Laundry Hacks For Busy Moms

 

Don’t you love that feeling when you can see the bottom of every laundry basket? How long does that last for you? 5 seconds. Yeah me too.

 

Man laundry is a headache. But there is no getting away from it. That is why I came up with these simple laundry hacks that you need to know to make your life easier.

 

I’ve been trying to simplify my laundry routine for two years and I think I’ve finally figured it out.

 

Between today’s hacks and the laundry room organization ideas I wrote about a few weeks ago, you should be on your way to tackling that pile of laundry without any problems.

 

 

21 Simple Laundry Hacks And Tips

 

We are starting off the list with various laundry drying hacks.

 

#1 Make Your Own Dryer Sheets

 

You can make your own dryer sheets.

 

I show you how to use rolled-up socks and another option for DIY dryer sheets in this blog post.

 

#2 Use Foil Instead Of Dryer Sheets

 

Wad up some foil and throw it in the dryer.

 

This will get rid of any static cling, plus it’s cheap.

 

#3 Use Wool Dryer Balls and Essential Oils

 

Another natural option is to use wool dryer balls. This helps separate your clothes as they are drying.

 

They shorten dryer time, plus they are chemical-free.

 

You can add any essential oil of your choice to leave a nice scent in your laundry.

 

 

#4 Use a Color Catcher and Don’t Sort Your Clothes

 

Many of us want to hurry things up and don’t take the time to sort our clothes into like colors. This can make clothes dingy.

 

BUT there is a solution to this. Shout Color Catchers.

 

These allow you to wash all of your clothes together and not worry about turning things red or making your bright clothes dull.

 

You throw it in the wash with your clothes and it catches any color… preventing it from being spread to another clothing item.

Here are a couple of ways that vinegar can help in your laundry room…

 

#5 Use Vinegar As Fabric Softener

 

Pour some vinegar in with your load of laundry.

 

This is a nontoxic way to soften your clothes and get rid of any stubborn smells.

 

#6 Wash Your Washer With Vinegar

 

Use one cup of vinegar. Load it into your washer just like you would your laundry detergent.

 

Run your washer on a cleaning cycle or sanitizing cycle. If you don’t have one those options then run it on a super hot cycle.

 

 

#7 Soak Smelly Towels or Athletic Clothes in the Vinegar

 

If you can’t get rid of the sour smell in your towels or gym clothes, soak them in hot water and vinegar.

 

This can easily be done in the bathtub before transferring them to the washer.

 

Let’s talk socks…

 

#8 Use A Mesh Bag to Keep Track of Socks

 

Use a mesh bag like this one and always have it clothes pinned to your laundry hamper.

 

When you take off your socks, but them straight into the mesh. Keep the socks in the bag when you wash and dry them.

 

This will ensure that you don’t lose any socks.

 

The mesh bag works especially well with baby socks.

 

 

#9 Replace All Of Your Socks With The Same Kind Of Sock

 

You can throw out/donate all of your socks and switch them out for only one or two types of socks.

 

For example stock up on white low rise socks, grey no-show socks, and black dress socks.

 

Now you don’t have to worry if you lose one because you will always have a match.

 

Plus, you don’t have to fold them. Just toss them all in a drawer. You know what you are getting based on the color.

 

 

Here are some awesome de-wrinkle tips…

 

#10 Use A Hair Straightener to Iron When You’re In a Pinch

 

If you’re traveling, in a hurry, or just not motivated, a hair straighter can be great for straightening out a shirt as well.

 

Put the straightener on a lower setting for more delicate clothes.

 

#11 Use Downy Wrinkle Releaser

 

Downy has a wrinkle releaser spray that removes most wrinkles without having to use an iron. You just spray it on your wrinkled shirt and let the wrinkles fall out.

 

It also smells great and removes static.

 

 

#12 Dewrinkle with Ice Cubes

 

If you don’t want to use Downy’s spray, you can throw your wrinkled piece of clothing in the dryer with a towel and a few ice cubes. 

