Home cleaning is one of life realities. Personally I’d rather be out on a bike ride, making cupcakes with the kids or flipping through home design books than doing domestic duties! Of course, for all of us laundry is a fact of life and having that washing machine spinning leads to fresh and clean little happy campers in the home. It is satisfying to hold one’s nose to a freshly washed towel or toddler’s t-shirt. But wouldn’t it be great to get the job done faster and have a list of tricks up one’s sleeve to make that happen? Since I’m not in a position to hire help nor do I want someone rustling through our dirty socks and undies, I’ve put together this comprehensive list on how to save time and sanity on home cleaning duties.
So! Here is my big list of 100 time and sanity saving laundry tips!
Hot home cleaning and laundry tips!
Add a plant
Add a plant that enjoys a hothouse environment.
Art and pictures
Change a wall colour using some pale blue or floral lemon fabric tightened against the wall.
Avoid the dryer
Only use your dryer if it is an emergency. Never use a dryer if it is sunny outside.
Baking soda socks
Boil up socks in baking soda and water and soak overnight.
Bench space
Build a table you can pull out or fold down from the wall.
Best appliances
Place great value on energy and water ratings when purchasing appliances.
Better bleach
You can add half a cup of baking soda to bleach to make it more powerful.
Blood stain
Soak immediately in cold water. For dry blood soak in baking soda and water first.
Box bookcase
Large white box style bookcases are perfect for the laundry for towels, sheets and products.
Brighten clothes
You can add baking soda or vinegar to the wash cycle to brighten clothes.
Bring themes in
Bring other colours from the home into the laundry.
Clean iron vents
Unplug iron. Clean out vents with a pipe cleaner.
Clean out your iron
Add vinegar and water to the chamber. Turn the iron on and off. Rinse out chamber.
Cleaning collars
Rub a paste of vinegar and baking soda on collars before washing.
Create a home cleaning toolbox
Cleaning products
Keep all cleaning gear in one big plastic tub. When cleaning grab the tub and get to work!
Clothes collars
Rub shampoo on a collar before washing it.
Cold water
Only wash your clothes in cold water. This will also stop them shrinking.
Colours running
Add a little salt to the water. This will keep colours fresher for longer.
Cotton clothes
Add a little dish washing liquid to your laundry cycle when washing cotton.
Delegating laundry
Make house members responsible for their own laundry. Use a system.
Delicate clothes
Iron clothes inside out with a damp hand towel. Set the temperature to medium.
Designer laundry
Recreate a laundry design from a home improvement magazine using thrifty finds.
Dryer etiquette
Dry similar items together. E.g. Towels with towels.
Dryer fluff
Clean out the lint filter after every drying session. Excess lint can start a fire.
Dryer signs
Install signs on your dryer E.g. For Emergency Use Only or Use After Hours Only.
Dump buckets
Create a dump bucket for each person in the house for quick cleans.
Extra washing line
Turn a large wooden playpen on its side and then repurpose it to hang laundry.
Fabric nappies
Sprinkle a little baking soda in your nappy bucket to reduce the smell.
Fabric softener
Dip a flannel in half fabric softener and half water. Wash the flannel with your laundry.
Feature wall
Consider a feature wall colour or wallpaper on one wall in the laundry to brighten it up.
Find your stuff
Look behind the washing machine if you have lost small items from pockets.
Floor plan
If you are short on space invest in some cheap shelving.
Fluffy wool
If you add vinegar to your wool cycle your garments will be fluffier.
Reduce home cleaning duties for more sanity
Folding sanity
You won’t notice you are doing laundry if you are watching TV.
Fold towels
Get on YouTUBE and learn some new laundry tricks, like how to fold towels perfectly.
Fold washing tip
Fold washing in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast.
Fresher the better
Make the décor in your laundry fresh and light. The way fresh laundry makes you feel light!
Functional tables
Consider a fold-down ironing board that doubles as your folding table.
General ironing
Generally always iron clothes inside out and on a medium temperature.
Get a funky curtain
Change the curtain in your laundry for a quick makeover. Use a shower curtain.
Get rid of lint
Add vinegar to your washing cycle to help reduce clingy lint.
Grass stains
Scrub the item with an old toothbrush and shampoo.
Grease stains
Use some salt and ammonia. Then blot it with a cloth and rinse away.
Hanging clothes
Hang items directly onto hangers on the line and then place them directly into wardrobes.
Homemade starch
Add a tablespoon of corn flour to one litre of water. Shake in a spray bottle and use.
Ink from leather
You can remove ink from leather with nail polish remover.
