With these practical tips, you’ll be doing laundry like a pro in no time.

So, grab your detergent and let’s get started on this exciting journey to make laundry suck less. We guarantee that by the end of this, you’ll be saying, “Laundry day? Bring it on!”

These laundry tips and tricks make the laundry process so much easier. There are hacks for saving time, saving money, getting organized, and getting cleaner laundry. Learn about washing, removing stains, drying, and folding. There's even an idea for all that lint. #laundry #laundrytips #momhacks #cleaningtricks — Pin it for later!

Prevent Colors From Running

Vinegar can help to set the colors in your clothes to prevent running.

To prevent dyes from running, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the washer with each load of laundry.

Wash with cold water and avoid fabric softener. Fabric softener can make colors bleed.

Alternatively, you can use a product like Shout ColorCatcher to lock up loose dye in the washer so it doesn’t transfer to other items. This saves time by eliminating the need for sorting laundry by color.

Wash Socks In A Laundry Bag

By using a laundry bag for your socks, you can ensure they stay in good condition and are easier to sort and organize. This can save you time and money in the long run, as you won’t have to replace damaged or lost items as often.

Washing socks in a laundry bag has several benefits:

Keeps socks together: Laundry bags keep socks together, so you don’t have to search through the whole load of laundry to find missing socks.

Prevents damage to washing machine: Small items like socks can get caught in the drum or the pump of a washing machine, causing damage. Laundry bags prevent this.

Easier to sort: Using laundry bags for socks makes it easier to sort them by color or wash cycle, reducing the chance of colors bleeding onto each other.

Make Your Own Lint Bin

Dryer filters should be cleared of lint after each drying cycle to prevent fire and help your dryer run more efficiently. That fluffy dust can easily make a mess all over the room. Create a lint bucket that you can put right next to the dryer to contain all of the lint.

A mini trash can like this one will do the trick.

Dewrinkle

If your clothes have been sitting in the dryer without being folded, toss in a wet washcloth and run another dry cycle. The steam from the wet washcloth will remove the wrinkles in the rest of the clothes.

Remove Mildew From Towels

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to remove mildew from towels:

Fill a washing machine with warm water and add 1 cup of white vinegar.
Add the mildewed towels to the machine and let soak for 30 minutes.
Wash the towels using the hottest water safe for the fabric type, and add 1 cup of baking soda to the wash cycle.
Dry the towels in the sun if possible, as the sun can help to kill mildew spores.
Repeat the process if necessary.

Fluff Your Laundry

To fluff up your laundry using tennis balls, simply add 2-3 clean tennis balls to the dryer along with the clothes. The balls will bounce around with the clothes and help to separate them, which will fluff up the fabric and prevent clothes from becoming too compact. This works especially well for items like down jackets, comforters, and pillows.

Tennis balls also keep sheets from rolling up into a ball in the dryer so they dry faster.

Devise a Family Laundry System

Coming up with a system that works for your specific situation might take some trial and error.

Do you want to do all the laundry together on one day or spread it out across the week?

Do you want to mix everyone’s clothes together and sort by colors? Or wash each person’s clothes alone so they can go right back to their bedroom?

Figure out what works for you and then stick to it to reduce laundry stress.

Have the kids help. By ages 2-3 they can put their dirty laundry in the laundry basket. Ages 4-6 kids can sort laundry and put away their clothes. Children ages 7-9 can folding laundry. By age 10, children can do laundry on their own.

Clean Your Iron

Certain fabrics and starch sprays can melt right onto the bottom of your iron making it hard to slide.

Here’s a simple tutorial on how to clean your iron:

Unplug the iron and allow it to cool completely.
Fill the iron with water and turn it on to its highest heat setting to produce steam.
Iron over an old cloth or paper towel until the water has been steamed out.
Turn off the heat and let the iron cool again.
Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle.
Spray the solution onto the iron’s soleplate, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Wipe the soleplate clean with a soft cloth, using gentle circular motions to remove any stubborn deposits.
Repeat the process if necessary, until the soleplate is completely clean.
Fill the iron with water and turn it on to its highest heat setting to steam out any remaining vinegar.
Wipe the soleplate with a clean cloth, and let the iron cool completely before storing it.

DIY Wrinkle Releaser Spray

Here’s a simple recipe for a natural wrinkle releaser spray for laundry:

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon hair conditioner
10 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

In a large spray bottle, mix the water and vinegar.
Add the essential oil if desired and shake to combine.
Spray the solution onto the wrinkled areas of your clothes, being careful not to soak the fabric.
Use your hands to smooth out the wrinkles and then hang or lay flat to air dry.
Store the remaining solution in a cool, dry place for future use.

Make Your Own Dryer Sheets

Disposable dryer sheets are so wasteful. Luckily, you can make your own eco-friendly version that can be used over and over. They are also free of toxic chemicals.

