If there’s one chore that can be made more effective, it’s doing laundry in the Sorensen family. Between my husband, our two teenagers, and our goldendoodle who likes to roll in whatever is the dirtiest thing around, I feel like I’m washing, folding, and putting away clothes constantly.
Not to mention our teens think it’s perfectly acceptable to leave clothing on the floor by the hamper.
Some things we just need to accept as things that will never be improved upon. However, have you ever thought of using traditional methods for washing and caring for clothing?
Chances are there’s a reason these methods existed; someone figured out a way to make their task easier. They’re probably not widely known today precisely because they’ve fallen into obscurity.
I’m a firm believer that when we take advantage of some of these tips our clothing comes out of the wash in better condition, and lasts much longer. Not everything should go into the washer and dryer indiscriminately.
We’ve experimented with several of these methods, and wanted to share the best of the best with you. Maybe you’ll be surprised that old-fashioned methods have their place in modern-day laundry lists.
1. SORT EVERY LOAD EVERY TIME
Whites, lights, darks, delicates, separating loads will save delicate fabrics, prevent colors from bleeding, and will give you an opportunity to wash some items on cold and others on hot, depending on the fabric. Yes, it takes an additional two minutes to sort your laundry.
However, clothes washed this way will last longer than loads thrown in haphazardly. Sorting will save you HOURS of headaches and frustration, believe me.
Separate whites and darks (duh!). But also:
Sort items according to weight, towels, sheets, tablecloths, blankets, etc. and clothing.
Sort according to fabric, cotton, synthetics, delicates, etc.
Sort according to soil, really grimy clothes, everyday wear, workout clothes, whites that have gotten yellow, etc.
2. TREAT STAINS BEFORE WASHING, NOT AFTER
Thirty seconds is all it takes to glance at garments before loading the machine. Treating stains with some kind of application, be it bar or liquid soap, a paste of baking soda and water, a dab of vinegar, before washing will go a long way to remove marks.
Washing a garment with an untreated stain makes it more difficult to get out, running them in the dryer will set stains and mark garments for good. Vintage homemakers always treated stains before washing, you’ll be glad you did.
3. USE LESS DETERGENT THAN THE LABEL SUGGESTS
Companies know the more you use, the faster you’ll be back for more. Back in grandma’s day, detergents weren’t nearly as concentrated and cost an arm and a leg, so they learned to use very little.
Try using half to three-quarters of the suggested amount, you’ll be amazed at the results. Too much detergent and fabric softener will leave a residue which causes fabrics to attract dirt, makes them feel rough, gives them a drab appearance, not to mention causes rashes and dryness on our skin.
Cut back on detergent usage and not only will you save some cash, your skin will thank you, and after a few loads, so will your sheets. You’ll be surprised how bright, fluffy, and vibrant they’ll look and feel.
4. WASH IN COLD WATER FOR MOST LOADS
Grandma probably reserved hot water for items that needed sanitizing. But in general, you can get the majority of your laundry done in a cold wash.
Hot water will shrink your clothes, fade their color, degrade the quality of the fabrics, and break down the elastic faster than necessary. In fact, many fabrics, including activewear and other stretchy items, call for a cold wash to extend their life.
Unless an item requires hot water to remove stains or sanitize, like towels and bedsheets, try washing everything else on cold. If you’re worried that it won’t get them clean, I promise that if you’re using quality detergent, they’ll come out just fine.
Your energy company will thank you as well.
5. SOAK HEAVILY SOILED ITEMS FIRST
Vintage homemakers understood the importance of soaking items before washing them, especially items that had been through hard labor. If you have some really nasty items to wash, such as work clothes, consider giving them a soak beforehand.
Fill your washing machine or a large enough basin with warm or cold water and a little detergent. Alternatively, try adding in some baking soda.
Leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, to loosen the dirt before tossing them in the wash. Trust me, you’ll be shocked at how much cleaner they’ll come out compared to items you didn’t soak.
6. ADD WHITE VINEGAR INSTEAD OF FABRIC SOFTENER
Most of the softening effect of fabric softener comes from silicone and the product actually builds up on fabrics making them less breathable over time (think less-absorbent towels). However, there’s an amazing and vintage hack to soften fabrics that’s been around forever, which is white vinegar.