Ink on fingers
Grab a nailbrush; dip it in vinegar and salt. Scrub ink away.
Instant makeover
Add a colourful shower curtain or some durable plastic fabric across a wall.
Iron-free clothes
Buy clothes that do not require ironing. Go polyester!
Ironing
Use a peg to secure the hangers with clothes on them on the line.
Ironing board
If you have the space set up your iron and ironing board permanently.
Laundry lighting
Install good lighting for a bright and happy space. Better stain spotting!
Laundry posts
Be sure to check out my laundry system posts for different home situations.
Laundry powder
Buy laundry powder in bulk every season.
Home cleaning tips | Get creative!
Laundry box
Paint up a gorgeous old box or tin to decant your laundry powder into.
Laundry sanity
No-one ventures into a laundry. They will not find you there if you need some peace!
Laundry schedule
Do one bag of laundry per person on a certain day each week. Reduce sorting.
Laundry sorters
Check out Ikea for cost effective laundry sorter systems.
Less stiff jeans
Soak jeans overnight in salt and cold water to soften the denim.
Little things
Use a dryer only for little items like baby socks and underwear
Loosen a knot
Loosen a knot by applying some baby powder or talcum powder.
Machine hoses
Run some vinegar through your machine using a warm cycle.
Machine sud saver
Many machines have a sud saver cycle. Use for heavily soiled clothes, like baby clothes.
Mesh laundry bag
Invest in a mesh laundry bag for placing your delicate items. E.g. Lingerie.
Milk stains
For milk on baby clothes soak the clothes in cold water and then wash in cold water.
Mouldy smells
Rewash laundry left in the machine with vinegar. The mouldy smell will go away.
Mud off boots
Dry in the sun, bang together and scrub with a toothbrush.
Never fold washing
Fold washing directly from the line into each person’s basket.
New clothes smell
Include a little vinegar in the cycle to remove the new smell from clothes.
Open shelves
Install open shelves near the machine. These are great for quick access to laundry products.
Open the windows
Be sure to use a fan or open windows in a laundry to prevent mould
Paint the laundry
Consider painting your laundry a light and bright colour. Looks fresher.
Home cleaning | Get those socks organised
Pairing socks
Pin socks together before placing in washing baskets. Keep the pins handy.
Pen marks
Spray the mark with hairspray. Dry. Brush over with vinegar and water. Wash.
Perfect fold
Checkout, a Flip-Fold, which perfectly and easily folds garments. Try to make your own.
Perspiration
Soak a garment in salty water to help remove perspiration stains and smells.
Perspiration stains
Apply a baking soda and water paste to the underarms of the garment and wash as normal.
Preserve stockings
Add vinegar to the washing cycle to preserve stockings.
Preserve zips
Zip up your clothes before washing them. Preserve zips.
Re-evaluate
Technology has certainly changed. There are machines out there with 15-minute cycles!
Repurpose a table
Use the dining table for sorting and folding washing if you lack space in the laundry.
Sauce stains
Spot clean sauce stains before washing to get more wear out of baby clothes.
Scorch stains
Scrub the bottom of the iron with vinegar and salt.
Shoe shine
Dab a little vinegar onto a damp cloth and shine your shoes.
Smelly clothes
When washing smelly clothes add baking soda or vinegar. Both products remove odours.
Smokey clothes
Soak garments in warm water and vinegar.
Sock treatment
Boil socks with slices of lemon to help whiten and lighten them.
Starch your board
Spray the ironing board instead of the clothes.
Sticky iron
Sprinkle some salt on a brown paper bag. Now iron the brown paper bag.
Storing brooms
Designate one tall cupboard for brooms, ironing board and long items.
The perfect fold
Place clothes open onto an open port-a-cot mattress. Fold both sides over. Slip garment out.
Tray for small items
Keep an open ice-cream tub or tray in the laundry for items that come out of pockets.
Useful products
Be sure to check out all Useful Product sheets in Turbo Tips.
Washing baskets
Fold up washing baskets are a great space saving option and also good for travel or camping.
Washing jeans
To wash jeans turn them inside out and wash with one cup of vinegar. This sets the colour.
Washing powder
It is a good idea not to place your washing powder on the machine!
Washing line
Think outside the square with washing lines. Repurpose furniture.
Washing times
Only do laundry on selected days of the week. Do not become a slave to laundry.
Whiten socks
Add a little dish washing liquid to a washing cycle to help whiten socks.
Wire shelving
Wire shelves are cheap to install and a sturdy solution for storing laundry products.