I, like most people, have been spending a lot more time around the house lately. I've found that having effective tools for daily chores, like cleaning and laundry, can make a huge difference. We've tried to pare down our collecting of cleaning supplies to only what we use and love. Not only has this made things easier - it's so much simpler to grab what you need if there aren't too many options and a space isn't cluttered - but it's also brought a strange sense of enjoyment to doing these chores. I've included my favorite laundry tools and products below. Stay tuned for a post on all of my favorite cleaning tools and recipes soon!
Hamper: We have a wicker hamper that lives in our bedroom, however if we ever have a larger closet I would love to have a few hampers like this one in the closet instead of out in the bedroom. It is essential to have a hamper with removable bags to carry laundry to the laundry room.
Mesh garment bags: I use these for delicate items such as blouses, bras, undies, etc. These are especially important if you have a washer with an agitator.
Steamer: I have one of these on my wish list. Steamers are great for delicate items and are quick and simple to use. We have an iron but I never use it.
Fabric shaver: I also have one of these on my wish list. These are awesome for shaving off fuzzies on furniture, sweaters, shirts, etc.
Wood hanger and shoulder shaper: We replaced our velvet hangers for these wooden ones a couple of years ago and I'm so glad we did. These from Ikea are also very affordable and great quality. We also got some of the plastic shoulder shapers to hang our more delicate items on. I keep a few in the laundry room for air-drying Cary's shirts.
Plastic wash tub: I used to wash my hand-washables in the sink, but always got annoyed with having to thoroughly clean out the sink first to make sure there wasn't any oil or food residue behind that would damage my delicates. I got this super cheap tub and it's been amazing - it doesn't take up a ton of space and I always have a nice clean place to hand wash things.
Toothbrush: I keep a toothbrush with all of our laundry supplies for rubbing in stain removers if any of our clothes get stained with wine, oil, pen ink, etc. I just use a simple, soft plastic one from the grocery store but I love all of the wood and bamboo options out there.
Small spray bottle: I use these little bottles for linen spray (you can find my linen spray recipe here). Perfect for freshening up any linens/clothing in between washes.
Spray bottle: I use these spray bottles for all of the cleaning solutions we use in the house. They are also great if you buy cleaning products in bulk.
Cotton basket: This was a recent purchase that has made my life so much easier. I use it specifically for carrying clean laundry in between the laundry room and our bedroom (I don't like putting clean laundry into our hampers for dirty laundry). I used to carry a big heap of clothes 3 floors up to our bedroom and would drop things throughout the entire house where they would collect dog hair. This thing has been a life saver. It also is cotton so it folds up nicely and is very light-weight.
Wool dryer balls: These have been a wonderful replacement for dryer sheets. I throw all six into the dryer with every load (I still use dryer sheets on any dog items, though).
Drying rack: I'm SO happy to have found this drying rack. I used to have a cheap bamboo one and it was a nightmare, it always fell apart and the coating chipped off. This solid wood and metal one is amazing quality, folds up beautifully, and has two different heights depending on how much laundry you have.
Laundry detergent: I've been using this type of laundry detergent lately, or whatever similar options the store has. I like using natural, sensitive skin-friendly detergents with either no scent or something subtle like lavender.
Sal Suds: I use Sal Suds for our all-purpose cleaner (recipes coming soon!), and also use it for laundry that needs a little extra help, like dish towels, cleaning rags, or dog blankets. I've considered switching over to Sal Suds for all of our laundry and might still do that. It does have a pine scent which I don't mind but others might not love it.
Hand-wash detergent: I got this delicate wash from The Laundress to use for hand-wash-only items. It smells amazing and since we don't hand-wash too many of our items it's lasted a long time.
Essential oils: I use essential oils in our linen/room spray and DIY cleaning supplies. You can also put a few drops in the washing machine when doing a cleaning cycle.
Linen spray: I like to use this linen spray recipe for our clothes, sheets, and towels in between or after washes. I also use it as a room spray!
Baking soda: If I'm ever washing something that's extra stinky (exercise clothes, dog blankets, etc.), or if I want to help brighten white sheets or towels, I sprinkle in some baking soda before starting a wash. I've also soaked new jeans in baking soda dissolved in water in our white plastic tub if they have that funky smell new jeans can have sometimes.
Vinegar: Vinegar is a great alternative to baking soda for adding to the wash to help brighten whites or for particularly smelly things.
Stain remover: While there are many great DIY stain remover recipes out there (post on DIY cleaning recipes coming soon!), we primarily use Shout for any stains. I keep one spray bottle of it in our closet, and one in the laundry room. I use the one in the closet for spraying any small stains on clothing items before tossing them in the hamper, or for spraying the sheets quickly if the dogs get something on them. I also like to spray the arm pits of most of my shirts to prevent deodorant stains, and it seems to have helped with that a lot. They also sell bulk bottles for re-fills, I like to put it in the amber glass bottles and label them so they're pretty to look at.
Dryer sheets: I primarily use the wool dryer balls, but for anything with lots of dog hair or that might have residual smells I'll throw a dryer sheet in to help.
This post is not sponsored or in partnership with any of the aforementioned brands but the article contains affiliate links. When you shop via the links above I may make commission on a sale at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.