Laundry
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Place a damp (not dripping) washcloth, sock, or t-shirt in the dryer with wrinkled dry clothes to remove wrinkles.
The moisture spreads between items during the cycle, acting like a fabric steamer.
- Special fabrics, sweaters, and dresses may be ruined by this method.
- Do not use dripping wet items.
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- Toss a couple of ice cubes into the dryer with wrinkled clothes to help remove wrinkles.3
Use cold or room-temperature water to soak stains, as hot water can set them into the fabric.
Hot water can 'cook' proteins in organic liquids like blood and semen, binding them to the fabric, and uses heat to set toner.
- Some fruit juice stains may require soaking in hot water after treating with hydrogen peroxide.
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- Wash bodily fluid stains in cold water first.1
Use a product like 'Wad-Free for Bed Sheets' to prevent sheets and covers from tangling.
It claims to dry laundry up to 75% faster without wadding.
- There is a learning curve for attaching the clips to the sheets.
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Do not leave clothes soaking in soapy water all day.
Your clothes will rot.
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Run a dehumidifier in the room where you keep your drying racks to speed up the process.
It makes drying go faster when space is tight.
- Specific to households where racks are kept in a tight living area.
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Use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets to eliminate static and wrinkles without waxy buildup.
Tumble clothes in the dryer for 5 minutes after washing, then hang them to dry.
This removes creases, reduces stress on the fabric, and shortens hang-drying time by an hour or two.
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Hang dry clothes to extend their lifespan and save on energy costs.
Excessive heat can damage fabric longevity.
- Towels and some shirts may become scratchy and stiff.
- Not feasible if living space is too small to hang a week's worth of laundry.
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- Hang dry clothes on a line or rack to save energy and extend garment life.3
Air-dry clothes by hanging them directly in the closet to make garments last longer and avoid fiber loss from dryers.
Fabric loses its fibers much quicker when put in a dryer.
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- Hang natural fibers up to dry instead of using a dryer.1
Dry clothes on a rack outdoors in hot, arid climates.
The lack of humidity helps them dry quickly.
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Stop drying clothes when they feel dry to the touch rather than waiting for them to be 100% dry.
Making clothes 100% dry is not good for them.
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Pause the dryer halfway through the cycle to mix up the clothes and move items from the inside of the bundle to the outside.
Helps clothes dry even quicker.
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Run bras through the dryer monthly to tighten the band.
One person found this restores tightness.
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Never dry clothes on higher than low heat.
High heat ruins and tatters clothing.
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- Use lower heat settings on the dryer or air dry clothes to prevent fading and aging.1
Wring out excess water from sopping wet clothes before putting them in the dryer to prevent motor damage.
Dripping water can drip onto the motor and short it out; the weight of saturated clothes is also a strain on the drive belt.
- One appliance repair technician stated this is not the case for any machine they have taken apart.
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Do not turn shirts with large blocks of white print inside out for drying.
The white ink can transfer onto the back fabric, causing discoloration.
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If you cannot hang clothes outside, build a drying box from PVC and black plastic with vents at the top and bottom, placing a fan at the bottom to circulate air.
It protects clothes from rain spray and aids drying.
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Use a manual hand wringer to press wet clothes flat and remove water before air drying.
The process irons the clothes.
- Be careful, as fingers can get caught between the rollers.
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Hang a wet bathing suit on a hanger in your car, out of direct sunlight, to get the most from air circulation.
It allows the suit to drip dry while preventing UV damage.
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Use wool dryer balls to separate clothes and improve airflow without damaging fabrics or leaving lint.
The balls bounce around, lifting laundry to allow air circulation and speeding up drying.
- Ensure they are felted wool; loose yarn will unwind.
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- Use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets to eliminate static and wrinkles without waxy buildup.4
Unplug the electric dryer and use an outdoor clothesline or indoor racks to dry laundry.
One family of five saved at least $50 monthly on electricity.
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Clean the lint trap regularly to reduce drying time and prevent fire hazards.
Lint buildup increases drying time and poses a fire hazard.
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Set up a fan near drying racks in areas with poor air circulation to improve line drying.
Ensures actual air circulation.
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Substitute the dry towel with a couple of dry t-shirts if you are concerned about lint or roughness.
T-shirts are less rough than towels.
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Place shoes over an HVAC vent to dry them.
It dries them just as fast without banging around.
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Use dry towels instead of dry clothes to speed up drying a single wet item.
It works even faster.
