Never Lose Another Sock with These Laundry Hacks

The only thing that should disappear without a trace in your laundry is dirt. So, why do socks always vanish into thin air when being cleaned? Look on the upside: it’s a cosmic mystery to ponder while you wait — and wait — for your clothes to dry. After which, you can hope none of your garments have shrunk because you used the wrong setting. Stealthy socks, lost hours, ruined sweaters and shirts — no wonder doing laundry is among the most loathed of all chores. But before you despair at the thought of tackling your next load of laundry, we have seven must-know hacks to help you navigate these common conundrums. Read on to learn how to save time and money — and a little sanity — while preserving your fabrics. 

Say goodbye to missing socks

We’ve all had a sock or two seemingly evaporate out of our laundry. One answer may be that they went trapped and unseen within the static-clingy folds of other clothes, and one day you’ll be reunited with them. But don’t discount the idea that your machine actually did gobble them up. In top-loading washers, socks can get stuck under the agitator or the wash plate. They can also end up caught between the inner and outer tubs. In front-loading washing machines, socks can get trapped in the filter or drain pump. In dryers, small socks can be sucked into the area between the door and the drum.

Luckily, there’s an easy solution to tackle all of these possibilities at once. Simply keep them all together by washing them in a mesh laundry bag. Place all your socks in the bag before tossing them in the washing machine with the rest of your laundry. This laundry hack ensures you’ll never have a sock go missing again.

Tackle stubborn stains once and for all

Don’t let stains ruin your clothes — combat them by creating a DIY stain remover. Use equal parts baking soda and hydrogen peroxide combined with a squirt of dish soap. Apply the paste to the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then gently scrub, and launder as usual. Always check that the stain is fully gone before putting it in the dryer — you don’t want to set the stain if it’s there! This stain-removing solution works wonders on the most stubborn stains including grease, wine, and grass marks. 

Unshrink your clothes

Did you accidentally shrink your favorite sweater or favorite pair of jeans? Try soaking any afflicted garments in a mixture of lukewarm water and hair conditioner for about 15 minutes — yes, really! After rinsing, you’ll need to gently stretch the fabric back to its original shape while it’s still wet. Flatten them out, air dry, and voila — your once-misshapen clothes should have regained their former glory.

Freshen up musty clothes and towels

Didn’t dry your damp towels quickly enough and now they have that musty smell? You can revive musty-smelling items by washing them with white vinegar. All you need to do is run them through a regular wash cycle and add in a cup of white vinegar. Incorporating white vinegar as a laundry hack helps eliminate odors and restores freshness. If the smell is difficult to overcome, you might want to soak them in a bucket of white vinegar for a few hours or even overnight. Then, launder as usual — after which, your towels should come out smelling fresh as new.

Speed up drying time by using a towel

Tired of waiting for your bed sheets to dry? Speed up the drying process by placing a clean, dry towel in the dryer with your wet laundry. The towel works to absorb excess moisture, reducing the overall drying time. This is a great tip if you are in a hurry and need your clothes ready as soon as possible. Don’t make the mistake of choosing high heat, which may very well shrink your clothes. 

Rejuvenate faded colors naturally

If you wash on hot and high heat often, your clothes will lose their vibrance more quickly than if you wash in cold water and dry with low heat. To keep your colors from fading, try adding a one-half cup of white vinegar to your wash cycle. Not only does white vinegar tackle foul odors, but it also helps set colors, preventing them from bleeding or fading. It’s a natural and eco-friendly way to refresh garments. If you want to restore brightness to your whites without harsh chemicals like bleach, hang them to dry in the sun for a few hours. This is an eco-friendly laundry hack that doesn’t cost a thing. Better still, it’s just one of the ways to harness the sun for sustainable living. 

Subscribe and save on eco-friendly laundry sheets

Everyone hates lugging around that plastic jug of liquid detergent — almost as much as they do dealing with the dripping, sticky mess it creates. SaltyLama saves you from all that. Just take and tear one of our eco-friendly detergent sheets, and toss it in where liquid or powder chemicals used to go. Done! And not a spill in sight. You’ll never have to break out the measuring cup again since we’ve done the math for you. Each sheet is pre-measured, depending on the size of your load.

And while you’ll love the fact our formula is plant-based and hypoallergenic, you’ll also appreciate how easy and affordable it is to never run out of detergent again by subscribing to SaltyLama. Skip the store and the lines and schedule when you want your order and never think about it again. You can cancel, pause, or skip an order on your subscription whenever you want because we don’t do contracts here. Our goal? To make doing your laundry as sleek, simple, and safe as possible. 

And just like that, laundry day got easier! With these handy laundry hacks, you can conquer common laundry woes and transform wash day from a hassle to a breeze.