Laundry Hacks

Every hack is checked against a cited source · open the link to see where it comes from.

• 👕

  Sort by color, fabric, and soil before you wash

  Separate whites, lights, and darks, group by fabric and care label, and keep heavily soiled items apart.

  1. 1👕Whites
  2. 2🩳Lights
  3. 3🧦Darks

  Steps

  1. Wash whites separately; group pastels/mediums together and brights/darks by themselves.
  2. Sort by fabric so each load needs similar detergent, cycle, and water temperature - check care labels.
  3. Keep heavily soiled items in their own load; lightly soiled clothes can pick up soil from the wash water.

  Why it works

  Sorting stops dark dyes from bleeding onto lights and keeps loose soil from redepositing on cleaner clothes.

  Source: American Cleaning Institute
• 👕

  Wash in cold water to save energy

  Use the cold setting with cold-water detergent to cut the energy a load uses.

  Cold wash1 relative energy

  Hot wash4 relative energy

  Steps

  1. Wash clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
  2. Reserve warm or hot only for oily stains or heavily soiled loads.
  3. Switching the temperature from hot to warm can already cut a load's energy use in half; cold saves more.

  Why it works

  Most of a washer's energy goes to heating water, so choosing cold is one of the cheapest ways to cut laundry energy use.

  Source: U.S. Department of Energy
• 👕

  Do not overload the washer

  Load clothes loosely, only as high as the top row of holes in the basket.

  Loose load1 good?

  Packed full0 good?

  Steps

  1. Add clothes in loose heaps spread evenly around the basket - never pack it tight.
  2. Fill only as high as the top row of holes in the wash basket.
  3. Balance heavy items with lighter ones so the load distributes evenly during the spin.

  Why it works

  Overloading unbalances the load, causing noise, vibration, reduced spin speed, longer cycles, and poorer cleaning.

  Source: Whirlpool
• 👕

  Treat stains fast - blot, do not rub

  Act before a stain sets, sponge rather than rub, then launder the whole garment.

  1. 1⏱️Act fast
  2. 2🧽Blot, don't rub
  3. 3🧺Then launder

  Steps

  1. Treat the stain as quickly as possible, before it dries or sets.
  2. Sponge the stain - do not rub it, since rubbing spreads it and can damage the fabric.
  3. After treating, launder the whole garment to remove any leftover stain or remover residue.

  Why it works

  Pretreating before a stain sets greatly increases removal odds, and blotting lifts it instead of grinding it deeper.

  Source: American Cleaning Institute
• 👕

  Turn dark jeans inside out before washing

  Wash denim inside out in cold water to protect the surface color from fading.

  1. 1👖Dark jeans
  2. 2🔄Turn inside out
  3. 3🥶Cold wash

  Steps

  1. Turn jeans inside out before putting them in the wash.
  2. This keeps soapy water from contacting the outer surface, which strips dye and causes fading.
  3. Pair with cold water, which keeps fibers tight and the dye more intact so it bleeds and fades less.

  Why it works

  Detergent strips color along with dirt, so shielding the outer face and washing cold preserves the dark wash longer.

  Source: Levi Strauss & Co.
• 👕

  Clean the dryer lint filter every load

  Empty the lint screen before each drying cycle to prevent dryer fires.

  1. 1🧯Before each load
  2. 2🧹Clear the lint
  3. 3✅Safe to dry

  Steps

  1. Clean out the lint filter before you use the dryer, every load.
  2. Wipe lint from the trap and clean where lint builds up around the dryer.
  3. Make sure the venting behind the dryer is not crushed or blocked.

  Why it works

  Failure to clean lint is the leading factor in home dryer fires, and lint is highly flammable.

  Good to know: Lint is flammable. A clogged lint trap is the top cause of clothes dryer fires - never run the dryer without clearing it.

  Source: U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
• 👕

  Measure your detergent - more is not cleaner

  Dose to the package instructions and adjust for load size, soil, and water hardness.

  Measured dose1 good?

  Overpour residue0 good?

  Steps

  1. Follow the dosage instructions on your detergent package rather than eyeballing it.
  2. Use more only for larger loads, heavier soil, or hard water - not by default.
  3. If you see white residue, suspect too many clothes packed in rather than too little detergent.

  Why it works

  Both under- and over-dosing give poor results; excess detergent cannot fully rinse out and leaves residue.

  Source: Tide (Procter & Gamble)
• 👕

  Air-dry to save energy and extend garment life

  Hang clothes on a line or rack instead of tumble drying when you can.

  Air dry0 energy

  Dryer3 energy

  Steps

  1. Air-dry clothes on a clothesline or drying rack instead of the dryer when possible.
  2. Use it especially for fabrics where clothing manufacturers recommend air drying.
  3. Check the care label, which may call for line dry or dry flat.

  Why it works

  Air drying skips the dryer's energy use and avoids the heat and tumbling that wear fabrics over time.

  Source: U.S. Department of Energy
• 👕

  Read the care label before you wash

  Follow the label's washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and warning instructions.

  1. 1🏷️Find label
  2. 2🔣Read symbols
  3. 3✅Wash to spec

  Steps

  1. Find the sewn-in care label, required on garments by the FTC Care Labeling Rule.
  2. Read the symbols in order: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, then warnings.
  3. Follow each one - for example, an X through the wash tub means do not wash.

  Why it works

  Care labels are a regulated, standardized way manufacturers tell you the safe way to clean an item without ruining it.

  Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission
• 👕

  Zip and fasten clothes before washing

  Empty pockets, zip zippers, and hook fasteners to stop snags and tears.

  1. 1🤚Empty pockets
  2. 2🤐Zip + fasten
  3. 3🧺Then wash

  Steps

  1. Empty pockets, zip zippers, and snap or hook fasteners before washing.
  2. Tie loose strings or place those items in an open mesh bag.
  3. Put bras or items with wires in a garment bag to avoid tangling with the load.

  Why it works

  Open zipper teeth and loose hooks catch on other garments, causing tears and tangles during the wash.

  Source: Whirlpool