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Snap t-shirts before hanging them to line dry to maintain length and reduce wrinkles.
It keeps them long enough and helps with wrinkles.
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Hang wet clothes in areas with good airflow, such as kitchens or near open windows.
Airflow helps them dry.
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- Hang clothes near the washer to help them dry faster.1
Hang dry your sheets to save energy and improve their scent.
It saves tons of energy and makes them smell nice.
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Fold heavy items like thick sweaters instead of hanging them.
Hanging them can cause them to get stretched out.
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Add fabric softener to hand-washed clothes.
It helps with stiffness from air drying.
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Soak musty-smelling towels, then wash them on a heavy cycle twice without overloading the machine, ensuring only towels are washed together.
Musty smells may indicate the need for soaking or stripping.
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Fold the duvet cover neatly before tumble drying to reduce tangling.
The lack of heat and shrinkage may make the fabric less 'grabby'.
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Use a drying rack to air dry clothes, especially those with lycra or spandex.
Heat degrades fabric, and a rack preserves clothes.
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Use larger balls, such as soccer balls or small basketballs, when drying large items in giant dryers.
Larger items require larger balls.
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Remove clothes from the washer promptly after the cycle ends to prevent musty odors.
Letting damp clothes sit for days makes them rank, baking the smell in during drying and requiring rewashing.
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One approach that helped: Hang wet clothes outside in winter to freeze, then beat off the ice with a rug beater.
This method resulted in very soft clothes.
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Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets on towels.
These products break down fibers and reduce absorbency over time.
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- Avoid using dryer sheets or fabric softeners on towels.1
Add a dry towel to the washing machine before a second spin cycle to absorb extra water from clothes.
It helps clothes dry a bit quicker.
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Fluff wet clothes to separate them before placing them in the dryer to reduce drying time.
Clothes are bunched tightly from the spin cycle; separating them helps lower dry time.
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Remove the absorbent towel from the dryer after 5–15 minutes and hang it to air dry separately.
Removing the saturated towel removes more water faster.
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Clean the lint filter before every load to ensure efficient drying and allow more moisture to escape.
A lot of crap gets stuck in there
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Untwist garments by shaking them when transferring from washer to dryer.
This stops clothes from remaining in wet clumps, allowing faster drying and reducing wrinkles.
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Remove the dry towel partway through the drying cycle to get the most from its effectiveness.
Leaving it in for the full duration prevents it from working properly.
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Use a lower heat setting in the dryer when using dryer balls to preserve clothing quality.
Lower heat reduces shrinkage and fading.
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Place a carpet protector under drying racks to protect bathtubs.
One person chipped a bathtub by placing a rack directly on it.
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Ensure the washing machine spin cycle removes most water before line drying.
American top-loading washers may leave clothes dripping, increasing drying time.
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Rinse cloths or sponges in really hot water and wring them out thoroughly.
Hot water evaporates fast.
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Use a small clothing steamer to remove wrinkles.
Small steamers are very efficient.
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Button up the duvet cover completely before drying to keep it from gathering inside itself.
It prevents the cover from gathering inside itself.
- This can damage the cover by ripping buttons out or stretching/ripping button holes.
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Place a towel or large shirt over wet clothes in an upright dryer, spin to position it at the bottom, and use it as a handle to carry the load.
Socks will be contained
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Do not use the dry towel method with delicate items.
The towel fibers can damage delicate fabrics.
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Do not put elastic items or jeans in the dryer, as heat degrades elastic and reduces the lifespan of jeans.
Heat causes elastic to degrade and prevents jeans from lasting longer.
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Dry clothes on the delicate cycle and lay them flat or hang them immediately upon removal.
Drying slowly prevents wrinkles.
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Mist wrinkled clothes, gently stretch the fabric horizontally and vertically, and let it dry for a few minutes.
Stretching pulls the wrinkles out.
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Hang dry everything except bedding and inexpensive socks, keeping items out of the sun.
This prevents shrinking.
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Use dryer sheets in winter months to prevent static electricity buildup on clothes.
Static buildup can be strong enough to zap electronics like laptops.
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Use a Peet Dryer to dry damp ski boots, gloves, or wet shoes.
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Put clothes outside to ventilate if possible.
Removes light odors.
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Ensure clothes dry completely after washing, especially in humid environments.
Improper drying can cause clothes to retain odor.
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If you lack a dryer and live in a humid climate, use an indoor drying rack rather than leaving clothes outside under a roof, as dampness from rain and humidity can cause moldy smells.
