20 Wildly Underrated Laundry Hacks You Need to Take Note of
Want to know the laundry hacks that everyone swears by? Here are 19 laundry hacks so good, you’ll never do it the same way again.
I don’t think people realize how much easier their lives could be if they knew these laundry hacks. These are the type of hacks that will make you wonder why no one ever mentioned them to you.
I mean some of them are so simple, but SO effective! I’m convinced that if everyone knew about these laundry hacks, they would actually be excited to do laundry.
Why no one teaches you how to do laundry the right way, I have no clue. But that’s exactly what this post is for – to teach you the life-changing laundry hacks that no one told you about – but totally should have.
You’re going to learn all of the best laundry hacks from laundry hacks smell, laundry hacks for whites, laundry hacks for busy people, and more.
By the time you’re done with this post, you’ll have everything you need to be a laundry pro. Sounds like not a big deal, but these laundry hacks will save you so much time, and sanity.
Once you try out these laundry hacks for yourself, you’ll never want to go back!
This post is all about the best laundry hacks that actually work.
The Best Laundry Hacks:
1. White vinegar + baking soda = stain fighters
I know I’m not the only one who has spent a frustrating amount of time trying to get stains out of my clothes. Even with a good stain remover that everyone swears by, it doesn’t always completely get rid of the stain (*sigh).
But crazy enough, the two most powerful stain fighters are probably items you already have in your house. Vinegar is a holy grail product for getting rid of sweat stains and underarm yellowing. Which, if you’ve had any experience with either, then you know they don’t just come out in the wash.
Then there is baking soda, which is the ultimate powerhouse for oily stains, which almost seem impossible to entirely get rid of… until now.
2. Dish soap for grease stains
Next time you have a load of laundry that has some grease stains, add a few drops of dish soap either into the wash, or on the actual stain itself. It’s crazy how well this works, and arguably better than your regular stain remover!
Dawn is honestly the best dish soap for this hack. I like to keep my products as clean and natural as possible, but super clean dish soaps unfortunately just don’t work as well as Dawn. 🤷♀️
3. Hydrogen peroxide + baking soda for whites
The secret to keeping your white clothes actually white (especially when you’ve had them for several years) is to add hydrogen peroxide and baking soda into your whites load.
Now, do not add this combo in every time you do whites! It’s super strong, so it will break down the fabrics of your clothes if you use it too much.
So, use it sparingly! Every once in a while, I’m talking about once every three months or so should be enough to keep your whites bright and looking brand new.
4. Vinegar instead of fabric softener
Instead of buying a fabric softener, use vinegar instead! It’s a much more natural way to give your clothes that super soft feel. It will also reduce static and keep towels absorbent.
It’s a great booster to use in your washes to make sure everything feels as soft and luxurious as it was when you first got it.
Also, this hack is a lot more cost-effective than using a normal fabric softener. 😉
5. Essential oils on wool dryer balls
You can toss out your dryer sheets, because you’re not going to need them after trying out this laundry hack. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (lavender and santal always smell super luxurious) ton your dryer balls for fresh-smelling laundry.
Your clothes will never smell better! And, it’s so much less wasteful than going through tons of dryer sheets whenever you’re doing laundry.
6. Baking soda in the wash
If you’re wondering how to get that stingy smell out of your sweaty gym clothes, I have the answer for you: baking soda! You will seriously never have to worry about that stinky smell not coming out of your clothes.
Baking soda is a great natural deodorizer. So just like you can use it around the house for cleaning, it’s also a great ingredient to add to a load of laundry when you need to get rid of any bad smells or odors.
7. Throw the laundry cap in the washer
Hear me out with this one. Whenever you’re pouring your laundry detergent into the cap to measure it out, doesn’t it normally get the cap all gooey and makes a mess? If your answer is no, then you’re amazing and I don’t know how you do it.
But if your answer is yes, a super easy way to get rid of this problem is just to throw the laundry detergent cap into the washer. It’s totally fine to do and when your load is done, you can just take the cap out of the washer and it will be all clean.
This is also a good way to make sure you’re getting all of the detergent out of the cap and into the wash.
8. Mesh laundry bags for socks & delicates
Let’s face it… our washers eat our socks. Not literally, but they do get stuck in the lining of our washers a lot of times, and then we wonder why we are left with individual socks that don’t have a partner.
An easy way to avoid this all together is just to put your socks, underwear, and any small or delicate items in mesh laundry bags. It will keep your smaller items from disappearing and make sure that any delicates don’t get snagged in the washer or dryer.
