9 Laundry Hacks That Could Change Your Life

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9 Laundry Hacks That Could Change Your Life

9 Laundry Hacks That Could Change Your Life

Who knew that becoming a parent would mean you spend 65% of your time washing and organising clothes!

We also spend way more money on their clothes than on ours. So, when their new very cool sweater gets a stain on it, we’re definitely more annoyed than we should be.

However, we are 100%, not the kind of people who know how to get that shit out (actually that’s a lie, Jess, TMC Franchise Coordinator, is!).

So we’ve leaned on the expert know-how of the Queen of Clean, Lynsey Crombie. Who is the UK’s No. 1 home & lifestyle expert, best-selling author and successful clean-fluencer (yes that’s a thing!). To bring you, and whoever does the washing, some hopefully life-changing tips.

*Oh and there’s also a tip in there from TMC’s Jess.

How to wash your clothes better

  1. You need to stop using hot water
    Using hot water? Stop, says Lynsey. “Most baby food stains are protein based so these are pretty easy to get out, but you must always use cold water as hot water will set the stain even further into the fabric. Reverse the garment and flush under a cold tap to push as much of the stain out as you can using just the water.”
    “Washing up liquid is normally all you need. After the cold flush rub in a few drops of washing up liquid, leave to sit for approx. 15 minutes, rinse, then wash as normal.”
    “If you are finding that most of the babies’ items are stained and don’t have the time to stand and pre-treat each stain, add into the wash a non bio stain remover, I recommend Astonish OXY active non bio stain remover, with this product you just add a scoop direct to the drum before adding in your laundry.”
  2. You don’t need a specific baby wash
    Lynsey says, “Always use a non bio wash because the stain busting enzymes in bio can be too harsh for babies’ skins. But most brands do a non-bio option and you do not need to go for baby specific brands.”
  3. These are the best stain removers
    Lynsey says, “All stain removers tend to work if you follow the instructions, Vanish just tends to be a higher priced stain remover.”
    “For stubborn stains that won’t budge I highly recommend use ACE, treat the stain as soon as you can and then wash as normal. Or add in a Oxy Active non bio stain remover to your wash.”
  4. How to get the whitest wash
    Lynsey says, “To achieve the whitest washing use bicarbonate of soda. Put it into each wash and add a big scoop direct to the drum.”
  5. Hang your clothes near a window to remove stains
    Jess, TMC Franchise Coordinator (and also our resident cleaning expert), says, “Hanging your whites in sunlight after you’ve cleaned them helps to get rid of baby poo and tomato stains. The sun acts as a natural bleaching agent as its UV rays break down the stains molecular structure. Obviously far more effective in summer but one I’ve tried and it definitely works.”
  6. The best way to remove pen marks
    Lynsey says, “For felt pens marks, a mixture of washing up liquid and white vinegar will get these out, rub in together and leave to soak.”

    “For ink, soak in full fat milk overnight and then wash as normal.”
  7. Why you should wash baby clothes before they wear them
    Lynsey says, “Baby clothes can pick up a lot of dust and irritants between the warehouse, the shop, and your home. So, it is a good idea to give them a little refresh as babies have such sensitive skin.”
    Don’t have time? TMC Editor, Lydia House says, “I definitely did this for my first baby and my mum thought I was mad. However, my son’s skin is very sensitive, so I’m glad I did. I didn’t always do it with my second and he was fine. So if you don’t have time, I wouldn’t stress about it too much. You’ll. know soon enough if your baby is more sensitive than others.”
  8. The best way to get out bolognese stains
    Lynsey says, “As this is a protein stain if treated quick will come out easily with a cold flush and washing up liquid.”
  9. Marks on clothes after every wash? This might be why…
    Lynsey says, “If your washing is coming out of your machine with marks on then this is a sign that your washing machine is not clean, it is very important that we look after and clean the things that clean for us. Clean the machine and also empty and clean the filter, to clean the machine there are many great washing machine cleaners available from the supermarkets such as Dr Beckmann and Vamoosh or you can use soda crystals.”
    “Don’t forget to take out the drawer and give this a soak.”