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Apply a paste of salt to blood stains on fabric instead of peroxide.
Peroxide can leave faint orangish-brown stains on white items, whereas the salt paste removes the stain.
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If the fresh blood stain is your own, spit on it to help dissolve the proteins.
Spit dissolves the proteins if it is your own blood.
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Avoid dryer sheets and fabric softener.
Check full washers and dryers hourly to ensure they are still accepting payment.
Some machines stop taking coins when full, allowing you to reuse the same coin.
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Wear clothes 2-3 times before washing them if they are not dirty.
It saves time on laundry and ironing.
- Wash them if they are dirty.
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- Stop washing clothes on an arbitrary schedule; instead, wash them only when they are dirty or smelly, aiming for 2-5 wears between washes to save money and prevent fading.1
Fill top-load washers only about 1/4 full before adding detergent and swirling it by hand to mix, then add clothes last.
This mixes the water and detergent for a much better clean.
- This method does not work for side-load washing machines.
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Use white vinegar instead of liquid fabric softener.
It costs less and improves how clothes feel.
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- Air dry laundry and use vinegar instead of fabric softener to save money and be gentle on clothes.1
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Wash jeans only every couple of weeks and turn them inside out before washing to help them last longer.
Washing less frequently and turning them inside out helps the jeans last longer.
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Avoid dryer sheets and fabric softener.
They are unnecessary, costly, clog screens, and deposit extra oils/minerals that make clothes feel dingy or dirty after fewer wears.
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Pre-treat stains and collar rings with liquid detergent or pre-wash spray an hour before washing.
Waiting an hour provides the best benefit.
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Inspect the washer drum with a flashlight before starting a load to check for foreign objects or stains.
Previous users may have left behind substances like lithium grease that can ruin a load.
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Do not wash new dark jeans with whites.
They will bleed dye all over everything, turning white shirts bluish.
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Pre-treat greasy stains on clothing with Blue Dawn dish soap.
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Sort laundry by fabric weight rather than just color to allow for appropriate wash settings.
Heavy items like jeans can wear down soft shirts, and separating them allows using a 'light' soil setting for shirts and a heavier setting for jeans.
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Do not wash plastic shower curtains with smaller items like socks or rags in a coin laundry.
The plastic traps the smaller clothes during the spin cycle, leaving them drenched and requiring extra drying costs.
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Use fabric softener to relax wool fibers and stretch shrunk sweaters back into shape.
Fabric softener helps the wool relax so it can be stretched out again.
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Wash new clothes to rinse out excess dyes that may transfer to skin.
Excess dyes can stain skin, such as leaving blue marks on legs from new jeans.
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Sort laundry into types as you undress to save time later.
It saves a lot of time.
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Wash jeans as cold as possible.
Higher heat causes more dye to come out.
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Bake baking soda to make your own washing soda to save money.
It is more frugal.
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Reduce soap usage when handwashing to cut down on labor-intensive rinsing.
Using too much soap requires saturating and wringing out garments multiple times to remove suds.
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Turn on the 'extra rinse' setting to ensure all soap is removed from fabrics.
Soap left in fabric causes crunchiness and itchiness.
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Wash clothes with exterior stains right-side out to allow detergent to reach the dirt.
Washing them inside out may prevent the detergent from removing the stain.
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Use half a tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent per load instead of the recommended amount.
It still cleans your clothes very well.
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Wash bras on a cold, delicate cycle with hooks fastened, but avoid using a top-loading washer with an agitator even with a lingerie bag.
Top-loading washers with agitators can destroy bras.
- Avoid top-loading washers with an agitator.
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Avoid buying smart washing machines if you have well water.
Varying water pressure can disrupt sensors, causing the machine to stop and display error codes.
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Use a dedicated clothes tree for worn but clean items rather than putting them in the wardrobe with other clothes.
The world is dirty.
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Use a front-loading washer instead of a top-loader to prevent clothes from wearing out quickly.
Top loaders can be harder on clothes, especially when overloaded.
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Wet clothing articles with plain water before applying dye to help avoid spotting.
can help avoid spotching
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Avoid using fabric softener in laundry.
It causes buildup that traps odors over time.
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Use a small portable washer for regular clothes and reserve building machines for large items like blankets and sheets.
This approach leads to great savings on laundry costs.
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Wash towels separately from other clothes to prevent rough fibers from wearing out items like t-shirts and jeans.
Towel fibers rough up other fabrics and cause lint on dark knits.
