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    17 Laundry Tips Our Readers Actually Swear By

    From removing stubborn stains to eliminating lingering odors.

    Kayla Boyd
    by Kayla Boyd

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share their best laundry tips.

    Disney

    Here are some of their helpful responses that can hopefully help you conquer that pile of laundry with ease:

    1. Use pure Castile soap to get out stains, even tough ones like mud and red clay.

    Amazon

    "Pure Castile soap is magic on stains, especially red clay stains (if you live in the area of the country that has red clay). My son is just getting to the age where he is exploring and he gets mud and red clay everywhere, so it’s a lifesaver! You can use Fels Naptha, Kirk’s, or make your own. I usually make all my own soap, laundry detergent, and cleaners for a fraction of the cost you get them in the store, and I think they work better!" —rina193

    Get a bottle of Quinn’s Pure Castile Organic Liquid Soap from Amazon for $13.49.

    2. Set a timer on your phone for when the washer is done so your clothes don't sit in there for too long if you miss the sound of the washer stopping.

    Network 10

    "Set a timer on your phone for when the washer is done and when it’s time to put your stuff in the dryer. I forget all the time if I rely only on my memory and the sound of the washer stopping." —jconway

    3. Turn shirts inside out and spray them with white vinegar to take away the smell of body odor and deodorant.

    dengarden.com

    For more details, check out "How to Make Dirty Clothes Smell Good Without Washing Them" by Dengarden.

    "Use white vinegar in a spray bottle — turn T-shirts and undershirts inside out and spritz until soaked, leave for 5–10 minutes, then wash. It takes away that B.O./deodorant smell." —princessfiona

    Get a bottle of Heinz All-Natural Distilled White Vinegar from Amazon for $9.48.

    4. Try using Pine-Sol on stubborn grease stains.

    Nickelodeon

    Pine-Sol can provide a powerful spot treatment for grease stains if you use a sponge or cloth to rub some into the stain before washing the garment like normal. Get more laundry tips that involve using Pine-Sol here.

    "Pine-Sol for grease stains." —6thspicegirl

    Get a 40 oz bottle of Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner from Amazon for $4.42.

    5. Or use some dish soap to treat grease stains. Just rub some over the spot before washing it like normal.

    BuzzFeed

    "Dawn dish soap for stubborn grease stains. Pour a bit on the stain, rub it in over the whole spot, and then wash like normal. It even took care of the stains my youngest brother would get helping work on tractors." —khalida_ryuu

    "Spot clean grease stains with dish soap (I really think Dawn is best, but others work) and rinse with the hottest water your faucet can produce. Then wash as normal. This even works on set-in stains that you put through a cycle before without pre-treating." —stephaniek4282e151d

    Get a bottle of Dawn dish soap from Target for $0.99+.

    6. Fels-Naptha is another great stain remover and can work on everything from dirt to wine to grass stains.

    amazon.com

    "Fels-Naptha soap. It's an old-fashioned stain remover laundry bar that cost less than $2. It will take out any stain; wine, oil, blood, dirt, anything. My grandma has been using it forever and now my entire family does as well." —a419e467ae

    "Fels Naptha soap has saved many an article of clothing for me. Even after I've set a stain I missed by washing it and then tossing it in the dryer. You just wet the soap, rub it on the stain, let it sit overnight or for a few hours and then wash it. Depending on the stain it might take a second try, but it really does work well and it's cheaper than most commercial stain removers and lasts forever." —rciag

    Get a Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar and Stain Remover from Amazon for $0.88.

    7. You should absolutely hand wash bras, but if you must put them in the washer, place them in a mesh bag to prevent damage.

    Flo Perry / BuzzFeed

    "PLEASE use a mesh bag to wash your bras. It’s 2020." —likeaghost

    Get a five-pack of mesh bags from Amazon for $8.87.

    8. Mesh bags are also great for keeping small items together so they don't get lost, like socks and underwear.

    Amazon

    "Buy mesh laundry bags! It makes it so much easier to keep track of socks and underwear, and I put things that I need to air dry in them so it's easy to find when switching to the dryer." —lizm4afe0a7a0

    9. Use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets because they last *much* longer, making them more cost effective and better for the environment.

    Amazon

    "Instead of dryer sheets, which are expensive and bad for the environment, use wool dryer balls. Tennis balls work if you can't find the wool ones, but they're noisier." —naraniel

    "Use dryer balls with a few drops of your favorite essential oil if you don’t want to buy fabric softener sheets or scent boosters." —voraxastor86

    The wool dryer balls pictured above have no chemicals or synthetics, they help improve air flow in the dryer (which shortens dry time), and they'll last for a thousand washes or more. Get a six-pack from Amazon for $16.95.

