Your mom's Best Laundry Tips

Hey Fashios!

A conversation I had this weekend with my parents sparked my idea for this post. I was lamenting about how the washers left my clothes smelling mildewy, to which my mom responded “You know you can just use some vinegar for that?”. I was mind blown, and so I have decided to compile a short list of tips and products to use to take care of the pieces that define your style. Fashion is an investment, so why not learn how to maximize it through proper care and cleaning?

Vinegar

Vinegar is an amazingly cheap product to use in your laundry. Vinegar eliminates any old gym odors that might be trapped in your clothes and prevents mildew smells from seeping into your favorite pajama shirt in the wash. Vinegar also helps to whiten brights & whites, and keeps darkly dyed clothes from fading. Finally, vinegar acts as a natural fabric softener, saving you money!

Lemon and Salt

As a fellow college student, I understand the frustration of getting ink on your favorite pair of pants. Take a fresh lemon and sprinkle some salt on the ink stain. Cut the lemon in half and rub the inside of it on the stain to exfoliate the fabric. The acid in the lemon juice and salt will help to break down the ink!

Scent Beads

I swear by these! Each laundry brand has their own specific scents and version of these. They add a great boost of freshness to clothing that makes you feel like you’re wearing a clean shirt after a long day of sweaty walking across campus. If you are a frequent gym-goer, I highly recommend these for your t-shirts. It eliminates the sweaty odor smells and helps you stay fresh when you are working out.

Anti-Wrinkle Spray

This one is for the guys. When was the last time you picked up the nearest t shirt off your floor, did a sniff test, and threw that wrinkly mess on because you woke up late for class? Yesterday? Ok, no judgement here. Instead, use a wrinkle releaser spray. Downy makes one that works fantastically, especially on cotton t shirts and pants. Toss that baby on a hanger, give it a few sprays and tug at it. The wrinkles will fall out of the shirt like magic! Trust me, it’s a lifesaver.

Keep those zippers up

I know most of us are pretty vigilant on keeping our fly’s zipped during the day, but are you remembering to do it when you wash your laundry? Make sure to fully zip and button your pants before washing. It makes the zipper on the stay in tact and prevents damage caused from other clothes rubbing and tearing against and open zipper.

Color Catcher Sheets

These babies are fantastic. As college students paying for laundry, we don’t always have the privilege or money to have separate loads for reds, blues, whites, darks, etc. Grab two of these sheets and toss them into a load with mixed colors. The sheet will soak up any dye that runs in the wash and will make sure your clothes come out the same color they went in as.

These are a few of my best laundry tips that I have learned from my own amazing mother. I hope they can help you keep your clothes smelling great and wrinkle free!