Spring is just around the corner for us and that means spring cleaning and getting to hang some laundry outside! But I know we are all busy, especially as moms. So here are 10 great laundry hacks for the busy mom to save you time, money, and to help save the environment and your family from unwanted chemicals!
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Add your favorite essential oil to your unscented detergent
We have used Charlie’s Soap and Ecos for the past several years as more eco-friendly, less chemical-ridden options for our clothes (plus they’re cloth diaper safe). While I actually really like the smell of fresh laundry even without a scent, sometimes adding something like lavender when washing sheets or a scent I like on a day it suits my fancy is an inexpensive way to make your laundry smell nice without all the dangerous parabens. Plus, I don’t have time to make my own laundry soap.
Turn your drying rack upside down and attach to a clothing bar
Whether it’s because it’s raining out or because you’re so busy you’re prone to forgetting to bring in line-dried clothing, you can easily create an indoor drying station. This is something I worked out when we started cloth diapering because I was tired of tripping on the drying rack in our laundry room. So instead, I turned it upside down, used some upcycled backpack straps and fasteners, and viola! I had an awesome drying station that was out of the way and could be collapsed as needed.
Add 5 drops of tea tree oil to a teaspoon of salt to put in loads of laundry with gym socks and/or diaper laundry.
Tea Tree Oil has been known to help prevent the spread of fungal growths such as athlete’s foot and yeast; therefore, it is a great “just in case” preventative measure in gym and diaper laundry or for anyone struggling with yeast and candida overgrowth.
Use Wool Dryer Balls in the dryer
Wool absorbs moisture, therefore, buying or making your own wool dryer balls is a great way to both cut costs and cut drying time. They also make a great alternative to dryer sheets because as they bounce around the dryer, it has a softening effect.
Easily remove gunk from velcro with a simple cloth diapering tool
Even if you don’t cloth diaper, it’s worth getting a snappi for a dollar or two to be able to conquer any mess that builds up in your velcro with ease.
Add 4 drops of Purification oil to wool dryer balls for a wet wash cloth when drying clothes that got left in the washer too long.
This is my go-to solution for musty-smelling clothes. And let’s be honest for a second… I am a very busy mom and being busy means that the majority of my loads of laundry either get washed multiple times or need this emergency Purification essential oil treatment in the dryer.
Use peroxide to get organic stains out of clothing
Especially for blood, a few simple squirts of hydrogen peroxide is a cheap non-chemically abrasive way to get the stains out. So effective that I was able to get blood out of my white birth affirmation t-shirt that I got a lot of blood on from holding my home birth baby.
Harness the power of sunlight to remove stains
Especially on white clothes, putting them out in the sun while wet and keeping them wet can help get rid of stains. In fact, add some lemon water to make sunning your clothing and diapers even more effective. If needed you can add some lemon essential oil to salt and rub it in the set-in stains.
Keep safety pins or sock savers by the washing machine to keep socks, gloves, and anything that is a matching set together in the wash.
I admit, we have the most orphan socks on the face of the Earth. So those cute little pinterest ideas of “I’m missing my match” would never work for us. It would be like custom sock bunting for our laundry room… and whole house. Instead, I am trying to do better about making sure both partners are in the wash together by attaching them. Some have suggested snaps in the heels, but being tacticle defensive and having a toddler, that sounds horrible.
DIY Fabric softener is as easy as having a bottle of vinegar on hand and your favorite scent of essential oil
Vinegar itself is a great addition to your wash loads of blankets, hoodies, and sweatshirts because it helps keep them fluffy and soft. Adding 48 drops to a cup of vinegar is a nice 1% dilution of the oil and a great way to add a bit of scent to your load. I personally like doing something refreshing like lemon oil!

Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 5 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!

Drew
Using dryer balls to speed up the drying process is a good idea. I will need to try that for sure. I usually just use a dry towel but it would be nice to do something new. Thanks for posting.
Mark
I only use a dry towel, because wool is often cruelly sheared from sheep by guys who don’t care about gashing their skin in an attempt to shear as fast as possible.😳
It’s painful and traumatizing for these gentle, innocent beings.😢😞