7 Helpful Laundry Hacks You May Not Have Tried

While doing the laundry is an important household chore, it is not always something that many people like to do. These 7 Helpful Laundry Hacks You May Not Have Tried will help you save time and make doing the laundry a less daunting task! Some people get impatient waiting for the machine to finish washing their clothes, or they may find folding laundry a rather tedious task.

All the same, doing laundry is a chore you have to get around to if you don’t want to run out of clean clothes to wear. Fortunately, you can make it easier on yourself with the help of these simple laundry hacks, tips, and tricks. 

From pre-treating garments to improving your air-drying technique, here are 7 helpful laundry room hacks that you may not have tried that can help make this chore more manageable.

Pre-Soak Stinky Gym Clothes

Have you ever experienced your gym clothes smelling funny even after you have washed them? Clean laundry should not still smell! If so, try pre soaking them with laundry detergent before putting the garments in the washing machine. This laundry machine hack will work wonders and you won't have to worry about using dryer sheets or fabric softener to help them smell fresh. 

Put your workout clothes in a basin with cool water and half a cup of distilled white vinegar. Let the garments soak for at least an hour before washing them. The vinegar mixture helps remove unpleasant odors and breaks down sweat stains and detergent buildup, which can also contribute to the funky smell.

If your workout clothes feature stretchy materials - for example sports bras, women leggings, and socks - remember not to put these in the dryer after you have pre soaked and washed them. The heat can make the garments lose their elasticity and original shape. Instead, air-dry them after you’ve gone through the previous two steps.

Remove Stains Using Household Items

While you can easily buy stain removers in stores, many contain harsh cleaning chemicals that can cause unpleasant reactions in sensitive skin. One of our favorite easy laundry hacks is instead of using commercial stain removers, try making spot treatment solutions using common household items. Create a solution using one tablespoon of white vinegar, one tablespoon of dish soap, and two cups of water. Mix these all together and put them in a spray bottle for convenient spot treatment.

When removing stains, spray the affected part of the garment with the solution and rub it gently. Let the solution soak into the fabric for 15 minutes before you rinse it. Repeat this step as needed, then wash your clothes like you usually do.

Store Chalk in the Laundry Room

For nasty grease stains, the best remedy is chalk. Make sure you have a couple of sticks in your laundry room. Chalk is very absorbent and can effectively remove oily stains from clothes. The next time you get oil on your clothes, rub a bit of chalk on the greasy spot as soon as you can. Wait for the chalk to absorb the oil, and then wash the garment as you typically would.

Keep White Garments Bright

If your white garments are not as bright as when you first bought them, restore their brilliance using a liquid bluing solution. It provides a subtle blue tint to bring balance to your white clothes.

Alternatively, you can add a cup of distilled white vinegar or a cup of baking soda when washing your whites to help brighten them. Put either one of these natural whiteners into the washing machine drum or in the detergent dispenser. You should also hang your white clothes to dry out in the sun and take advantage of the sun’s natural whitening power.

Use Mesh Bags to Avoid Losing Socks

Are you tired of always losing one sock from the pair? One way to remedy this problem is to place all your socks into mesh bags before putting them in the washing machine. The net-like bags keep your socks organized while they take a tumble and at the same time get a good wash.

Hang a mesh bag near your hamper so that you can quickly put the socks in it after taking your clothes out. Then, zip this bag closed and put the whole bag of socks in the wash when it’s time to do the laundry. This strategy effectively reduces your sorting time, too.

Dy Clothes Faster with these laundry drying hacks

One of my favorite laundry tips to dry clothes faster is that if you want your clothes to dry more quickly, shake out any excess water before transferring them from the washer to the dryer. It helps open up the fabric so that it dries faster. This is a great and simple trick for how to get laundry done faster!

Another way to speed up drying time is to throw a dry towel into the dryer along with a load of damp clothes. The towel absorbs excess water, making your clothes dry faster. Just make sure to remove the towel after 15 minutes. Otherwise, it will get wet too and add to the moisture that needs to evaporate.

Remove Wrinkles with Ice - Place ice cubes in dryer

When you do not take clothes out of the dryer immediately, they can become wrinkled. If you do not have time to iron the wrinkles out, there is a quick solution. Place any wrinkled garments back in the dryer along with a few ice cubes in dryer and run a quick-drying cycle. Wait until the cycle is complete, and you’ll have wrinkle-free clothes. This laundry tip will save you time and help you avoid having to iron clothes!

Whether you’re tackling a small pile or a large pile of dirty clothes, a few adjustments to your laundry routine can make a lot of difference. Try any of these hacks on your next laundry day and be surprised about how much more pleasant it is to do!