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1. Line dry items as needed and hang up and air out relatively clean garments you've worn *once* to wear again without washing.
2. You can sometimes buy yourself a few more wears on items (without putting them through a whole wash cycle) by steaming them. And while we're on the subject, make sure you're steaming a garment from the inside.
3. Fight the urge to throw all your stuff on "the chair" once you've worn it. Either hang up stuff that passes the sniff and stain test, or throw soiled stuff in the laundry hamper.
I too, am guilty of this.
4. And if your garment is dangerously close to passing the sniff test, a spritz of this *gentle* freshening spray can quickly get it to wearable condition once again as a treatment that's less harsh than throwing it in the wash.
Promising review: "LOVE this spray. This product has so many uses. I spritz our sheets with it when changing bed linens if they’ve been in the linen closet long enough to lose that laundry smell. I spritz it on linen pants to release wrinkles midway through a wear. I spray curtains with it after giving the a quick freshen-up steaming. The list goes on. Big fan." —Corrina Milito
Get it from Amazon for $16 (available in three scents).
5. Freeze your ~new~ tights so they'll be less likely to run (if you're not going for the Jenny gone bad OG Gossip Girl look).
6. Hate the idea of frozen tights? Organize them in sandwich bags to avoid in-drawer snares (and shorten your morning routine).
7. Invest in a box of Color Catcher sheets that'll prevent dye from garments bleeding onto other items in the wash. They're designed to grab any dye that leaks or bleeds. Where has this been all your life?
Promising review: "These Color Catcher sheets really protect colors from blending. It makes all clothes/laundry brighter and looking like new — not that old, washed color after just one wash without these sheets. I give this product 5+ stars. Highly recommend. A few pennies spent additionally on your laundry makes one look like wearing new clothes all the time." —Nikita
Get 72 sheets from Amazon for $9.94.
8. Erase yellow armpit stains on white shirts with some baking soda and good old fashioned elbow grease. (But not a ton of elbow grease.)
9. Pre-treat one of the toughest stains out there with a two-pack of deodorant-removing sponges to rub away those ghostly stains that you ALL TOO OFTEN realize are a thing once you're wearing your dang shirt. No more tossing your perfectly worn-in black T-shirts because your "invisible" deo betrays you.
10. Keep a messy eater stain treater nearby that's geared toward parents handy. No more retiring a shirt thanks to spaghetti dinners. It's safe for kids and pets so everyone in the fam can reap the benefits.
Promising review: "This product is seriously amazing. I don’t understand what sets it apart from everything I’ve ever tried on food stains. But, I can say that it has saved multiple articles of clothing from pizza sauce and chocolate ice cream (constant culprits in our home)." —Ashley
Get it from Amazon for $7.95.
11. And if your household loves some red wine, it's worth keeping a red wine–specific stain remover that can work on soooo many other stains too.
Promising review: "Totally impressed! The unassuming generic packaging and label left me a bit skeptical but this stuff is almost as exciting as the wine I spilled! This cabernet stain sat on my ivory faux fur blanket for over a month before I tried this product. Completely gone in one try! Get this. Seriously. You won’t be disappointed." —PersianTess
Get it from Amazon for $10.36.
12. And if the problem holding back your clothing item is Sharpie stains or markings, an ink remover will transform your items. The proof is in the review pics!
Promising review: "I wish I could give this stuff 6 stars! My husband washed a load of clothes with a blue pen in his pocket. I thought one of his shirts and some khaki pants were done for. In a last ditch effort I decided to try this. I applied it twice with a tooth brush, let it sit, and washed it, then did that all again. The before and after pics are pretty amazing, especially since the stains were washed in. Glad I found this stuff, i will be using it again!" —Kelly N
Get it from Amazon for $10.89.
13. But if those stain-removing reviews still aren't doing it for you, Hogwash should be next on your list to try. The reviews say that it gets the FILTHIEST clothing clean and stain-free again.
Sallye Ander is a second-generation, family-owned small business that specializes in *gentle* formulas that are super effective.