Simply add 1/2 cup to the fabric softener compartment of your washer and watch it work its magic by removing build-up from your clothes caused by laundry detergent, eliminating static AND making everything softer and towels more absorbent than they’ve been before. Don’t worry about your clothes smelling like vinegar, because trust me, they won’t.
7. ADD BAKING SODA TO EVERY LOAD
Another product that gets rave reviews but has a much cheaper alternative that works just as well is laundry booster. Instead, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the washing machine alongside your laundry detergent.
Baking soda will soften the water in your washer, which in turn makes your laundry detergent more effective, and works as a natural odor remover too – a gamechanger for towels, activewear and anything else that tends to retain stink and B.O. BONUS: it’s super-cheap, at about two cents per load.
8. LINE DRY WHEN POSSIBLE
The dryer is brutal to clothes. The tumbling action damages the fibers, heat shortens the life of elastics and shrinks some garments, and you’ve seen the graveyard of sock and underwear parts collected in the lint trap.
Instead, line-dry, or at least air-dry on a drying rack, clothes when possible to increase their lifespan. Hanging them outside to dry exposes them to UV rays that will naturally brighten whites and dispel odors so you won’t need to use scented sprays or sheets.
Line-drying does take longer than dryer-drying, so it’s not necessarily practical all the time. You’ll need to be conscious of pollen levels in your area to avoid triggering allergies.
However, nothing beats the smell of towels and sheets that have been hanging in the great outdoors. You can’t put that smell in a bottle.
9. USE THE GENTLE CYCLE MORE OFTEN
Another way to increase the life of your clothes is to use the gentle cycle in your washing machine whenever possible. The gentler agitation means less damage to your clothes.
Unless they’re work clothes, bedding, towels, etc., clothes from regular wear likely only need to be cleaned on gentle. These days, we leave our washers on the default settings, but before washers became common, people hand-washed delicates.
Gentle is the closest you’re going to get to hand-washing your clothes. Lumens recommends washing on the gentle cycle more often to prevent frayed collars and seams, extending the life of your clothes by years.
10. TURN DARK CLOTHES INSIDE OUT
Dark colors: Pilling and fading happen more on dark-colored items. By washing them inside-out, it keeps the fabric from fading and prevents pilling on the outside of the item. Yes, pilling will still happen, just not on the outside of your garment. Dark colored jeans, shirts, sweaters, and any darker colored item should be flipped before washing. It takes no additional effort but makes a huge difference. You probably won’t notice right away, but a year from now you’ll be able to tell the difference.
Whites and lights: It’s a matter of personal preference for lighter-colored items. Whites will not show signs of wear like darker colors do.
Washing dark colored items will release more dye. It will fade quicker than other colors and the more frequently you wash an item, the more of the dye will be released.
By keeping darker colored items out of direct friction with other items, it will help your clothes last longer.
Vintage homemakers also turned their clothes inside out before washing them, especially items such as towels and sheets. Turning items inside out helped to limit abrasion on the visible side of the item, thereby lengthening its life. It also kept lint and other bits of crud to a minimum. Try turning all of your whites, towels, sheets, and other durable items inside out to limit wear.
11. HANG SHIRTS TO DRY ON HANGERS
Dress shirts, blouses and knit tops should be dried on hangers. This will keep their shape, eliminate wrinkles and avoid shrinkage from heat.
Simply take them out when they’re damp, shake them into shape and hang them up in your closet. Chances are, you’ll never have to iron them.
Over time, you might notice that shirts get shorter and wider due to all of the trips through the dryer. Save your shirts and hang them to dry.
12. IRON CLOTHES WHILE SLIGHTLY DAMP
Just like grandma knew best – ironing damp garments is much easier. It requires less effort and will allow you to use a lower heat.
If your clothes have dried completely, grab your trusty water sprayer and give them a misting before ironing. Always start with a lower heat if you must iron a garment that’s completely dry to avoid damaging your garments.
This can be the difference between thirty seconds versus one hundred and thirty seconds of ironing a shirt. Damp fabric responds to the heat much faster making wrinkles disappear almost immediately.
