Does anyone feel like they’re doing more laundry than EVER in quarantine?
I know I am…and I’m determined to make the process just a bit better for everyone.
Besides just the hassle of bending over at the dryer, folding clothes properly, or hand-washing delicates…I’ve noticed that I have room for improvement in caring for nearly all of my clothes.
So today we’re covering all things laundry: from ingenious hacks, products you need, and even dry-cleaning your own clothes at home.
Hacks & How-To’s
I was STUNNED with all the great ideas I found online. I tried to narrow it down to the hacks I’d truly never heard of, but there is no shortage of additional content online.
Hacks for Bedding
- Run a cycle with your bed sheets and a half-cup of distilled white vinegar to give them a quick boost of softness and brightness, and to remove lingering odors. (Apartment Therapy)
- Add a tennis ball to fluff-up bed linens. (CheatSheet)
Hacks for Clothing
- To prevent color fading, toss your clothes in the wash with a teaspoon of salt. (BuzzFeed)
- Eliminate unsightly oily spots by sprinkling baby powder directly onto the affected area and allowing it to soak overnight. (CheatSheet)
- Accidentally shrink your clothing? Just soak the shrunken piece of clothing in lukewarm water and baby shampoo, work through to relax the fibers and gently stretch. (BuzzFeed)
Hacks for Towels
- If your towels have already seen better days, use vinegar and baking soda instead of detergent. (BuzzFeed)
- Dry clothing faster by adding a clean towel into the dryer. (CheatSheet) PS: I know this one isn’t for washing towels themselves…but useful tip, right?
How-To for DIY Dryer Sheets + Detergent
There are TONS of different ideas online for at-home versions of all of these products. But for those of you, like me, who want the simplest option: check out these ideas below.
- Aluminum foil can be bundled up and used as a dryer sheet for up to six months. (Better Home & Garden) Just ball it up, and throw it in!
- Short on fabric softener? Soften clothes the more natural way but pouring ¼ to ½ cup of vinegar into your washer along with your regular detergent. (CheatSheet)
- Borax is the key ingredient in this super simple “recipe” for DIY detergent. Just add it to bar soap & washing soda, and you’re set! (Wellness Mama)
Our Favorite Laundry Products
At-Home Dry Cleaning
This is a HOT topic online right now. I want to preface with this: there is probably no perfect at-home substitution for dry cleaning certain garments. BUT, that does not mean that we can’t get pretty dang close.
Step One: Get a mesh bag. Of all the content I found online this is probably what I read the most–wash delicates in a mesh bag (our favorite is linked here). According to the Laundry Evangelist, this laundry staple keeps your delicate fabrics contained and helps prevent snags and stretching that can happen in the wash drum.
Step Two: Use laundry soap instead of detergent, to be extra gentle with these delicate fabrics. (Apartment Therapy)
Step Three: Wash an express cycle, so clothes spend less time being tossed around.
Step Four: Lay flat to dry or hang on a hanger/drying rack. Some people even suggest purchasing a flat drying “rack” for this purpose.
Step Five: Steam and iron! I know what you’re thinking: that’s the hardest part! To be honest, I think the key here is getting great products (take a look at some of our favorite steamers/irons below). But, we have rounded up a few more great tips here:
- First and foremost, iron clothes while they’re still damp, but only steam clothes once they’re dry.
- When ironing most fabrics, iron on the wrong side of the garment. This will prevent shining of the fabric. This is particularly important for dark colors, silk, rayon, linen fabric and acetates. (The Spruce)
- If you have delicates that need ironing, do them first because your iron should be on a lower heat setting. Start with the garment that needs the lowest temperature and move up. (Good Housekeeping)
- After you’re done steaming, let your clothes hang for a few more minutes (some sources even said up to 10 minutes) before wearing them.
- Use this spray from the Laundress while steaming or ironing to hold that freshly-pressed feeling.
UPKEEP
Obviously, the best thing to go for these items is to keep them hanging once you’re done wearing them. Make sure to spot treat any stains on these clothes, since you’ll be washing them pretty delicately. I love this de-wrinkle spray from The Laundress to keep items wrinkle-free, along with pretty much their entire line of laundry products (some more of our favorites linked above).
OUR FAVORITE LAUNDRY NECESSITIES
Steamers
Irons/Ironing Boards
Hampers/Drying Racks
SHESHE’S TIDBITS
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