Frugal Tips-Laundry

Friday's Frugal Tips—Related to laundry.  It may sound crazy, but laundry is one of my favorite housekeeping activities. Not sure why, but it may have to do with having clean clothes, using my frugal tips and also being outside to hang clothes. Tips I use consist of:

• Hang dry clothes either outside on a clothesline or inside on clothes racks. 
• Use 1/4 cup of vinegar in rinse water for fabric softener; Brightens clothes and gets rid of static cling. 
• Use cold water instead of warm or hot water; Clothes get just as clean.
• If you use a dryer, use a gas dryer. Gas is cheaper than electric (In many areas of the country).
• At the end of a wash-cycle, turn the knob back to spin (to wring out the extra water.) Clothes will dry quicker this way.
• After hanging clothes to dry, if wrinkled either dry in dryer for 10 minutes or hang up on a shower curtain to expose the clothes to steam (gets rid of wrinkles.)
• Use a little less laundry detergent than what the package recommends. I usually use 2/3 to 1/2 of what is recommended.
• Make your own laundry detergent (To help save more). Recipes here.
• If laundry wash water is not too dirty, dip out some of the water, before it drains out, to mop with. 
• Never buy dry-clean only items. 
• To preserve clothes, make sure you zip up zippers and button buttons to decrease friction on fabric.
• Use dryer lint to make fire starters in your wood stove. Find out how to make fire starters http://chickensintheroad.com/crafts/homemade-fire-starters/
• A little dish soap is a great stain remover. 
• Wash only full loads.  
• Reuse jeans and bath towels more than once to decrease laundry.
• Wash comforters in commercial washers only. A comforter is too big for a standard washer and can actually damage your machine. 
• If using dryer sheets, cut them in halves or even thirds.