Laundry is definitely my weak area when it comes to homemaking. I have been married for almost six years and I don’t know if I have ever ironed something for my husband. Whoops. (The Lord in His kindness has given me a husband who does not need business-y attire for work…)

I would take a sink full of dishes over a pile of laundry any day. But, I do want to be faithful with this task the Lord has set before me! And so, over the years, I have slowly upped my laundry game by implementing new methods one at a time to build them into habits without overwhelming myself.

Today I am sharing my four best laundry hacks! Everyone knows I love doing things the cheap way, so these tips will save you money as well as time! Be forewarned, we are about to dive deep into the world of kid messes, if you know what I mean…

1. Dryer Balls

This trick recently blew my mind. I must sheepishly admit that I had dryer balls on hand for years, but because I didn’t really understand what they were for, they lay neglected and unused in a bin in my laundry room. I started using them when our old dryer was struggling; at that time I thought they were just for reducing the dry time of your clothes. But then I started hearing that they are actually intended to replace dryer sheets. I was skeptical about this, as we have some pretty serious static in the wintertime where I live.

But I decided to give it a shot, and lo and behold, it worked! I have been solely using dryer balls for over a year now, and our laundry is just as soft and not any more staticky than when I was using dryer sheets! Plus, the dryer balls are a much simpler system. Not only do I not have to buy dryer sheets, I also do not have to extract them from my clothes as I’m folding laundry. It’s a win-win. And I just leave the balls in the dryer so they are ready to go whenever I do laundry!

So go ahead and save yourself some money and invest in a good set of wool dryer balls!

2. Salt Water

Salt water has a very specific purpose in my laundry life: removing blood stains.

One of my sons is prone to nosebleeds, and while I will spare you the details, let’s just say I’ve removed my fair share of blood stains, from a wide variety of materials. Salt water has never failed me.

How to use it:

1. Fill a container with an appropriate amount of water for the stain you need to soak.
2. Add as much salt as will dissolve in the water; stir or swirl to dissolve as much of it as possible.
3. Soak the stain in the water until the stain is completely gone. Depending on the size of the stain and the type of material, this could take anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight. So if it seems to be taking a while, don’t lose heart! Just keep soaking. You can swirl or agitate the material in the water to help it along.
4. Once the stain is gone, wring out the water and launder it as usual! If the item cannot go in the washing machine, simply rinse out the salt water and let it air dry.

{For my fellow nerds: the salt water removes the stain by bursting the blood cells via osmosis.}

3. Vinegar

This tip comes with an immediate disclaimer: some washing machines are not compatible with the use of vinegar. It can corrode certain materials used in gaskets and hoses. So take a quick look at your owner’s manual, and/or do a google search for your model, to make sure you have the green light for this one.

So, if you CAN use vinegar – it is an amazing and CHEAP additive to your laundry! It freshens stinky things (remember: kid messes), brings new life to towels, and acts as a general fabric softener. I use only about a teaspoon or so per load, and squirt it into wherever the fabric softener goes. By the time the laundry is rinsed and dried, you won’t smell it.

4. Baby Blowouts…

Again, I will spare you the details. So just trust me when I say I’ve handled a lot of massive diaper blowouts. And what I’ve discovered is that the number one factor in preventing lingering poo stains is to rinse the material immediately. It makes much more of a difference than the type of stain remover, laundry detergent, or wash settings you use.

If possible, I rinse things immediately, or at the very least, as soon as is humanly possible after the accident. And then use some stain remover before throwing it in the washer. And let me tell you, I have seen a huge difference in how things look coming out of the wash!

Bonus tip: If I have a stain that I don’t know how to handle, I check Martha Stewart’s stain removal guide!

What are your favorite laundry hacks?