1. Turn old pillowcases into dust bags for clothes, purses, and shoes.
Just cut a hole in the middle of the closed end so the hanger hook can slip through.
2. Freeze static cling-prone skirts and shirts before wearing.
3. Or, get rid of static cling with aerosol hairspray.
Spray the hairspray onto clothing at arm’s length so only a fine mist hits the fabric.
4. Zipping up all zippers and tying all drawstrings will prevent snags in the washing machine.
But keep buttoned shirts unbuttoned. Fastened buttons can cause button holes to tear.
5. Write on your washing machine with a dry erase marker to remind yourself which clothes can’t go in the dryer.
6. Pretreat a makeup smudge with shaving cream.
7. Use a Sharpie to hide bleach marks on black clothing.
The Sharpie may wash out when you do laundry. Just reapply as needed.
Note: This tip works best on darker black clothing.
8. Re-dye faded black clothes for about $3 with Rit Dye.
Dyes like Rit dye are found everywhere and only cost $3.
Follow the directions on the packaging or use these! First, fill a pot with enough water to cover the fabric (use about 3 gallons per pound of fabric). Then, heat the water to simmering.
Wearing rubber gloves, shake the dye bottle. You’ll want to use half the bottle or one package of Rit powder dissolved in two cups of hot water for each pound of fabric. For dark colors, double the amount of dye. Stir well. Add one cup of salt for cottons, or one cup of white vinegar for silk, wool, and nylon along with a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Stir well.
Use a paper towel to test the color. If you’d like the color darker, simply add more dye. Too dark? Dilute with water.
Wet the faded fabric with warm water, then squeeze out excess water. Smooth out wrinkles before adding to the dye pot.
Bring the dye to a simmer and let it soak into your faded fabric for at least 30 minutes, stirring well often. Continue simmering until the color you want is achieved, keeping in mind that wet fabric is darker than dried fabric. Remove the piece of clothing from the dye and rinse throughly with warm water until the water runs clear.
Throw the item in the wash with an old towel and hang to dry. Make sure to clean the pot you used to dye your fabric with chlorine bleach immediately after!
9. Put baby powder on an oil stain and let it soak up the oil overnight.
10. Prevent underarm sweat stains with thin panty liners.
11. And get rid of armpit stains with lemon juice and baking soda.
Squeeze fresh or concentrated lemon juice and water onto the stain and rub the mixture in. Allow the shirt to dry out in the sun for extra stain-removing power. For tough stains, create a paste of baking soda and water and apply to the stain. Let it sit for about an hour before throwing it into the wash.
12. Wash delicates in a mesh bag or pillowcase to make them last longer.
13. Washing socks in a mesh laundry bag makes it easier to pair when folding.
14. Keep hosiery from snagging by storing them individually in zip bags.
Snagging hosiery is easy when you’re digging through a messy pile in the back of your drawer. Prevent this by folding and storing in plastic zip bags.
15. Use clear nail polish to stop a run in your stocking or tights.
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16. Freeze jeans to remove odors.
Odor-causing bacteria will die in freezing temperatures, and your denim’s dye won’t fade from overwashing.
17. Hang skirts, scarves, and pants securely with clothespins.
18. Avoid hanger creases in pants with business cards.
19. Wear a tank top between a button-up and sweater for a smoother look.
No more button outlines or bunching!
20. Dewrinkle clothes quickly with ice cubes.
Throw a couple of ice cubes in your dryer with wrinkled clothing for about 15 minutes. As the heat from your dryer melts the ice cubes, steam is released to help rid your clothes of wrinkles.
21. Hanging clean shirts by stacking them flat first, then folding them down as you slip each hanger through will make doing laundry go by faster.
22. Use rubber bands to keep shirts from slipping off hangers.
23. Hanging sweaters like this will prevent them from falling off or getting stretched out.
First, take your sweater and fold it in half lengthwise. Place the hook of the hanger near the the armpit of your sweater.
Then, fold the sleeves and the bottom half over the hanger.
24. Shave off sweater pills with a razor.
25. Free a caught zipper by coloring the teeth on both sides with a crayon.
26. Restring a hoodie by attaching a safety pin to the end and using it as a guide.
27. Rolling instead of folding clothes will make more room in your luggage.
28. Use a dryer sheet in your suitcase to keep clothes smelling fresh when you travel.
29. Stop a loose button from unraveling with clear nail polish.
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