Promising review: "I have a very dirty job and some days I come home looking worse than a coal miner. Prematurely throwing away good clothing, because they get so filthy, always hurts. Especially because I like collecting shirts from all the different companies I’ve worked for. So I decided to give this soap bar a shot, and it actually made an old orange work shirt shine again. I’ll definitely be buying more hogwash." —John Galt
Get it from Amazon for $8.95.
14. Plus, for anyone who always opts for natural cleaners and products: An enzyme-based stain spray that'll get out ALL sorts of stains on fabrics...even breast milk! Every piece of clothing, bedding, and upholstered furniture will thank you.
Puracy is a family-owned small business dedicated to creating natural and organic formulas that are not only effective, but safe for kids and pets. Aside from food stains, this spray also does a number on all other miscellaneous spots in your life like wine, coffee, makeup, and period blood!
Promising review: "Puracy is the best stain remover I've ever used! Grass stains? GONE. Blood? GONE. Baby poo on white clothes? Doesn't stand a chance! Seriously, Puracy got out stains from 6-year-old stored baby clothing!!! It's that good! Grease? Gone. Seriously this stuff is AMAZING! Buy it now!" —GrantedByTiffany
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in four sizes) or Puracy for $3.39+ (originally $4.99+; available in four sizes).
15. Make sure that you're *routinely* cleaning your washer so that when you're doing a load of laundry it's working in peak condition so you don't have to redo a load, creating more wear and tear on your clothes. A box of washing machine-cleaning tablets will clean the thing that cleans your clothes.
Works on top- and front-loading machines.
Promising review: "Washer started smelling a bit funky several months after we got it. I didn't understand why I couldn't just run bleach in my machine to clean it out occasionally, until I actually ran one of these tablets (free sample with my washer). The key is that the tablet goes in the washer drum, and doesn't dissolve right away. So as the washer runs through several repeated cycles of fill, agitate, and drain — the tablet is still there, sudsing up the water on cycle #2 and #3. If you just put bleach in the soap dispenser, it would all be gone after cycle #1. Also, this gets very sudsy and that probably helps it reach some areas of the machine that would otherwise get touched." —aberson
Get a six-tablet pack from Amazon for $11.98.
16. Swap out your typical fabric softener for wool balls to prevent buildup on your clothing and washing machine. Plus, they speed up drying time!
17. Wash your sheets with your clothes? Get a set of Wad-Free pads to help the air flow and *actually* dry your sheets while they're in the dryer. No more finding the load is due for another cycle. Turns out, these handy handy things might just make your bedding last longer too!
Wad-Free is a small biz that was launched during the pandemic. Cyndi, the founder, learned CAD (computer-aided design) to create the pads. And 5% of profits are donated to the American Brain Tumor Association.
Promising review: "In the 45+ yrs I’ve been washing sheets, I’ve tried everything to keep them from wadding up like a burrito. This works! I use them for my king sized bed and no more wet little bundle in the middle after drying them! The pillowcases now wind up on top instead of twisted and wet inside. It’s super easy to attach the corners of the sheet to the silicone square. The sheets come out cleaner and there’s no need to re-dry them! I bought one for both of my daughters — always happy to make life easier for them! Now I use them for my queen-size beds as well. I enjoy washing my sheets weekly now! I highly recommend." —Leslie Burch
Get it from Amazon for $18.99.
18. Hold onto all your socks in the wash with a genius little SockDock you can secure your socks to before you throw them in the washer and dryer.
Promising review: "I love these! I hate sorting socks after doing laundry and these are the perfect solution! I just hang this near my hamper and stick my socks in every day. When it’s full I drop in the hamper and am ready to go. Such a time-saver." —R. Steebs
Get it from Amazon for $17 (available in five colors).
19. Invest in a set of small mesh laundry bags to help group (think kids' socks, mittens, and masks)and make the wash a bit gentler on stuff that OK, maybe you're not really supposed to be throwing in the washing machine but you are and then planning on line drying (think bras, lacey undies, swimsuits).