To make your own dryer sheets, you can use the following simple method:

Cut a cloth: Cut a cloth, such as an old t-shirt or a piece of flannel, into squares about 8 inches by 8 inches.
Saturate with solution: In a bowl, mix equal parts water and white vinegar. Soak the cloth squares in the solution.
Dry: Squeeze out the excess liquid and lay the cloth squares flat to air dry or put them in the dryer on low heat for a few minutes.
Store: Store the dry cloth squares in a container or plastic bag for later use.
Use: To use, simply throw a cloth square in the dryer with your wet clothes. The cloth will help soften the clothes and reduce static, just like a commercial dryer sheet.

Remove Excess Dye From Jeans

Some jeans rub off excess dye onto everything even after being washed a few times. Instead of turning your hands, shirt, and shoes blue each time you wear your favorite pants, remove that excess dye and set the color for good.

To remove excess dye from jeans, try the following steps:

Fill a sink or basin with cool water: Fill a sink or basin with cool water and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar or salt.
Soak the jeans: Soak the jeans in the solution for 15-30 minutes.
Check the color: After soaking, check the color of the jeans to see if the excess dye has been removed.
Wash the jeans: If the excess dye has been removed, wash the jeans in a washing machine with cold water.
Repeat if necessary: If the excess dye has not been removed, repeat the soaking process until the desired results are achieved.
Dry the jeans: Dry the jeans in a dryer or air dry them.

Hang A Laundry Stain Removal Guide

This handy chart has tips for removing all kinds of stains. It is magnetic so you can slap it right on your washing machine for easy reference.

Buy A Laundry Ball

These Non-Detergent Laundry Balls from SmartKlean organically wash and soften fabric. They are antibacterial to remove germs. The laundry balls are better for the planet because they use less water and don’t contain chemicals. That also makes them great for people with sensitive skin and detergent allergies.

You’ll never need to buy and lug around heavy bottles of laundry detergent again. For about $30, one ball does 1500 loads.

Unshrink Your Clothes

Here’s a simple tutorial on how to unshrink clothes that have shrunk in the dryer:

Fill a large sink or basin with lukewarm water and add a capful of fabric softener or a teaspoon of baby shampoo.
Place the shrunken clothing item in the water, making sure it is fully immersed.
Let it soak for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the severity of the shrinkage.
Gently stretch the garment to its original shape and size, being careful not to tear the fabric.
Remove the item from the water and gently squeeze out excess water. Do not wring the garment, as this can cause more shrinkage.
Lay the garment flat on a clean towel and shape it to its original size and shape.
Roll up the towel and gently press to remove any excess water.
Hang or lay flat to air dry, being careful not to stretch the fabric as it dries.

This method is suitable for most types of fabrics, including wool, cotton, and silk.

Reduce Static Cling

Toss a couple balls of crumpled aluminum foil in the dryer to reduce static cling without using a dryer sheet.

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

Here’s a simple recipe for homemade laundry detergent:

Ingredients:

1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup of grated bar soap (e.g. castile soap)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix together the borax, washing soda, and grated soap.
Stir until the mixture is well combined and the soap has dissolved.
Store the detergent in an airtight container.
Use 2 tablespoons of the detergent per load of laundry.

The cost per load of the homemade laundry detergent will depend on the cost of the ingredients in your area and the size of the load. Here’s a rough estimate based on average prices:

Borax: $5-$10 for a 76oz box, costing approximately $0.06-$0.13 per load.
Washing soda: $3-$5 for a 55oz box, costing approximately $0.05-$0.09 per load.
Grated soap: $3-$5 for a bar, costing approximately $0.03-$0.05 per load.

So, for the recipe given, the total cost for 2 tablespoons of the detergent per load would be approximately $0.14-$0.27 per load. This is much less expensive than commercial laundry detergents, which can cost $0.25-$0.50 or more per load.

Dry Clothes Faster

To make your clothes dry faster, toss a dry towel in the dryer with your wet clothes and run the dry cycle as usual. The towel will absorb excess water and cut drying time. This saves time and electricity.

A clogged lint filter can reduce air flow in the dryer and slow down drying time, so make sure to clean it after every use.

Wash Your Washer

Cleaning your washing machine might seem completely unnecessary, but you’ll be shocked how much nicer it looks and smells afterwards.

Here’s how to clean your washing machine:

Run an empty hot water cycle: Set the machine to the hottest and largest load setting, and let it run an empty cycle.
Use white vinegar: Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser and run a full cycle. The vinegar will help dissolve any residue and freshen up the machine.
Use baking soda: Sprinkle a cup of baking soda around the drum of the machine, and run a full cycle on hot water. The baking soda will help remove any lingering odors.
Clean the dispenser: Remove any buildup of detergent, fabric softener, or mineral deposits by cleaning the dispenser with a mixture of warm water and white vinegar.
Wipe down the exterior: Wipe down the exterior of the machine with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or grime.
Leave the lid open: After each use, leave the lid of the machine open to allow it to air out and prevent mold and mildew from growing.