Let us clue you into some materials that you can keep in your laundry room or elsewhere around the home and how they can be used to find some cheap and easy solutions to common laundry problems.
Dark Denim Care
The darker a pair of jeans is, the more easily you’ll be able to pair it well with outfits in the smart casual dress code. On that note, you can also take a look at our dress code primer video here and our video on whether or not you should wear jeans with a suit jacket or blazer here. The easiest way to keep a dark pair of jeans dark is to minimize how often you’re washing them in the first place, of course, but there is another technique you can use on a new pair of jeans to make sure that their color is set even more permanently, your key ingredient for this technique is salt.
Nothing fancy, just standard kosher salt will do. Take a quarter cup of salt and add it to a container of hot water, stirring to make sure that all of the salt is completely dissolved. Of course, the container that you’re using should be clean. Submerge your jeans in the hot and salty water, making sure that every part of the fabric is thoroughly wetted. Now, leave your jeans in the container overnight so that the salt permanently sets the dye to the fabric. After this overnight soak, you can wash your jeans as normal.
Keeping Clothes Soft
We’ve got a way to keep your clothes soft and your wallet happy because you won’t be spending extra money on fabric softener or on dryer sheets. So why do we recommend forgoing these two products then?
Well, in the case of fabric softener, it’s not actually making your clothes any softer rather it’s leaving a sheen of petroleum and other products on the fabric cutting down on both breathability and absorbency. In other words, your clothes aren’t going to breathe as well so you’ll probably be hotter and also, if a stain does set on the fabric, it’s going to be held in that much more permanently because of the sheen left by the fabric softener.
In the case of dryer sheets, not only do they contain chemicals known as phthalates which are a possible cause of pregnancy issues and birth defects but they also do increase the risk of dryer fires, not good. So what’s the alternative here then? We suggest getting yourself a set of dryer balls in wool or a similar natural fiber to keep your clothes soft and if it’s not only the softness you’re looking for but also the scent of fabric softener, what you can do is put a few drops of essential oils on to those wool dryer balls then the scent of the oil will be imparted into your clothing as it dries.
As long as we’re talking about the dryer, here are two other implements you can use.
Dryer balls made from rubber or rubberized plastic can be used to cut down on static cling between clothing as can a ball made from another simple and commonly found household material, aluminum foil. To make one of these, start with about one yard or meter of aluminum foil and compact it into as tight a ball as you’re able. It will compact even further as it goes through multiple drying cycles. After about 60 cycles or so, you should be able to swap it out for a new ball. We think it’s best that you only leave your garments in the dryer for about three to five minutes just to knock out the wrinkles. After that, it’s best to hang your clothing or spread it out on a drying rack to dry the rest of the way.
How To Effectively Clean Out Your Washing Machine
You’ve probably noticed that over time, your washing machine can build up an unpleasant and moldy scent especially if you have a front-loading machine with a rubber seal. This can partially be due to mold itself, of course, and can be managed effectively over time by wiping down the inside of the machine and the seal with a washcloth or a rag after each use. It’s also partly due, however, to the petroleum products found in most commercial liquid detergents and fabric softeners. To cut down on this problem, in the first place, of course, we would recommend that you switch from liquid detergent to using soap flakes instead but as I’ve said, we’ll cover that more in a future video, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, the easiest way to remove that unattractive scent from the inside of your washing machine is to gather up two basic materials. One whole box of borax and one gallon of white vinegar, mix them together and pour them both directly into the drum of your machine. If the machine also has a loading tray where detergent and fabric softener usually go, it wouldn’t hurt to put a little bit of the mixture in here as well then set your machine for the longest and hottest cycle possible, let the cycle run completely and after it’s finished, your washing machine should be like new.
CONCLUSION
Armed with these cheap and easy tips then you should be left with dark denim that holds its color more effectively, softer clothes that breathe and don’t hold on to stains, no static cling in your dryer, and a washing machine that’s sparkling clean. Also if you’re looking for more gentlemanly hacks, you can take a look at our video on 35 life hacks here and also our video on 15 men’s style hacks here.