There are a lot of laundry hacks out there. But how do you know if these hacks actually work? Here's the thing: They only sometimes work. Not all of them, anyway. Some people swear by lemon and soda to clean their laundry, but it can take days for your clothes to dry and smell fresh again. And when you soak your clothes in water and essential oil mixture for an hour or more, they may still have a lingering odour. So, the truth is that only some hack works with your laundry! But some are worth trying because they can save you time and money — especially when you're running low on detergent or water at home. The best laundry hacks are affordable, easy to do, and can even save you money.  

So, here's what we learned about the best laundry hacks out there so far: 

Start with sorting: 

First things first, let's start with the basics. There is no laundry police that tells you to sort out your laundry in one particular way. You can customize your sorting policy at your convenience; for example, you can sort it by colours or even by fabric materials. For instance, if you have a joint family, you can sort the clothes by the person or try sorting clothes by soil level, which means keeping the sweaty gym clothes separate from the delicate tees. While separating whites and colours, you can use a non-toxic colour catcher like TheBetterHome's colour catcher sheets. This laundry colour catcher contains no harmful chemicals, and it is suitable for all fabrics.   

Vinegar for softening bedsheets 

The trick to making your sheets smell like fresh sheets is using vinegar. The easiest way to soften bed sheets is to pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray it on top of the sheets before putting them in the dryer. The vinegar will soften the cotton fibres, making them easier and more comfortable to sleep on. Dryer sheets with bleach may also help with this process, but they tend to discolour fabrics over time. There are several ways to use this hack. 

• Mix about two cups of vinegar with one cup of water in a spray bottle, and then spray onto your bedsheets every night before you go to sleep. You'll wake up to a pleasant smell every morning.  
• Pour white vinegar into the washer, close the lid and let it soak for about 10 minutes. Then run the sheets through a normal wash cycle with cold water and fabric softener. The vinegar will remove any stains on your sheets and make them feel brand new again. 
• Greasy stains aren't just unsightly; they can also be hard to get out of clothing. To remove grease stains from clothes, mix equal parts white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in a bowl. Spray the solution onto stained areas until it starts bubbling, and then wipe away with a cloth or paper towel. This method works incredibly well for removing grease from food stains such as barbecue sauce or fried chicken residue left behind by hand washables like T-shirts or pants. 

Chalk for greasy stains: 

If you have a grease stain on your clothing, use chalk to get rid of it. To remove grease stains from clothes without using fabric softener, dip a white cloth into some chalk and gently rub the stain until all traces of grease are gone. You can then wash your clothes as usual. You can also use baking soda if you have other types of stains or prefer a natural solution that does not require harmful chemicals. 

Vodka for deodorizing clothes: 

Dryer sheets are perfect for deodorizing clothes but can be expensive and wasteful if you keep buying them repeatedly. Instead of buying more dryer sheets when they're already full of chemicals, try using vodka instead! It works just as well at removing odours from laundry as dryer sheets do, so there's no need for extra chemicals or packaging waste in the environment. If you want to deodorize your laundry without using fabric softener or other chemicals, try spraying some raw vodka onto your freshly cleaned whites or t-shirts. 

DIY wrinkle releaser: 

Worried about wrinkled clothes? No time to wash or iron? So it is best to make your own wrinkle releaser. Mix 1 tsp white vinegar, hair condition, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray the mist on your wrinkled clothes until they are a little wet. Stretch and pull the fabric until the wrinkle releases. 

Fake iron clothes with ice cubes: 

Sometimes hot steam iron can be replaced by chilled ice cubes. Yes, you have seen it right. Toss the wrinkled clothes in the dryer with one or two ice cubes. Ensure your washing machine have the warmest setting possible. Let the ice cubes steam your clothes in the dryer to smoothen your clothes.