9. Color-coded hampers
This is the hamper I currently have in my laundry room, and while it’s a little pricey, it’s definitely worth it for the quality and convenience. It fits perfectly in between the narrow space between my washer and dryer.
And the best part – it has a divider down the middle so you can easily separate your whites and darks without having to sift through all your stanky clothes before putting them in the wash.
It’s also really good quality (you can just tell by the way it looks) so you know it’s sturdy and will last you for years and years without having to worry about it falling apart on you.
Honestly, it’s so worth it to buy something once and spend a little more money the first time, than to have to replace something because you opted for the cheap version (one of my adult realizations haha).
10. Dry erase marker on washer/dryer
This one is super helpful, especially if you’re living with other people. Keep a small dry erase board next to the washer and dryer, or you can just write with a white board marker right into the washer and dryer if you wanted, so you have a spot to write down notes and reminders like “Don’t dry this shirt.”
That way you don’t accidentally make the mistake of putting something in the wash or dryer that shouldn’t have gone in there. It will just make your life easier.
11. Tennis balls or dryer balls for faster drying
Dryer balls actually speed up the drying time of your clothes so much! It’s kind of crazy. Apparently, tennis balls work the same way.
Dryer balls will also help to fluff your clothes up in the dryer (I mean, who doesn’t want fluffy clothes?) and prevent clumping when you’re drying bedding so you don’t have to constantly move around and separate your bedding just to make it dry thoroughly.
12. Ice cubes in the dryer = wrinkle release
This is one of those hacks that you didn’t know you needed. If you need a quick way to get some wrinkles out of your clothes, pop them in the dryer with 2-3 ice cubes and run a quick cycle.
It seems weird, but it really does work! And instead of being frustrated that the dryer isn’t doing its job and getting the wrinkles out, you’ll be left with clothes that actually look like you took the time to steam or iron them.
13. Fold straight from the dryer
I know, no one wants to actually take their clothes out of the dryer right when they finish and fold them right then and there. But, if you want clothes that don’t get wrinkled, this is the best way to do it!
Set a timer when you put your clothes in the dryer so you know exactly when they’re done. You can even make it into a game and see how quickly you can fold your load of laundry and put it away. Sounds silly, but it’s more fun that way. 😉
14. Zip zippers & tie strings before washing
This is a big one that a lot of people forget! But it’s such a life saver when it comes to preventing tangling and stretching. It’s worth it to take a few extra minutes to zip your zippers and tie your strings before throwing those clothes into the wash.
It will also make sure your clothes don’t get stretched (which we defiantly don’t want).
Or better yet, do it before throwing them into the laundry hamper so you don’t have to think twice about it and go through all of your clothes before putting them in the wash.
15. Hand-wash mode on your machine
This one kind of depends on what type of washer you have. But if your washer does have a “hand wash” mode, it will save you from having to take a lot of clothes into the dry cleaner because their too delicate for a normal cycle.
16. Shave pills off sweaters with a razor
If there is one thing that makes clothes look a lot older than they are, it’s when they start to pill. You can use a regular razor (just be super careful), or better yet, a fabric shaver to make your clothes look brand new.
And let’s be honest, no one wants to wear clothes that have a ton of lint or fabric pilling on them.
17. Aluminum foil ball in the dryer
Aluminum foil is a game changer when it comes to keeping items from getting staticky in the dryer. If you don’t have dryer balls or dryer sheets, try wrapping aluminum foil around a tennis ball (or something similar). It really does work in a pinch!
18. Freezer refresh
This sounds weird, but freezing your clothes in between washes actually helps to get rid of the bacteria that causes them to smell.
It will also help you from washing items too much just to try to mask the odor. Definitely put your clothes in a zip lock bag before putting them in the freezer. You definitely don’t want your gym clothes to touch any of your food haha.
19. Salt to preserve colors
Salt is a super good agent for locking in colors. So for the first couple of washes for your new clothes, add a tablespoon of salt in to make sure all of the dye stays in the clothes.
This will also keep your clothes from fading faster and bleeding into other clothes when you wash them.
20. Scent booster for lasting smell
A scent booster is the best way to make your clothes smell so good, that people are stopping you left and right and asking what perfume you’re wearing, when it’s really just your clothes.
A good laundry detergent will of course make your clothes smell fresh, but a booster will keep them smelling irresistible until their next wash.
It’s definitely not a necessary step, but once you try a good scent booster, you’ll wonder why you went so long without using one.
This post was all about the best laundry hacks that actually work.
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