Editor's Note: This post was originally posted in April 2018 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in January 2024.
Washing clothes can be incredibly time-consuming, especially if you have a big family. Today we're sharing our top laundry tips to help you get the basket empty and washed quicker than ever.
Avoid dulled darks, faded colours and greying whites and learn how to save money on every wash with our cracking hacks. There are also expert stain-removal tips, general advice and much more.
Don't be a slave to your laundry! Take control and discover the laundry tips today.
1. Remove grease stains with chalk
We all know how delicious greasy food can be - it's also notoriously messy!
Luckily, we have an easy-peasy laundry tip to help you get even the oiliest of stains out of clothing. All you need is...chalk.
Rub white chalk onto the stain, leave it for a few minutes until the oil is absorbed, brush off and launder as usual.
Did someone say hamburger and fries time?
2. Dry wet shoes with newspaper
Got caught in the rain?
A really effective way to take some of the moisture out of your shoes is wrapping them in some newspaper.
Crumple a few sheets around your trainers and leave overnight. It's much better than putting your shoes in the dryer, which could damage them.
3. How to remove sweat stains
Sweat is completely natural, and nothing to be ashamed about. Despite this, many of us are, and sweat patches on clothes can be a real concern for some.
If you'd like to banish hard sweat stains once and for all, look no further.
Mix 4 tbsp baking soda with 1/4 cup warm water, and apply to the stained area. Let soak for around an hour, then rinse and wash as usual.
4. Laundry tips to help speed up drying
We've all been there - planning to wear a certain top only to find it dirty, or still drying, when we arrive home. Most washing machines come with a 'quick wash' option, but what about drying?
To get your laundry dry fast, pop a towel in with the load. Remove after about 15 minutes, and it will have absorbed some of the water, speeding up the drying process.
5. Remove trainer stains with nail polish remover
Whilst you've got your trainers out, let's use another laundry hack to tackle those tough, rubber sole stains.
Even the toughest of stains are no match for nail varnish remover. Place your shoes on a piece of newspaper, and use a ball of cotton wool and wipe over stains. Leave them to sit for half an hour, wipe again with your cotton wool, then wipe clean.
6. The easiest way to remove stains ever
Stain removal is about to get easier than you ever imagined.
Want to know the secret?
Sunlight! Hang stained clothing (including nappies) on a line in the sun, and the light will lift stains and brighten clothes to an amazing effect.
Best of all, it's free and effortless!
7. Speed up the ironing process
100% cotton is wonderful - until it comes to ironing, that is.
To get your cotton tops, sheets and towels ironed in super-quick time, iron them when slightly damp. If they've already dried completely, spritz with water first.
The water and heat create steam, resulting in perfectly creaseless results in a matter of seconds.
8. How to wash trainers in the washing machine
Did you know it's perfectly okay to wash trainers in the washing machine? Canvas and nylon trainers can be washed at 20ºC with your normal detergent.
We even have a tip that'll stop them from banging around.
Simply place the trainers in an old pillowcase and then add them to your washing machine along with an old towel. The towel will stop the trainers from hitting the drum with as much force, keeping the rubber soles intact.
9. Add vinegar to your laundry
Dampness can make laundry smell a bit 'funny'. If you want to make sure your towels and gym gear come out smelling really fresh, pop a cup of white vinegar in with your load.
Wait! Before you put the washing load on, check if it's bad luck to wash your clothes on that day.
10. Spin your pants & bras
Another one of our more novel laundry hacks is using a salad spinner to dry pants and bras. This will take the excess water out of your underwear, and speed up the drying process when it's on a line.
Plus, it's much gentler than using a tumble dryer.
11. How to decrease clothes without an iron
No iron? No problem. One of our most easy but invaluable laundry tips will solve that problem.
And it requires no effort!
Hanging clothes straight out of the wash is often enough to encourage creases to fall out of them, leaving you with creaseless clothing. Who said everyone needs an iron?
12. How to remove red wine stains
Red wine is all fun and games until you spill it down your top. Fear not - we have a cleaning tip to remove it.
All you need is milk! Blot the stain with a clean paper towel, then pour milk over the stain (you might want to hold it over the sink whilst doing so to prevent more mess). Make sure the stain is fully saturated, then leave for an hour then wash as usual.
13. Dryer sheet substitute
If you use dryer sheets in every wash, they can get pretty expensive. If you like the effects but not the price tag, there are some dryer sheet alternatives you can try. A scrunched-up ball of aluminium foil instead. It will prevent annoying static and last much longer than regular dryer sheets.
14. Use an ice cube in the dryer
This is one of the weirder cleaning tips, but it's definitely worth trying as it can be very effective.
