There's no way of getting of doing the laundry, but you can do it on the cheap! Check out these 6 genius laundry hacks to save money!
6 Laundry Hacks to Save Money
Do you spend more money on laundry cleaners than you'd like? While coupons and sales are a great way to save, you can also save big by using the items you already have in your home. Whether you stretch your liquid fabric softener or make your own stain remover, these laundry hacks will save you money.
Save Money With These Laundry Hacks
1. Rethink the Way You Use Liquid Fabric Softener
Liquid fabric softener is already a cheaper solution than the sheets, but you can save even more by using the liquid in your dryer. That may sound crazy, but you can mix one bottle of fabric softener liquid with two bottles of water to really stretch the product. Instead of adding to the rinse cycle, store the liquid in an airtight container along with old wash cloths or rags. Take one of the wash cloths from the liquid and ring out the excess before tossing it with your clothes into the dryer. You'll get soft, wonderful-smelling clothes for a fraction of the price.
2. Make Your Own Stain Remover
One stain remover seems to work better on this stain and another seems to work better on that stain. Stop searching through an endless collection of stain removers and make your own. This stain remover works great on any stain, even blood. Best of all, it's cost a fraction of what you're paying for the name brand products. All you do is mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide with blue dish washing soap in a spray bottle and use it as needed. The stain remover works on fresh and set in stains and can be used immediately or you can spray the area and let it set. Either way, you'll be amazed at how well this works.
3. Get Whiter Whites From Your Kitchen Cabinet
Did your grandmother seem to always have the whitest bed sheets? Chances are she wasn't using bleach. White vinegar is not only all-natural, but it gets your whites whiter. Just add a cup of vinegar to your towels, bedding, etc when you start the load and you're good to go. If you have set-in stains, you can allow the clothes to soak in the washer with the vinegar. It's even great for cleaning dirty sneakers. Soak your sneakers in hot water, vinegar, and laundry detergent for a couple hours before washing. In one to two washes your shoes will look brand new.
4. Majorly Cut the Cost of Color-Safe Bleach
Last, but not least, instead of shelling out big bucks for color-safe bleach, use hydrogen peroxide. Why? Because it's the active ingredient in color-safe bleach. It's almost enough to make you angry, isn't it? To think of how much you've been spending when you could have been buying big bottles of hydrogen peroxide for a dollar. Don't make that mistake again. Use hydrogen peroxide to get the stains out of your colored clothes.
5. Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergent can be expensive! Cut costs by making your own. You can use this recipe to make a liquid detergent or this recipe to make a dry one. And if making your own laundry detergent makes you a little worried, you can always look for detergent on the cheap. We've found a 5-gallon bucket of detergent at a local store for just $20. So keep your eyes open for good deals!
6. Use Cost-Effective Laundry Boosters
You might be tempted to pick up that brand new package of expensive laundry booster, but just skip it! Vinegar can be used to whiten and brighten, and if you have particularly dirty laundry (muddy little boys, anyone?), you can boost your regular detergent with ¼-1/2 cup of Borax or Washing Soda. They'll also take out the stink if you forget to switch your clothes from the washer to the dryer in time (not that I have any experience with that...).
These laundry hacks can save you so much money. Best of all, many of these tips take the toxic chemicals out of your laundry. What are you waiting for? Add these items to your list for cheaper, cleaner laundry.
Did you like these Laundry Hacks to Save You Money? Find more on my Cleaning and Frugal Living boards on Pinterest!
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Elizabeth Marshall says
All of these are awesome suggestions. I look forward to trying them out soon
Julie @ Logger's Wife says
I've been using that homemade stain remover for 5 years. Not only is it cheaper than purchases stuff, it works so much better! I'll never buy stain remover again. (visiting from This Is How We Roll)
Marge says
Hi Michelle! You have some great suggestions in this post!
I finally took the plunge a couple of weeks ago and made my own powder detergent. It works just as well as the liquid I used to buy, so I'm pretty happy about that.
I've stopped using fabric softener, too. I use white vinegar for my towels - 1/2 cup per load in a Downy ball dispenser. It removes the soap residue so they're nice and soft and don't lose their absorbency. I also use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They're great!
Using hydrogen peroxide is a new one to me. I always thought that it would bleach fabric, but I guess I was wrong. How much do you put in a large size load?
Emma says
I have never thought of this. Thank you for your great tips. Definitely try this.
Michelle says
Happy to help!