13. NEVER OVERLOAD THE WASHER
You’ll be tempted to load as much laundry into the washing machine as will physically fit, but resist. Clothes need room to move around in order to get clean. If you overload the washer, the items in the middle of the load won’t agitate properly, meaning they’ll go through the motions of being washed without actually coming in contact with the detergent-embedded water. At the end of the cycle, your clothes will be wet but not clean. Vintage homemakers washed smaller loads more frequently, which is a much more effective way to do laundry, especially since smaller loads take no more time to clean than larger loads. So, unless you’re happy with muddy-looking whites and dingy grays, try not overloading the washer and instead only fill it about 3/4s of the way to improve results.
14. CHECK EVERY POCKET BEFORE LOADING
You’d be amazed at all of the things that can be left behind in clothing and wreak havoc on a load of laundry. Chapstick leaves permanent grease stains, pens mark more than one item, coins can dent the washer, and a tissue can shred and ruin an entire load. Make sure that everyone checks their pockets before putting dirty clothes into the hamper. Thirty seconds now saves untold agony in stain removers or a second load of laundry or ruined items later on. We made checking pockets a household rule after one unfortunate pocket tissue incident.
15. DRY HEAVY ITEMS INSIDE OUT
Fading from dryers is inevitable, but it can be limited. Heavy items like denim and dark-colored sweatshirts will last longer and look better if you make the effort to turn them inside out before putting them into the dryer. By doing this, you’re turning what would be fading on the visible side of the item to the inside, limiting wear and tear. Try adding the extra step of turning heavy items inside out and notice a difference.
Washing and drying them inside out can mean the difference between them looking old or new years down the line. It’s one of those changes you won’t believe wasn’t standard procedure from the beginning.
Fading occurs slowly enough that you may not realize what’s going on with your favorite jeans until you’ve turned them inside out. Then, it’ll be too late.
Save a few seconds preparing the load and enjoy your jeans for longer.
16. SHAKE OUT CLOTHES BEFORE THE DRYER
Vintage homemakers used to swear by shaking out clothes before tossing them in the dryer. It takes three seconds per article of clothing and saves time and effort later.
Shaking out clothes as you move them to the dryer helps prevent wrinkles and allows items to dry faster. If you dump the entire load from washer to dryer, some articles will be twisted and bunched up.
This makes it difficult for the clothes to dry evenly, extends drying time, and might result in a session with the iron. Save yourself trouble later on by shaking out items for three seconds at a time before tossing them in the dryer.
17. ADD A DRY TOWEL TO SPEED UP DRYING
This is a trick that saves a surprising amount of time. Pop a dry towel in with your wet laundry to absorb some of the moisture and cut your drying time by an estimated 15-20 minutes.
This is similar to the idea of dryer balls except you’re making use of a product you already have. Remove the towel before the cycle is complete if you’d like to use it again in the future.
Not only will your clothes likely be done in one cycle, which saves energy and extends the life of your clothes, you’ll have a damp towel that can be reused for dusting or wiping down counters.
18. NEVER PUT A STAINED ITEM IN THE DRYER
One of the worst things to do with clothes is pop them into the dryer with a stain on them. The heat will set the stain and make removal next to impossible.
Air dry any items that are coming out of the wash still sporting a stain and try a different removal tactic. Rewash the article of clothing when you have an upcoming laundry load.
Take a look at clothes before popping them into the dryer. It’s an extra thirty seconds per load, but vintage homemakers took that extra step to avoid having stains “baked” into clothing. It’s an easy step that often gets overlooked in modern laundry days.
19. USE LEMON JUICE ON WHITES
Before detergents started being manufactured with optical brighteners, lemon juice was one of the best ways to keep whites bright. You can still add about half a cup of lemon juice on white loads as part of the wash cycle.
Or, for stubborn yellowed spots, apply lemon juice directly and hang your whites in the sun to dry. Sunlight along with lemon juice helps to lift stains, especially body odor and sweat stains, and reverse yellowing on items like white t-shirts and pillowcases.
Plus, unlike chlorine bleach, sunlight and lemon won’t weaken clothing fibers.
20. WASH TOWELS AND BEDDING SEPARATELY
You want to wash towels and bedding on a hot, heavy-duty setting. Regular clothing doesn’t need to be washed this way and may shrink or wear faster (think: elastic waistbands!) when exposed to high heat.
Not to mention, if you wash towels along with darks, your clothing will be covered in fuzz/lint afterwards.