Linen garments and large, 100% cotton sheets can be a pain to iron. If you want to give yourself a head start, pop a few ice cubes in with the dryer. They'll reduce creasing and wrinkles, and make your laundry much easier to deal with.
Next, find out if linen can shrink in the wash.
15. Whiter whites & brighter brights with bicarb
The powers of natural cleaning never fail to surprise us, and laundering is no exception.
Adding 1/2 cup of bicarbonate of soda to your laundry will help to whiten whites and keep brights bright. Your clothes will never have looked so good!
This hack is particularly good for whitening bras.
16. Prevent colours from running with salt
Running colours can wreak havoc with your wash.
Want to know an easy way to avoid it?
Use 1 tbsp of salt in your wash. The chloride will lock in colours to keep them nice and bright.
17. The best way to remove ink stains
There are many uses for hairspray you probably didn't know about, but when it comes to laundry tips, there's a particular one that's worth knowing.
Want to know how to remove ink stains with hairspray?
First, check your hairspray has a high alcohol content (cheap ones are often best). If it doesn't, use hand sanitiser gel instead.
Saturate the stain fully, wait 10 minutes, then throw in the wash. The results are truly astonishing!
18. Baby powder to remove grease stains
Another great way to remove grease stains from clothes in baby powder.
Just as with chalk, the key is applying the powder until it soaks up all of the grease. Then lightly brush off, and launder as normal.
19. How to keep darks dark
Last but not least on our amazing list of cleaning tips uses an everyday drink to keep darks looking sharp.
Love coffee? Turns out your clothes do too! Add a cup to your dark wash to add as a gentle but natural dye to keep your denim, blacks and dark blues looking great.
Next, turn your hand to DIY and learn how to disconnect a washing machine. We're also sharing advice on how to hand wash your clothes. Take a look!
So many laundry tips! Do you have any of your own you'd like to share with us? Comment below with your tricks!
Item 6 removing stains via sunshine. I can confirm this does actually work. Spilled half a mug of minestrone soup down my white linen shirt and whilst sitting in the sun it almost vanished. Just a good soak before washing and it was gone. I was nicely surprised. Great tip
Hi Susie. Isn't it an amazing tip?! We're so glad it worked for you. Thanks for sharing :)
For any washing that is a bit greasy, tea towels, aprons and the like, put soda crystals in the wash. Also works for make up stains. As a bonus, it helps to keep the machine clean too.
Hi Lucy, We've never tried this before but it sounds like a great tip - thanks for sharing :)
Instead of a dryer sheet that are expensive, try a baby wipe, stops the static and gives a nice smell ????,( i prefer to use Johnston's) Then once you have finished with it pop a little, softener on it & pop behind a radiator and when the radiator on it gives off nice smell, if you don't use softener use essential oil,
Hi Hazel. Thanks a lot for sharing this tip. We've never tried using baby wipes in the place of dryer sheets but will definitely be giving it a go.
My son wore a white shirt after applying suncream. This has now turned his expensive shirt a streaky yellow colour. Any ideas for getting this out?
Hi Jackie! Hanging it to dry in the sun should remove some of the stains. The sun has incredible bleaching powers.
Thank you Joanne, I will give that a try. I have had it on the line, but it just looks patchy and yellow now.
You're welcome, Jackie! I hope it works.
There's some mould stains on my woollen coat. Any ideas for getting rid of those please?
Hi Gladys! What have you tried so far?
Hi, I have Stopped The use of fabric softener as I have a son who suffered with a skin condition and I have stopped using Bio liquid/ powder, and using a few teaspoons of Epsom salts in with the washing liquid ( Non Bio ) which helps keeps the washing soft! Works well!!!
Thanks for sharing, Anne!
Who irons sheets and towels for goodness sake?
Certainly not me, CG! I find that if you get them out of the washing machine fast enough, they don't crease.
If you have purchased a new garment that you know will run in the first wash, soak it over night in salt water and then wash as normal before wearing. This will stop the amount of colour that runs out in the wash, I always do this with new items, it has saved me loads on not having to buy colour run remover.
Fab idea! Thanks for sharing, Tracy.
How do I remove the smell of Diesel from a coat?
Hi Dawn! What have you tried so far?
Does anyone know the secret please, to keeping towels soft. So many of mine have gone quite coarse and no longer soft and fluffy. I would love to "bring them back" to their original state.
Hi Corinne! Have you tried washing them with white vinegar? This helps to strip any build-up. Tumble drying will also help.
how do you stop the smell from the washing machine
To remove washing machine odours, run a hot cycle with 2 cups of white vinegar, then wipe down the rubber seal and detergent drawer. Prevent future smells by leaving the door open after each use and using less detergent to avoid residue buildup.