Laundry Hacks You'll Thank Me For

8 Laundry Hacks you should do. And 3 you should avoid at all cost.

1. Use Cold Water

One of the easiest ways to save money on laundry is to use cold water. Cold water washes just as effectively as hot water, but it uses 90% less energy, which means a lower electricity bill. And cold water is gentler on fabrics, your clothes will look good for longer.

2. Air Dry Whenever Possible

The dryer uses a lot of electricity. Try to airdry when possible. Never in a million years will I airdry jeans, towels, and sheets. If you’ve ever put on jeans that did not come out of a dryer, then you know what I’m talking about. However, I have a drying rack for my work clothes and my delicate lady things. I don’t dry them outside because I don’t want bugs in my clothes and the sunshine will damage the color.

3. Use Less Detergent

Those of us with top loading machines know it’s way too easy to use too much detergent. You can’t with most front-loading ones. Too much detergent will ruin your clothes and waste your money. 2 tablespoons of detergent is usually all you need for a large load. Look at the pods. They’re about 1 tablespoon.

4. Clean the Lint Trap

Clean the lint trap after you do laundry. It saves energy which means it saves you money.

5. Clean the Exhaust Vent

Personal exhaust vent story. When we moved into our place, it took 4 hours to dry a load of laundry. Turns out the exhaust vent had not been cleared out since 1978, when the built the place. A quick trip to the big box hardware store for a long-handled brush and tube thing was cleared. In the vent there were 3 old birds nests causing a blockage. The dryer wasn’t getting hot enough to dry the clothes because of safety. It didn’t burst into flames. It was really gross cleaning it. we did it ourselves and didn’t have to pay someone. My parents always encourage us to learn to do those things yourself.

6. Clean Your Washing Machine

Dirt, soap residue and minerals deposits from hard water will cause build up in the machine. Check your machines instruction booklet to see how to clean your model. Most involve bleach and white vinegar. BUT NOT MIXED TOGETHER AS THAT CREATES A TOXIC GAS THAT CAN KILL YOU.

7. Remove grease stains with chalk

Rub chalk on the grease stain before washing. The chalk will absorb the grease and can then be washed away in the machine.

8. Mesh Bags for Delicates

Put your delicates in a mesh bag. I also use them for certain tops. Those are items that get airdried.

Things you should not do

1. Dryer Sheets

Don’t use them. They are a waste of money, damage your clothing and increases drying time. There are other alternatives. Aluminum foil rolled up to about the size of a baseball is supposed to reduce static. I’ve never tried it but have a friend who swears by it.

2. Wool and plastic dryer balls to speed up drying

I’ve tried them and they didn’t work. The only people who claim they are a miracle are bloggers with affiliate links. What does work – an old dry towel. Grab an old towel that is no longer full of lint and matches the color of your load of laundry and throw it in with the wet clothes.

3. Fabric Softener

You should not be using it. It damages your clothing and machine. Add a cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle instead of fabric softener. It will help soften your clothes and reduce static. A ¼ to a ½ cup of baking soda also works. Don’t use the white vinegar and baking soda together unless you want to see the famous volcano experiment from a grade school science fair.