 

The ice cubes will create the steam that allows the wrinkles to fall out.

 

The towel will help fluff up the clothing item and keep it from sticking to the side of the dryer.

 

Tips for getting out stains…

 

#13 Rinse with Cold Water ASAP

 

The minute you spill something on yourself you should put cold water on it. If you allow a stain to dry it will become even more difficult to come out.

 

Almost any stain can be prevented by rinsing it with cold water as soon as possible.

 

I’ve always had allergy problems and when I was a kid I had a lot of bloody noses. I learned from an early age that blood will not stain if you rinse it with cold water as soon as you can.

 

#14 The Sun Will Whiten Your White Clothes

 

Let your white shirts dry outside in the sun. The sun is a natural way to bleach your clothes.

 

The sun works especially well on baby food and poop stains. Trust me… try it!

 

#15 Baking Soda and Peroxide Is The Ultimate Stain Fighter

 

If you have a really tough stain, even one that has been there for a while, try baking soda and peroxide.

 

This has gotten out so many stains for me. It’s my go-to solution.

 

If these simple tricks don’t help with your stains try using some of these tricks from Clean Mama. You can always count on her to offer you a natural solution to your cleaning woes.

 

Here are some random laundry hacks that didn’t fit in any specific category…

 

#16 Do One Load A Day

 

Avoid spending hours on the weekend doing laundry by doing one load a day.

 

I know to some this seems ridiculous and like more work, but I promise it’s not.

 

I start a load in the morning, switch as soon as I can, and fold it during nap time.

 

When I worked outside the house; I put a load in before I left the house, I switched it to the dryer as soon as I got home, and folder it before I went to bed.

 

Also, when you do a load a day, you have smaller loads. This means it takes a lot less time to fold and put laundry away.

 

Small habits like this can make a huge difference in your productivity. Read more tips on being a productive mom. 

 

 

#17 Folding Laundry Hacks

 

Don’t fold your baby clothes. They are tiny and this task can seem to take forever.

 

Instead, have a drawer or basket for each type of clothing.

 

Have a drawer for onesies, pajamas, pants, shirts… whatever your set up will allow. Then just toss the clothes into the corresponding drawer.

 

You can hang up the nice clothes or fold them and keep them in a separate drawer.

 

#18 Keep Baking Soda In The Laundry Basket

 

You can tackle the sour smell of dirty clothes by keeping some baking soda in the bottom of the laundry basket.

 

This laundry hack can be accomplished by cutting about 6 inches off the bottom of some pantyhose.

 

Then, fill the foot up with baking soda, tie it off, and keep it at the bottom of the hamper.

 

#19 Wash Your Hats In a Tupperware Container

 

If you wear ball caps you don’t want them to lose their shape, but they can often get sweaty and smelly.

 

To solve this problem but your hat in a Tupperware container with some laundry soap and water.

 

Shake the Tupperware around, then dump out the water and rinse off the hat.

 

Allow the hat to dry by sitting in on something that will help it keep its shape, like a pan or cup.

 

#20 Use a Dry Erase Marker On Your Washer and Dryer

 

You can write yourself a reminder on your washer or dryer with a dry erase marker.

 

Let’s say you put a sweater in the washer that needs to lay flat to dry. Write yourself a reminder and then erase it once that load of laundry is complete.

 

This will save you from ruining your favorite sweater.

 

#21 Save Money By Washing In Cold Water

 

It’s cheaper to wash your clothes in cold water.

 

I know it’s often necessary to wash on hot for various reasons, but when you can, be sure to keep the water cold.

 

When you wash on hot you are paying for the water and to heat up the water.

 

Those are all of the laundry hacks I have for you today. Be sure to ready my kitchen cleaning hacks before you go! 

 

Find me on Facebook or Instagram and let me know which hack you are finding the most helpful. 🙂

 

Read more:

23 Bedroom Organization Ideas

15 Laundry Room Organization Ideas

Clean Your Bathroom in Less Than 15 Minutes A Week