Best Laundry Tips

Keep a container of antibacterial wipes near your washing machine. After emptying your dirty clothes into the washer, use a wipe to swab out the laundry basket to get rid of bacteria before you put the cleaned clothes in it.

Trim your dryer hose, leaving only a few feet of slack. The shorter length will let your dryer run more effectively.

Replace expensive color-safe bleach (like Clorox 2) with hydrogen peroxide. You can even use peroxide in place of bleach for your whites, too.

Before putting your clothes in the dryer, shake them out. This will help clothes to be less wrinkled.

Top loading washers easily mildew and begin to smell. They recommend using less detergent than normal to prevent this problem.

On cold mornings, running the dryer first thing (well, second after the washer) can help warm the house.

Hang hooks in bathrooms and bedrooms so clothes that can be worn again don’t go into the hamper. Hang a tote bag from one of the hooks for clothes that don’t stay hung up.

Keep the dryer vent clean for efficiency. Use a long brush to clean further down the vent from time to time to reduce fire hazard.

Best Natural Hair Rinses

Dark Beer and Lemon Rinse: Use for volume and shine. Let a ½ bottle of dark beer go flat and mix with juice of one lemon. Massage through dry hair until saturated and rinse off.

Coconut Milk Rinse: Maintains hair’s strength and shine. Pour ½ cup of coconut milk over your head, combing it down the length of your hair and massaging it into your scalp. Wrap a warm, damp towel around your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Then, rinse.

Color-Enhancing Rinses:

Coffee for Brunettes: Pour lukewarm brewed coffee over dry hair, soaking through. Wait 20 minutes, shampoo and rinse.

Cranberry Juice for Redheads: Pour room-temperature cranberry juice over dry hair, soaking through. Wait 20 minutes, shampoo and rinse.

Chamomile Tea for Blondes: Pour cool chamomile tea over dry hair, soaking through. Wait 20 minutes, shampoo and rinse.