21. STORE SEASONAL CLOTHING IN BREATHABLE BAGS
This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Rather than stuffing sweaters into plastic bins for summer, consider storing them in cotton/muslin bags.
Plastic traps in moisture, which leads to funky, musty smells. Be sure to wash everything before storing it, too.
Dirty clothes attract moths and stains that sit for a long time become harder to remove.
Air flow is key when storing items for the season. Otherwise, that musty smell will set in and you’ll need to wash them before wearing.
If they’re stored in a way that lets them breathe, they’ll be ready to wear as soon as they’re out.
22. USE CEDAR INSTEAD OF MOTHBALLS
Vintage homemakers were very knowledgeable about taking care of clothing. Instead of mothballs, use cedar balls/blocks or store them in cedar-lined areas.
They repel moths naturally and smell wonderful, but mothballs leave a scent that permeates everything in the container. Then you have to air out all of your clothing.
Lavender sachets also repel moths and don’t leave a scent you don’t want on your items.
One tip though, each year, give the surface of your cedar a light sanding. As time goes by the oils seep to the surface of the wood.
When these evaporate, the moth-repelling properties dissipate as well. Sanding exposes new oils to the surface.
Eventually, of course, even blocks of cedar must be replaced, but this extends their lives.
23. FOLD LAUNDRY IMMEDIATELY WHEN DRY
I’ll be the first to admit that this is not always my practice, and it’s probably time I started. Clothes come out of the dryer looking wonderful.
Leave them sitting for even just a few minutes, and wrinkles magically appear. Then it’s off to the ironing board instead of the closet.
This is such a simple tip that can save hours. Yes, the dryer removes wrinkles, but only when they’re hot.
Letting them sit means you’re adding another task when folding, and taking longer to complete the chore.
24. WASH DELICATES IN A MESH BAG
There’s nothing worse than putting away a load of laundry to find that the camisole is tangled around the tank tops, the lace on your nightgown is torn, the little bows on your daughter’s underwear are missing, and that top with the beading has stretched out of shape. Delicate items, such as thin materials, lingerie, and anything with straps, laces, or embellishments, should be placed into a mesh bag before tossing them into the wash.
They still get washed but aren’t pummeled around by heavier articles. The mesh allows the soap and water to penetrate while protecting the item.
Mesh bags don’t prevent stretching and twisting. But, if your delicates have straps and you can’t bear to hand-wash them, mesh bags are a good, reusable, money-saving way to wash them separately.
25. CLEAN THE WASHING MACHINE MONTHLY
Wondering why your clothes smell a bit like mildew even after you’ve washed them? Your washing machine.
Give it a thorough cleaning by running a cycle of hot water with 2 cups of white vinegar in the drum. Let the vinegar soak, then run through a normal cycle.
It’s best to do this once a month. Front-loading washers develop mildew around the rubber gasket first, so give that a good scrubbing with a vinegar-drenched rag if your clean clothes come out smelly.
26. USE THE EXTRA RINSE CYCLE FOR TOWELS
If your towels come out of the dryer smelling musty or look dingy, you need an extra rinse. Too much detergent can collect in the fibers and give your towels an undesirable texture and reduce their absorbency.
Skip the fabric softener for once and pour a cup of white vinegar in the dispenser. From here on out, try using a bit less detergent when washing towels.
27. HANG SWEATERS FLAT TO DRY
Nothing ruins a perfectly good sweater like hanging it up to dry in a heap. The weight of the water will distort its shape.
The dryer is no solution either, as the heat is bad for the life of knits in general. To preserve your favorite sweater for many years to come, lay it out on a clean, dry towel after washing and adjust its shape.
Leave it there until it’s dry.
28. DRY WOOL AND NATURAL FIBERS ON LOW OR NOT AT ALL
All of us know that dryer heat is no friend of woolens. Regular trips through the tumble dryer shrink woolen sweaters to oblivion because the heat causes the fibers to combine into felt, making them permanently shorter.
But what about linen and other natural-fiber blends? The answer is the same.
Wool may be the poster child for shrinking in the dryer, but heat is not kind to any natural fibers. Wool will shrink, linen will get brittle and stiff, and blends will fare about as well as you’d expect.
The best uses for high-heat drying are cotton towels and synthetic workout clothes. Even with natural-fiber blends, air-dry or use the shortest cycle at the lowest possible heat.
