Laundry is everyone’s favorite activity…okay not really. But laundry is one of those chores that simply must be done, like it or not. Since we all have to do laundry, might as well make the process a little less painful.

Laundry Tips for Cleaner and Fresher Results

• You can easily clean the inside of your washing machine by filling your machine with hot water, adding one cup of baking soda and letting your machine run without any clothes inside. Use vinegar in place of fabric softener, on the rinse cycle.
• Bring the life and freshness back to your towels by replacing your laundry detergent with a half cup of baking soda and add vinegar in place of your typical fabric softener on your rinse cycle.
• You can use baby powder on an oily stain by pouring powder on the stain and letting it sit overnight. (Rubbing an oil stain with white chalk can also work).
• Tossing your smelly old jeans in a zip lock bag and placing it in the freezer overnight can remove the odor.
• Say goodbye to lipstick stains by taking a piece of white bread and removing the crust. Then simply roll the bread into a ball and blot away the stain.
• Mix hot water and table salt to remove sweat stains. Simply blot the stain with a sponge and the salt water before washing.
• Use baking soda in place of bleach on your whites. Your clothes will come out just as white and last twice as long.

Laundry Tips to Save You Money

About 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes—by using less and cooler water. Unless you’re dealing with oily stains, the warm or cold water setting on your machine will generally do a good job of cleaning your clothes. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load’s energy use in half.

More Tips:

• Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
• Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
• Save money on dryer sheets by using a little fabric softener and a hand towel. Add the softener to the hand towel and let it dry. Then simply toss the towel in the dryer in place of a dryer sheet.
• Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
• Don’t over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
• Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
• Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.
• Consider air-drying clothes on clothes lines or drying racks. Air-drying is recommended by clothing manufacturers for some fabrics.
• Dry cleaning shortens the life of your clothes. Take fewer trips to the Dry Cleaner by spot treating your clothes whenever possible.
• Save big on your energy and water bill each month by upgrading to energy efficient laundry machines.

Other Handy Laundry Tips

• Try separating your clothes as you take them off. This will save you time later.
• Try washing your socks in a mesh garment bag. You won’t have to worry about losing socks this way.
• If static is an issue for you, try the aluminum foil method. Roll up a ball of aluminum foil and toss it into the dryer in place of a dryer sheet and static will be an issue of the past!

Happy Washing!

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