Here they come, after a whole day of soccer practice and art classes. Laundry should be fun tonight, you sarcastically think to yourself. Lucky for you we have found some fun and easy laundry hacks that can help with stains, while saving money and time.
First is stain removal.
Emily has grass stains all over her clothes from soccer practice. What do you do? For grass stains it’s simple: Hydrogen Peroxide! That sounds easy enough but what about JC’s paint running down the side of his shirt? Get rid of acrylic paint stains with some rubbing alcohol! There might have been some ink stains as well from your son breaking pens and markers in class, hairspray and hand sanitizer should do the trick.
When it comes to removing stains, the greatest challenge is light colored clothing. Whites can be handled with this laundry hack, though. Next time your kid has an accidental spill, try washing it with some baking soda and peroxide and you'll be good to go!
The next challenges are time and space.
When do parents have extra time? Especially with three kids and a spouse, all with their own demands for time and attention? The answer is probably never.
Here are some ideas I have gathered from my journey through Pinterest and Google searches that may help speed up the process.
1. My first little discovery is “S” hooks.
They can be used to hang laundry baskets above your dryer and washer to help un-clutter your workspace! You can also try putting a shelf below your washer and dryer to fit baskets for future laundry loads.
2. Sorted Baskets
Another laundry hack I found to be helpful is sorting your laundry as soon as you undress every day. Teach the kiddos to sort by themselves and you will create a little laundry helper as they grow up! Also try putting your hampers in the laundry room if it is spacious enough. It will free up bedroom or closet space and save you time so you're not going from room to room to gather piles of laundry.
3. One Child at a Time...
Do you spend hours washing, then separating the kid's clothes? If you feel daring, try this method. Do one child's load of laundry at a time. That means possibly mixing lights and darks but it makes sorting faster and easier to do. You can add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to each load to help stabilize the colors and keep them from running.
4. Dryer Hacks
If you have something that's wrinkled or has been worn once and could use a quick rinse, toss it in the dryer with a dryer sheet and an ice cube for 10 minutes. If you need a load to dry more quickly, toss a dry towel in there for 15 to 20 minutes and it should do the job. There are many more laundry hacks for cutting time and space on your laundry day, but these are the ones I found most helpful.
Here are 2 laundry hacks for washing toys!
Stuffed Animals
All you need is a mesh washing bag, mild laundry detergent, cold water and the washing machine's delicate cycle. You take a risk every time you wash stuffed anything, so make sure you read the label or make sure your kid can live without it in the case that something does go wrong.
Legos and Other Small Plastic Toys
Pick a durable laundry bag, one that won't rip open mid-cycle and let loose all those little pieces! Add in a capful of some soap and put the hot cycle on and let it be. The legos take a while to dry but its worth it to disinfect and clean off all the food, sticky residue, carpet fluff and hair!
The majority of these laundry hacks for busy moms are money savers, as well. Baking soda, peroxide, and dish soap can be found at the dollar store and you probably always have these items on hand. If all else fails and the mess is too much, don't be afraid to just part ways. If the products needed to clean the stain cost more than the shirt, you may be better off just sending it to the donation pile!