Get your laundry looking and smelling its best with these simple laundry tips and tricks. Easy hacks to improve your laundry routine.
Ahhhh… the never ending task of doing laundry. Just when you think you’re done, you turn around to an overflowing laundry hamper! If you’re ready to up your laundry game, I’ve put together some of my best laundry tips to help you get the job done quicker, easier, and BETTER! Laundry may still not be the most favorite thing on your to-do list, but hopefully these laundry tips can make it a little less painful. 🙂
This post is sponsored by HEX and contains affiliate links.
Choose the Right Laundry Detergent
Obviously, one of the biggest factors in determining how clean and fresh smelling your clothes and linens come out is the laundry detergent that you use. I’ve tried a TON of different laundry detergents over the years and finally found a laundry detergent that I can use for all of our clothing, linens, and other washables – HEX Performance. I have two boys, three dogs, and lots of stinky sports gear and workout wear, but HEX delivers the cleaning {and odor fighting!} power that we need. Here’s why I love it…
Why I use HEX.
It really works to clean clothes and other fabrics.
HEX Performance is designed to deep clean sweat, dirt, grime, oils, stains, and tough odors associated with bacteria on ALL fabric types – including synthetics. If you notice that some of your clothing items just don’t seem to be getting as clean as they should be, or if there are odors that keep coming back, your laundry detergent may be leaving a residue on your clothing that actually traps the dirt and odors inside the fibers.
HEX is designed to clean down to the deepest level and can even help to remove the built-up grime and residues left by other detergents. It also uses something called hydrophobic protection to actually help prevent oil, dirt and stains from setting in. The more you wash, the better it gets!
It actually gets rid of the odors.
With a house full of boys and tons of sports gear, getting rid of odors from our clothing and fabrics is always a top priority. Many laundry detergents use strong perfumes to cover up odors rather than completely removing them. This can also leave a residue on your clothing that will actually attract more grime and odors. While your items may smell clean initially, the odors will slowly come back over time. It’s a bad cycle.
HEX, on the other hand, really deep cleans your clothing and targets the source of the odors {hello bacteria!!} to completely remove all of that funky smell from your clothing. It also leaves an eco-friendly, nonallergenic molecule behind on your clothing that helps to proactively prevent future stink and stains.
There are scent-free options.
If you’re sensitive to scents, all of the Free and Clear products are totally free of fragrances and allergens. Personally, I don’t like my clothes to have a scent {even though I do like scent for other things!}, so I use this for all of our clothing. If you prefer some scent, there is a Fresh Scent option or you can add a DIY laundry scent booster {I like to use this for our towels and bed linens}.
It’s gentle on skin.
My husband has had skin reactions to some of the detergents that we’ve tried in the past – including more “natural” brands. HEX products never use harsh perfumes, dyes, optical brighteners or phosphates and we’ve never had any issues with skin irritation. HEX also softens clothing and helps prevents static cling without negatively affecting the feel of the fabric or leaving any residue behind on your skin.
It’s eco-friendly.
Minimizing our environmental impact is always important to us and Hex uses an eco-friendly and biodegradable formula. Since there are no dyes, optical brighteners, or fillers, Hex is almost clear and pours similar to water compared to other liquid brands that are thick and gooey. HEX bottles are all 100% recyclable and their flexible packaging option uses 75% less plastic. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free.
The Best Laundry Tips and Tricks
Once you’ve picked your laundry detergent, there are a number of other laundry tips and tricks that can help boost your cleaning power and make your laundry routine easier. Here are the laundry hacks that I’ve found most useful…
Start with a clean washer and dryer.
If you’ve noticed that your clothing isn’t coming out as clean as it used to or there’s a funky smell coming from your washing machine, take a little time to clean it! You might not think about cleaning a washing machine, but the grime and detergents can really start to build up over time and make your washing machine a lot less efficient. Read these posts for the full instructions for cleaning your washer and dryer and removing that funky washing machine smell.
- How to Clean Your Washing Machine
- How to Clean Your Dryer
- Tips to Get Rid of the Smell from Washing Machines
Keep things organized.
Take a little time to sort through your laundry space, and get rid of items that you don’t need to store there, no longer use, or are ineffective. Most laundry rooms are fairly small, so you want to optimize your space as much as possible and leave room for sorting and folding your clothes.
Keep all of your laundry products organized so they’re quick and easy to grab when you need them. I keep our laundry pods in the white laundry bin on top of our counter and have all of the stain removing products, essential oils, rags, etc. stored in bins in the cupboard above. I also keep a handy stain removal guide on the inside of the cupboard door so it’s easy to refer to when needed. If you don’t have a cupboard space, keep all of your products chorralled in a basket or on a tray. Find more laundry organization tips HERE.
Choose the best temperature setting.
