8 Genius Laundry Tips That Will Make Your Life So Much Easier

Doing laundry is pretty much a huge pain, so we all welcome anything that helps move the process along, right? If you spend too much time washing clothing, hanging it up to dry, and just generally complaining about the overall process, it’s time you start making life easier for yourself by learning some tricks. To make your washing and drying much less miserable, try out these eight amazing laundry tips that will have you running that cycle with a much bigger smile on your face.

1. Wash Your Socks In A Lingerie Bag

Sick of finding mismatched socks and wondering where they went? Solve that problem by washing all your socks together in a lingerie bag so they don’t get lost somewhere in your jeans leg or stuck inside the washing machine.

2. Make Your Own Detergent

Why waste money on detergent filled with unwanted ingredients and chemicals when you can make your own at home? All you need is bar soap, borax and washing soda, and you can have your own natural detergent on hand at any time.

3. Use A Dry-Erase Marker For Notes

Need to remind yourself to hang up a few things before you leave the house or to run a load before the kids come home? Just use a dry-erase marker to write directly on your washing machine lid, and erase it once you’ve completed the task—you’ll never forget again.

4. Remove Excess Water With A Salad Spinner

If your shirts are still too wet when you remove them from the washing machine, don’t let them drip everywhere or take up more time in the dryer. Instead, remove the excess water by putting them in a salad spinner.

5. Make Your Own Dryer Sheets

In addition to making your own laundry detergent, you can also make your own budget-friendly dryer sheets. All you need are old scraps of cloth or cloth baby wipes, some essential oils and white vinegar, and you’ve got much healthier dryer sheets to use at home.

6. Use A Pool Noodle To Dry Things

Some clothes need to be air dried, but it’s frustrating when they get a crease from sitting on a wire rack or hanging on a hanger. To avoid this, drape your clothes over a pool noodle wedged onto the hanger wire so they come out wrinkle-free.

7. Use Chalk To Pre-Treat Grease Stains

Getting out grease stains can be quite the hassle, but if you’ve got some chalk at home, you can use it to help pre-treat your stain before washing. The chalk powder helps to absorb the grease and leaves your clothes looking as good as new.

8. Unshrink Clothes With Baby Shampoo

Nothing is worse than accidentally shrinking a pair of your favorite pants—but don’t despair. With some baby shampoo, you can stretch your favorite item of clothing and restore it to its former shape and size.

[h/t: BuzzFeed]