What are your favorite laundry tips?

I mix my own laundry detergent, sort my laundry colors, hang most things to dry, but when I do use the dryer - I use wool dryer balls with natural oils. Best laundry tip of all - teach your children to do their own laundry! My four kids did their own starting in 6th grade, we made a big deal out of it, like a right of passage! They all thanked me when they left for college and already knew how to do it correctly.

Ever since my daughter was two years old, I've been using 1/2 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle instead of fabric softener. This was recommended by a dermatologist who was treating her extremely sensitive skin that was covered in a rash.

The clothes do not smell of vinegar after the wash cycle.

Using vinegar has so many benefits:

1. It's much cheaper than fabric softener.

2. It works really well to keep clothes and household linens soft and static-free.

3. It doesn't build up residue as do fabric softeners which can irritate sensitive skin.

4. It keeps the washer tub clean and prevents mold and other uckiness growing.

5. No fabric softener residue build-up on the dryer lint filter which can help to prevent a fire in the dryer.

6. Much better for the environment.

From experience of having roommates: do NOT overload the washer (!) and do not add too much detergent (Especially with the HE's, it's just a waste of soap).

If you aren't already doing this, sort that pile into fabric and color-you may end up with 2 white loads-one delicate (sports bras, undies, baby blankets, etc) that you may want to add softener-and another (kitchen towels, his t-shirts, socks, etc) that you'll want to bleach.

Then when I'm moving from washer to dryer, I shake each piece separately to get rid of any balls, twists or knots that can happen during the spin cycle. This also helps with drying and keeping away wrinkles.

Once you hear the dryer say "It's dry🎶", TRY to get the important things folded or hung up first (Again, saving ironing time👍)!

I like dryer sheets- they help battle static and they smell nice. Plus, the used ones are good for cleaning PC, iPhone, etc. screens, and the lint I put outside for the birds to pad their nests.

I use 1/4 bottle of hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach for my whites. Bleach slowly breaks down fabric and gives it a dingy look. A lot of detergent companies are adding a peroxide based product to their detergents, similar to OxyClean.

I hang up everything, except the king-sized sheets,...the drawer items are draped over folding wooden dryer racks, in front of the dresser, overnight, then folded and stowed in the drawers. (no laundry baskets in the house). I iron only tablecloths and cloth napkins. When I take street clothes/hanger items to the washer in the basement, I also take down the hangers. When the items are rigorously shook out and hung, the hangers are placed on the line with the item. Closet/hanger items are carried up to the bedroom on a hanger ready to place on the rod. I find it more efficient to handle items as infrequent as possible. Washer -- Line/rack -- hanger-to closet -- folded-to-drawer. Done!

I wash mostly in cold water with detergent for cold water but towels sheets and whitesee in hot water and I use bleach for whites. I don't dry clothes all the way I dry for 30 minutes and hang up to finish drying. Sheets and towels I dry all the way. Also at least once a month I run machine with bleach. You could probably use vinegar. And I remove lint after each drying and clean vent from machine you know the hose with wet/dry vacuum. Sometimes it's your dryer ruining your clothes. Check vent inside dryer and see if rusty. That's a thing I can't help you with.

When my husband used to wear white shirts a lot, he'd leave and oily ring on the inside of the collars. I rubbed a white blackboard chalk over it before washing, it helped to get rid of the stain.

As for my regular laundry, i sort towels separately from everything else,less lint on the clothes.

In winter I hang shirts and pants on coat hangers and hang in doorways, I also hang on a little ledge above the stairway. Heat rises, so those clothes dry faster. Hanging in the bathroom above the base board is the fastest drying. I also have a wooden clothes rack to use too. We installed an old cast iron radiator in our kitchen as the base board wasn't enough to heat the kitchen. Great for drying jeans. I just drape them over the radiator and flip them over after a while. This also puts humidity in the air, our house gets dry in the winter. I'm on Social security ,and find all kinds of ways to economize. In the summer I use our clothes line "solar dryer".

I seem to end up with spots on dark t-shirts and shirts - I guess they are grease stains. Any suggestions?

Heat water in microwave until almost boiling. Turn garment inside out and pour hot water on stain from wrong side to right side. Apply liquid dish detergent to stained area, rub in well then wash in warmest water garment will tolerate.

I keep a spray bottle of stain treatment hanging in our closet just above the laundry basket. As we remove clothing it's easy to spray spots and let the spray sit and work until I'm ready to tackle the laundry.

I keep a little scrub brush near my waher and a spray bottle with water and a small amount of Dawn dishwashing liquid. When I see a stain of any kind, (food or ring around the colar) I wpray with the stained area with themixture and scrub well prior to laundering with the rest of the load of clothes.