Choosing the best temperature setting for the items that you’re washing can make a big difference in how clean and fresh they are – especially over time. Cold water is always better for energy savings of course, but there are some instances when a hot water setting is worth it. {NOTE: You can always use a cold water rinse even when washing in hot since it has little effect on stain removal of cleaning} You should always check the laundry label first to see if there are specific recommended temperature settings, but here is the basic temperate guide that I use…
Hot Water
Hot water is best for heavily soiled items {especially oil-based stains} or items that need more sanitizing. Use it for bed linens, bath and kitchen towels, oily stains, or heavily soiled or stinky garments. If you have the cold or flu going around your home, hot water is great to get rid of bacteria and viruses that are still lurking on clothing, blankets, and other washables. On the downside, hot water washing can fade colors {especially darks}, set in protein stains {such as animal-based food stains, blood, mud, etc.} and shrink some fabrics. When in doubt, start with a cooler setting and increase if needed.
Warm Water
If you use powdered detergents, warm water {compared to cold} will often give better results since it helps to dissolve the detergent better. Warm water also works great for washable synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, spandex, and rayon. I kind of find it the happy medium between cold and hot and use it for the majority of our laundry care. It’s generally best for lightly soiled fabrics that do not require sanitizing.
Cold Water
Cold water washing is definitely the most energy-efficient and cost-saving method. It’s also the most gentle on clothing and the least likely to shrink or fade items. On the negative side, it’s less efficient for removing stains and does not sanitize clothes. For this reason, it works well for dark and bright-colored clothing that are not heavily stained. If you have stained items that you want to wash in cold, pre-treat and pre-soak the stain or try adding some pre-dissolved oxygen bleach {see laundry boosters below} to your load.
Use the right amount of laundry detergent.
More is not always better! Using too much laundry detergent will lead to a residue build up on your clothes (which can then attract more grime and odors!} as well as your washing machine. Be sure to just use the recommended amount of detergent as indicated on the packaging, taking into consideration the size of your load and how soiled the items are.
Although detergent pods are priced higher, they’re definitely more convenient and will deliver the right amount of detergent without having to measure {especially if you have your kids doing some of the laundry!}. Just remember that you actually need to use TWO pods for larger loads, especially if they need a deeper cleaning.
Separate clothing and towels.
The terry cloth that towels are generally made of is quite thick and abrasive and is a huge lint producer. Washing your regular clothing with this material will cause more wear and tear on your clothing as well as create pills and lint on many clothing items. I also like to wash our towels at a higher temperature setting than our clothes to target bacteria and odors, so it makes sense to wash them separately. I keep a laundry hamper in the bathroom specifically for towels, so it makes it easy to wash them without having to sort through our clothing. To keep towels more fresh, be sure to dry them first before placing them in the hamper.
Use a Razor to Remove Pills
If you notice pilling on your clothing, use a regular razor to gently remove them {learn more HERE}. You’ll be amazed at how well this works and your clothing will look like new again!
Add a laundry booster.
I started adding a laundry booster a few years ago, and found that this can make a BIG difference. I don’t necessarily use them all the time – just when I need some extra stain removal power or really need to whiten up those whites! Laundry boosters basically enhance your laundry detergent’s cleaning ability, so you’ll still use your regular amount of laundry detergent. There are a variety of different laundry boosters out there depending on what your needs are {HEX also has a laundry booster that I still need to try}, but here are the main ones that I’ve found helpful…
White Vinegar
Regular distilled white vinegar can be added to the rinse cycle of your washing machine {or to the fabric softener compartment} to help remove any detergent residue that is clinging to fabrics, brighten both colors and whites, and naturally soften up clothing and towels. Add approximately 1/2 cup of vinegar per load.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can boost the cleaning and odor removal performance of your detergent – especially if you have hard water. To use, just add 1/2 cup to your laundry drum before adding your clothing.
Oxygen Bleach
Oxygen bleach can be particularly effective in tackling stains and brightening clothes. It’s eco-friendly {the only by-product being non-toxic soda ash} and is generally safe to use for both whitening whites and brightening colors. It also works great for a variety of other cleaning tasks. Follow the instructions on the packaging for use, and pre-soak for those extra-troublesome stains.
Pop in a few wool dryer balls.
Wool dryer balls help to reduce drying time, naturally soften clothes, reduce wrinkles, and cut down on static. They basically work by bouncing around the dryer, separating clothing and opening pockets of air between the items. Ideally, you should use 3-5 balls depending on the size of the balls you’re using and the size of your load. Don’t overstuff your dryer, as there needs to be room for the balls to move around to do their work. Wool dryer balls will last for up to 1000 uses {assuming your dog doesn’t chew them up!}, so, while they are a little bit of an investment up front, they’ll be worth it in the end. To further cut down on static, add a safety pin to your dryer balls and be sure to not over-dry your clothing.
{NOTE: I used to add essential oils to my dryer balls, but have read from a few sources that this can lead to dryer fires since essential oils are flammable. I can’t see it being very common, but personally would rather not take the risk.}
I hope you find these laundry hacks helpful! If you’re not sure where to start, just pick one or two tips and see what works best for you. Depending on your water, washing machine type, and common stain problems, some tips might be more suited to you than others. For more information on HEX, you can check out their website HERE. I bet you can’t wait to do your next load of laundry! 😉
Never heard of this before but I love that they have scent free options!