Tips + Tricks // Laundry Hacks

• Want your towels to last longer? Skip the dryer sheets! Your towels will last longer and be more absorbent. 
• Use a dryer balls (or tennis balls!) instead! You’ll save money by not buying dryer sheets, create less waste and your sheets and towels will still be super fluffy and soft!
• Don’t want to spend the money on a dryer ball or have tennis balls laying around in your coat closet? DIY one with aluminum foil (directions here)! 
• Wash your dark clothes inside out! It will keep their color from fading. 
• Wash in cold water when you can, it’ll save you money and help retain color. By using cold water, you can also mix your lights and darks without having to worry about color bleeding. 
• Make sure you check before you set your machine that your detergent will, in fact, work in cold!
• Want to know how to remove that pesky makeup / formula / grease stain? The University of Illinois created an extensive list of solutions for any stain you can think of!
• Use the “quick wash” setting on your washer! While this isn’t for heavier-duty dirt, it’s perfect for everyday wear and will cut your washing time in half and you’ll save on your water bill!
• Use vinegar in your wash to get rid of that musty smell. It’ll also help make your whites, whiter and towels fluffier!

My biggest and best laundry tip?

• Use a mesh laundry bag, like this one from InsideSmarts! You not only save time by washing your delicates in a bag, but they’re also great for keeping socks together! 

When using a mesh laundry bag, most delicates don’t have to be hand washed (even if the tags say hand wash only). Place items in the bag, and then run your washer on the delicates cycle in cold water. These Premium Delicates Laundry Bags come in a set of 4 and are my favorites to use, not only for my personal delicates, but also our socks, and H’s clothing and stuffed animals. I have used my fair share of laundry bags, but there are a few reasons why I like these the best. I also really like that they have a little elastic zipper holder so I don’t have to hear it banging around in my front loader. They’ve been through the wash at least a dozen times and still look brand new, with no wear and tear or any holes in the mesh. Our delicates, stuffed animals and smaller clothing items come out of the wash looking clean and in perfect shape!

Most of H’s clothes come from small Instagram shops and are screen printed and / or made with organic cottons – both of which have a  tendency to show wash wear and fade really fast if they’re not cared for properly. With these laundry bags, I can prevent that wear so his clothes look nicer for longer!

I hang one of the medium sized and one of the small sized bags next to his dresser and changing table, and when I change his clothes, I make sure his tops and bottoms are inside out and throw them in the bigger bag and put his socks and Rad Revolution cozy hoods, scarfs and taggie teethers into the smaller bag. I then throw them in the wash with whatever laundry we have, and grab the bags out and hang dry everything in them. This saves me so much time of digging through every item in the washer and pulling out every teeny tiny baby item, and ensures that nothing goes into the dryer that isn’t supposed to!

Do you have any tips or tricks you swear by for your laundry routine? I’d love to hear them!