27 Apr 26 Laundry hacks to make your life less of a hassle!

These solutions are for common laundry problems, writes Win Koda and will make laundry less of a hassle!

1. Wash everything in cold water except towels and whites to avoid setting stains and save on energy costs.
2. Freshen up wrinkled clothes by throwing them into the dryer with a dryer sheet and an ice cube.
3. Use wash bags to save time and keep socks together while also avoiding the need for hand-washing bras.
4. Remove grease stains by rubbing the spot with chalk or baby powder, then leave overnight to soak up the grease.
5. Speed up a load’s drying time by tossing a clean towel in the washing machine and putting it on the spin cycle before hanging out.
6. Use a ball of aluminium foil as a stand-in for dryer sheets and reuse it later.
7. Remove unsightly yellow pit stains with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda or hot water mixed with table salt.
8. Always wash new red items and denim separately the first time to avoid dye transfer.
9. Remove blood stains by wetting the patch and sprinkling with an unseasoned meat tenderiser before rinsing and laundering as usual.
10. Remove lipstick stains by pre-treating with white bread and dabbing repeatedly.
11. Apply shaving cream to stubborn food stains, let it settle in, and blot it away with a clean cloth.
12. Preserve the colour and eliminate smells from jeans by tossing them in the freezer.
13. Brighten your clothes by adding a pinch of salt to your laundry.
14. Remove dirt, mud, and debris from suede by gently running a nail file over it.
15. Use multiple clothes hampers to divide clothes into lights and darks, or kids and parents, to save time sorting.
16. Use a colander to help rinse and properly drain smalls while saving elbow grease.
17. Use a salad spinner to dry delicate items without exposing them to the heat of the dryer.
18. Use your machine’s speedy ‘quick wash’ setting unless items are seriously stained or soiled.
19. Remove the build-up on the bottom of your iron by sprinkling salt onto a paper towel and running the iron over it on high heat.
20. Prevent colours from bleeding by adding a cup of distilled white vinegar to the wash.
21. Clean your washing machine monthly by mixing a 1/2 cup of baking soda with a 1/2 cup of water and pouring it into the detergent container, then pouring two cups of distilled white vinegar into the machine and running it using the hottest cycle.
22. Keep the door of your washing machine open when not in use to discourage the growth of mould and mildew.
23. Never iron over buttons; cover buttons with a teaspoon and iron around them.
24. Place a layer of aluminium foil underneath your ironing board cover (shiny side up) to speed up ironing time.
25. Speed up the machine-dry process by adding a clean, dry towel to the mix.
26. Use an ice cube to “iron” wrinkled clothes in the dryer.