It’s shocking how much sweaters change shape from dryer-to-dryer use over a season. Shorter and wider is the rule.
But laid flat, sweaters last for years.
29. MAKE PEACE WITH DOING SMALLER LOADS MORE OFTEN
We all know that clothes don’t stay as clean from only being washed once per week, but there’s another reason to wash more often. One or two loads every few days are easier on your washer and dryer.
They’ll work better for less effort when the piles aren’t quite so huge. More importantly, though, it means you’ll never again have to sit in front of a mountain of freshly-washed clothes at the end of the week, wondering how you’ll get it all folded and put away.
Laundry day can steal your entire weekend. But if you keep up with it, it will never again be a huge event.
Our vintage homemakers were experts at this. We needn’t aspire to their level of perfection, but incorporating their mindset can save us lots of stress.
CHECK CARE LABELS BEFORE THROWING CLOTHES IN THE WASHER OR DRYER. Yes, it’s tedious. Yes, it’s boring. But you’ll be shocked at the difference it makes in the life of your clothes. Some will last you years instead of one winter. It’s worth it.
Other Tips for Washing Clothes Properly
Use cold water. Hot water shrinks clothes. If you’re washing whites, soak them overnight.
Separate colors. Brights will fade. Whites will discolor. Sort out darks, lights, whites, brights and linens before washing.
Don’t overload the machine. Clothes won’t clean well and will come out extra-wrinkled.
Pre-treat stains.
Use half as much liquid soap or powder as you think you need. You can always re-wash if needed.
Follow care instructions on clothing. Some require cold-water washing. Others can’t go in the dryer. Some need to be dry-cleaned. Follow the rules.
Wash sheets, blankets and towels separately.
Wash similar fabrics together. Delicates separately.
Empty pockets. Button up jeans and close zippers before washing. Turn dark-colored clothing inside-out.
Use the lowest reasonable spin speed to avoid excessive wrinkling and twisting.
Clean the lint-trap before starting the dryer. Don’t overfill the machine, because clothes won’t dry properly. Remove items right away so they don’t wrinkle excessively.
Iron as necessary.
Hang up clean clothes immediately. Fold and store sweaters to maintain their shape. Hang pants, skirts, blazers and dresses.
Fold away linens and towels.
If using cedar to freshen stored clothing, keep them separated by cotton or linen cloths so they don’t stain.
Take a few minutes each season to air stored clothing out, give them a brush-down and put them back.
Use lavender or other potpourri to give stored clothing a lovely, natural fragrance.
To prevent mildew, store linens in cotton or linen bags, not plastic.
Vacuum the area where linens are stored and sprinkle with baking soda first to keep bugs away.
Line-dry when you can. Not only does air-drying save energy but it’s gentler on your clothes. Sunlight brightens colors and kills bacteria.
Don’t use too much laundry detergent. Too much sudsing leads to residue left behind on clothing, both in terms of soap and dirt. Plus, using less soap saves money!
Wash in cold water when possible. Aside from saving energy, cold water preserves color and prevents shrinkage.
Skip the fabric softener. It can shorten the life of your clothes. Or, use dryer balls to soften your clothes and shorten drying time.
Toss dryer sheets in the drawer where your sheets live. Your sheets will be extra fluffy and smell great without harsh chemicals!
Spot-treat stains ASAP.
Flip clothing inside-out before washing to extend color and fabric life. This is especially helpful for towels, underwear, athletic gear, etc.
Shake out sheets, towels, rugs, blankets, etc. before washing. Outdoor air is best. It removes a surprising amount of dirt and lint.
To do your laundry, you need the same supplies as always: water, a good laundry detergent, some white vinegar, some baking soda and lots of sunshine, if possible. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to use these simple items properly.
And then there’s “the teenagers”. If you have them, you know what I’m talking about.
If not, well, let’s hope you never do. They seem to think that by ignoring these tips, they’re saving time, but I promise you’re only creating bigger problems.
By implementing these simple steps into your laundry regime, your clothes will be thanking you.
For more detailed information about vinegar, visit this post on Coupon Cravings about 33 Things You Can Clean With Vinegar. And check out these posts:
27 Old-School Stain Removal Tricks That Actually Work.
31 Things You Can Clean With Baking Soda.