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Wash hoodies and items with soft linings right-side out to protect the interior texture.
Protecting the lining helps maintain its coziness for longer.
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Switch to powdered laundry detergent.
It is easier on the machine, disperses better, uses less packaging waste, reduces shipping weight, and is cheaper.
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Scour fabric by boiling it with detergent like Synthrapol before dyeing to ensure even color absorption.
Scouring is necessary for good dyeing results.
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Use laundry sheets as a pre-measured, zero-waste alternative to liquid detergent or pods.
They dissolve well, are convenient, non-messy, and produce zero waste.
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Wipe the detergent cap with dirty laundry immediately after use to keep the bottle from becoming sticky.
This prevents soap residue from accumulating on the cap and bottle.
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- Wipe excess detergent off the cap with a piece of laundry before starting the machine.4
Add vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser rather than the main wash cycle.
Adding it during the washing cycle negates the effect of alkaline detergent.
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Avoid using fabric softener.
It reduces towel absorbency, ruins technical fabrics, and causes buildup that gums up the washing machine.
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Buy laundry detergent from Albertson’s, Vons, Grocery Outlet, or dollar stores to take advantage of deals and coupons.
great deals and coupons
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Run separate laundry cycles with vinegar first and detergent second.
Mixing them neutralizes the detergent's cleaning power because vinegar is acidic and detergent is basic.
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Wash clothes inside out to protect the visible surface from pilling caused by high-efficiency washer agitation.
High-efficiency washers work by rubbing clothes together; washing inside out moves any resulting pilling or damage to the interior of the garment.
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Separate light and dark clothes before washing to avoid dye transfer onto lighter garments.
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Check clothes for tears or holes and mend them to extend their life.
Mending issues like blown-out pockets can make items good as new.
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Replace stripped agitator dogs yourself if you are handy.
It is a low-cost fix.
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Use shoe stretchers or stuff shoes with socks or clean rags to stretch them safely.
Water bags are a risky gamble compared to these methods.
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- Do not use frozen bags of water to stretch tight shoes due to risks of uncontrolled expansion and moisture damage.1
Use mesh bags for items that may snag, such as those with loops, buttons, or strings.
prevents snags
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Alternate wearing two pairs of wool socks for a week.
Wool's structure keeps bacteria attached to the fiber rather than allowing it to thrive as easily as in other fabrics.
- Wool is not antimicrobial by itself.
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Attach a mesh laundry bag to your hamper with a clothespin to collect dirty socks throughout the week.
to prevent losing socks
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Use fresh Olfa blades for cutting fabric to ensure safety and avoid costly repairs from dull knives.
A dull knife is dangerous; fresh blades are cheap compared to stitches.
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Zig-zag stitch the edges of cut cloth rags before washing them to prevent fraying and machine damage.
Unstitched edges fray terribly, tangle threads, and can damage the washing machine.
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Attach old fuzzy socks to a Swiffer handle to make a dust mop that traps dust.
Fuzzy socks are excellent at trapping dust.
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Check fabric composition labels to ensure you know what will last and avoid being ripped off.
It helps you know what will last and ensures you are not ripped off.
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Use old cloth diapers for dusting and polishing only, not as general shop rags.
They are excellent for dusting and polishing.
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Pin paired dirty socks together in the middle using diaper pins (piercing through twice then clipping) rather than at the ends to prevent tearing, damage, or separation during washing.
They won't tear away from each other, damage the sock, or get lost.
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Use sandpaper to remove pilling from sweaters to avoid slicing the fabric or your fingers.
Sandpaper is less likely to cut the sweater or your hands compared to other methods.
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Replace brittle plastic laundry baskets with willow, rattan, or wooden baskets for greater durability.
Plastic becomes brittle from UV exposure, and weaving breaks can create snags for clothes.
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Avoid using hot water to wash down grease and oils.
Hot water melts grease and oil, suspending them in water where they wash into pipes, cool, condense, and stick.
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Check if your washing machine heats its own water before turning off the home hot water supply.
In some places, machines are hooked up to cold water and heat themselves up.
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Soak dishes in water immediately after use to prevent food from hardening.
It prevents food from setting like cement and makes rubbing it off easier later.
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Add hot water during the wash cycle to reach at least 70°F so that detergent dissolves completely.
Even the best detergent cannot completely dissolve below 68°F.
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Add bleach to the designated dispenser slot instead of pouring it directly into the water.
Pouring bleach directly into warm water causes it to break down and lose bleaching power.
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