    10. Add a sprinkle of Borax in every load to enhance the effectiveness of bleach and detergent and to help remove residual product from your clothes.

    Amazon

    "Borax is a laundry godsend. It enhances the effectiveness of bleach and detergent, and helps to remove residual product from your clothes with every wash. A healthy sprinkle on the bottom of every load will work wonders. My towels have never been more absorbent, my whites never brighter, and my athletic wear never cleaner (seriously, I'm a sweaty person, and this removes all the funk from my hard workouts)." —j495e50fc7

    Get a resealable bucket of Borax powder from Amazon for $29.98.

    11. Always clean out the lint trap! They can be a dangerous fire hazard.

    Amazon

    "Check your lint traps! I was listening to My Favorite Murder and Karen, one of the hosts, explained how her dad was a firefighter and he told her one of the most common reasons for house fires was a clogged lint trap. Now, we clean the lint trap out every time, but our dryer has an additional vent in the back that also collects lint. One day, there was a smoky smell in the house so we checked the vent in the back and sure enough, we could see actual sparks it was that hot. So that's my laundry tip, check the trap." —monikap6

    Get a two-pack of dryer vent cleaners from Amazon for $8.95.

    12. Try using hand sanitizer to remove an ink stain.

    onegoodthingbyjillee.com

    For more details, check out "Surprisingly, This Is The Best Way To Remove An Ink Stain" by One Good Thing by Jillee.

    "Hand sanitizer (if you can find it) is the only thing I know of that gets rid of ink stains. Cover the stain as soon as possible, let it sit for a little bit, then toss in the machine." —tiffanyspivey

    13. Air dry your clothes as much as possible. It will keep them in better shape overall and help avoid shrinkage.

    Amazon

    "Not really anything too crazy, but air dry your clothes as much as possible! It saves you money, saves power, and it’s actually better for your clothes a lot of the time. Using a dryer can cause clothes to shrink (even over time so you won’t notice right away!) and can cause other signs of wear and tear (like fading, pilling, snagging, holes, etc)." —mochaknee

    "To make cheap washable clothes last longer, only dry them for a few minutes. While they're still damp, hang them on the shower rod or a drying rack. The short tumble keeps them from turning all stiff." —naraniel

    The drying rack shown above is made of durable, yet lightweight steel that is easy to move around. It's also stain- and mildew-resistant. More than 4,000 people gave it a five-star rating! Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in two colors).

    14. Take the time to clean your washing machine so it can do its job more efficiently. You can do so by mixing vinegar, water, and baking soda and scrubbing. Or you can also buy some washer cleaning tablets.

    Amazon

    "Clean your washing machine. It will run more efficiently and have less bacteria when you do. People skip this because, 'Oh, it's a washing machine, it cleans every time I do laundry!' but that's not the case. One part vinegar to one part water (however much you want, so three cups vinegar, three cups water, whatever) and a good sprinkling of baking soda, scrub the whole inside of your machine with a washcloth, let it sit, then run the machine empty on the hottest water setting, and VOILA! Clean, happy machine." —blueribbs84

    "Newer machines often have a cleaning cycle and you can get those Affresh tablets to toss in." —naraniel

    "No need for homemade recipes. Just throw in those washer tablets and run a cycle on the hottest setting. Does the trick every time. It keeps the machine clean and smelling fresh." —mupke

    Get a six-pack of Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets from Amazon for $11.98.

    15. Hydrogen peroxide can do the trick for blood stains.

    onegoodthingbyjillee.com

    For more details, check out "This Is The Best Way To Remove Blood Stains From Fabric" by One Good Thing by Jillee.

    "You can use peroxide to get old and fresh blood out of fabric." —kellypang

    "Hydrogen peroxide takes out blood and organic stains and whitens the fringe on oriental rugs." —luckyangel30

    16. When your white clothes start to get that yellow tint, use Rit Dye Remover to make them pristine again.

    amazon.com

    "When your white clothes start turning yellow use Rit Dye Remover to turn them back white. Also works when color bleeds onto white clothes (thanks, Mom)." —luckyangel30

    Get Rit Color Remover from Amazon for $6.69.

    17. And Oxi Clean is another well-loved stain remover for a wide range of messes including ink, nail polish, and dirt.

    Amazon

    "A mixture of Oxi Clean, dawn dish soap, and a little water to make a paste gets out any stain. I had a 4-ft doll since I was born and it took out 20 years of discoloration and made it look brand-new." —justchillman

    "Oxi Clean is great. I've gotten ink and nail polish out with it." —karens4d94b861b

    Get a container of Oxi Clean from Amazon for $12.98.

    Congrats, you're ready for laundry day!

    Comedy Central

    Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.