I don’t know anyone who has a love affair with laundry, the bane of all chores. Basic washing, drying, and folding is just so. . . basic. Figuring out how to deal with stains, shrinkage, or fading doesn’t make the work any more exciting either. Lucky for us there are people who do this – and do it well.

 

It’s oh so very welcome when someone comes up with ways to make this task as painless as possible. Melissa Maker of Clean My Space is giving us awesome solutions to five common laundry conundrums. We’re pretty sure these tips will solve at least one of your problems – that is until your kids are old enough to start doing their own laundry.

 

• Sneaker Care

When your sneakers go bump in the dryer, sounding like a marching band’s first rehearsal, it can be irritating. To keep your sneakers from spinning out of control, Melissa suggests tying the shoes to each other by a single knot, and hanging the laces inside the dryer’s door frame. An alternative would be to put them in a delicates wash bag and hanging the top part of the bag in the same way.

• Grease Stains

How many unsuccessful attempts have you made with a stain remover that promised to remove grease? Raise your hand if the answer is at least a dozen. Yeah, me too. Here’s one that you may not have tried: chalk. Again, Melissa shows us that by coloring the stain with chalk, it can set in and start to pull the oil out. You’ll need to let it sit up to two hours and then scrape, pre-treat, and wash.

• Color Issues

Unless you’re going for a faded look on purpose, it’s not a good one. Neither are bleeding clothes. To prevent either from messing up your nice clothes, add ½ cup of salt to the wash water. It will help with color retention and revival.

• Whitening Woes

Your whitening routine may begin and end with bleach, but there’s a way that costs less money. Allow your clothes to dance in the sunshine as they line dry. Not only does it cut down on the chemicals you use, but the sun’s rays can also help remove stains. That’s a triple bonus.

• Dry Towels

So your towels have become dry, scratchy, and un-fluffy. No amount of fabric softener has actually made them softer or smell fresh. According to Melissa, aging towels are normal but two hot water cycles can help fix them.First, run one wash cycle with hot water with an added cup of white vinegar. Run a second cycle with hot water and 1 cup of baking soda. Any residue left on your towels should be lifted using these methods, making them fluffier and fresher.

Other towel tips? Cut back on the amount of detergent you use or use a homemade fabric softener like the one Melissa mentions in the video. Combine 1 liter of white vinegar with 10 drops of a skin friendly essential oil like lavender. Lavender is known for its great fragrance and antibacterial properties. Add it to your fabric softener tray during the wash cycle. This can be used for any load of laundry!

 

 

Now you have a few hacks to beat your laundry blues. Tell your teenage son to hang his sneakers like so the next time he decides to run them through the dryer at 1:00 in the morning. And like Melissa suggested, keep a piece of chalk on you for grease attacks. What do you think of these laundry hacks? Will you try one of these tips on your next laundry day? Share in the comments!