Say What? Expert Confirms We’re Doing Our Laundry ALL Wrong

Laundry  – One of my most-hated household chores. And one that never seems to end. EVER. 

With all the practice I get sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away, I should have the whole process down pat by now.

Apparently not!

According to cleaning expert Shannon Lush, there’s a right way to do your laundry. And I’ve been doing it wrong for 20+ years. Here are four laundry tips that will seriously change your laundry game. And none of them require any extra effort at all. Winning!

1. Use MUCH less washing powder than you already do

My first problem? Too much washing detergent. As it turns out, adding more detergent won’t make your clothes cleaner.

“Using too much soap simply makes your clothes get dirtier quicker,” Shannon explains on Sunrise.

“If you have a front loader, use 1/8th of the recommended quantity of soap powder of liquid. For a top loader, it’s one quarter the recommended quantity.”

Whoops.

2. Stop using fabric softener 

I am one of the suckers who buys fabric softener, although I don’t really use it. It just sits there, looking pretty, in case someone comes over and, for some reason, looks at my laundry collection.

In any case, Shannon suggests we ditch the fabric softener altogether. It’s not doing anything but taking up space.

“Fabric softener does not work at all,” Shannon said. “Fabric softener is just oil based and all it is doing is sticking oil in the wash.”

Instead, use two tablespoons of white vinegar. Simply add it to the fabric softener spot.

3. Bring on the bicarb soda

Want more laundry tips? While you’re in the pantry grabbing the white vinegar, take down that extra box of bicarb soda too. Shannon recommends adding two tablespoons of bicarb soda into your wash. It actually cleans your clothes, without leaving behind that extra residue of fat that laundry detergent can leave behind.

“You know how your towels go all prickly and nasty? That’s because there’s too much soap left behind and because it’s fat-based,” Shannon explains.

4. Add a tea towel

For those who, like me, always seem to put a load in the wash five seconds before it starts to rain, Shannon also has an awesome tip for drying your clothes, even on rainy days.

Before turning on the dryer, simply add a dry tea towel to your wet clothes

“Your wash will dry a third faster,” she said. “It whisks the water away and spreads the surface area for the dry to do its work.”

Mind. Blown.

Looking for more cleaning tips? Have a look at our guide on how to make it look like you’ve been cleaning all day when really you’ve been binge-watching Netflix and eating Snickers bars.