Promising review: "Saw this hack on TikTok. I use them for baby socks, mittens, and hats." —megan churchill
Get a set of three from Amazon for $7.99 (available in 10 sizes).
20. And turn your jeans inside out before washing them to help prevent fading from water and detergent.
21. Do a zipper check before you throw items in the wash. Unzipped zippers tend to snag on other clothes and can cause rips and tears, so ZIP IT UP.
22. And if you have items with zippers in need of repair, a zipper repair kit can help you get waaaaay more mileage out of them. *And* the kit comes with several zipper styles so you're sure to find multiple matches.
Have you ever paid a dry cleaner to repair a zipper for you? I have, and phew, I could've ordered myself dinner instead.
Promising review: "My favorite coat would no longer zip without separating from the bottom. I ordered this kit with high hopes of fixing this annoying problem. I tried the "pinch" technique recommended as step 1 and my zipper sort of worked on most zips for about a day, then went back to its bad behavior. I then went with replacing the pull as described in the directions. My zipper now works better than it has in years! For the few dollars the kit cost, it saved me a good hundred on a new coat. Plus, you get enough pulls and parts for many different zippers. I could not be happier with this purchase." —Kristen Anderson
Get it from Amazon for $13.95.
23. Get ahead of any funky shoes by regularly using charcoal inserts to neutralize orders in those favorite flats of yours you can't throw in the wash but have been stinking up the mudroom.
Promising review: "I have a pair of minimalist sneakers that just reeked during this past summer. They were starting to make my entire hallway smell. So I gave these a try. I continued wearing the sneakers daily and put these in them each night. It took a few days before the odor started to go away, but after about a week the sneakers were much fresher. I'm still using them and they are still working just fine. Just leave them in the sun for a day if they start to smell." —Joshua
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.99.
24. Keep an eye on your ~investment footwear~ so you can get it resoled in plenty of time and get even more wear out of it.
25. Use a box of Magic Erasers to brighten dingy sneakers, remove wall scuffs, scrub away marks on stainless-steel sinks, and clean up grout stains on shower walls.
I use Magic Erasers for all of the above, especially during rushed mornings when all of a sudden a pair of sneakers I planned to wear looks especially dingy. I can't rave about them enough!
Promising review: "Helped to remove the dirt on my white Vans from hiking. I tried using baking soda before but it didn't do anything to the mud. Thanks to Magic Eraser the stains are almost gone!" —Daisy
Get a box of nine from Amazon for $4.94.
26. Use a four-way cleaning brush to make big moves on those black suede (or nubuck!) boots you decided to shuffle around in the dirt while wearing last weekend. Their days are no longer numbered.
It has four sides: one to clean heavier scuff marks and stains, one to gently clean fine suede and light scuff marks, one to clean rounded corners, and one to clean hard-to-reach crevices and grooves.
Promising review: "I was really sad when I thought my bucks were at the end of their road, because I had always heard that suede couldn't be cleaned. With this brush and a little elbow grease my bucks are looking great again! I didn't use any water or cleaner, I just kept wiping the brush off on my jeans to keep the brush clean, then hit the shoe again with a clean surface. It even brightened the leather up a bit." —Roberto
Get it from Amazon for $6.99.
27. Revive your lackluster leather accessories with a leather conditioner that'll serve as your next project while you catch up on the latest ep of your fave true-crime podcast!
Reviewers note that using this may darken the leather, so keep that in mind!
Promising review: "Excellent product! So happy I tried it! I wore kitchen gloves and smoothed a thin layer of the product all over the couch, instead using of the cloth. Went way faster and I didn’t waste product soaked up by the cloth." —Kristie
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
28. If you're going to hang up all your stuff in the closet, hang up things the *right* way.
29. If you're a frequent hoodie-wearer and have the closet space to hang them (jealous!), a set of hoodie hangers are specially made to keep them in peak condition without weirdly stretching them out like normal hangers.
Each hoodie hanger comes with a removable clip that allows you to lock the hoodie hangar onto smaller diameter rods or wire shelving.
Venalli Builds is an Overland Park, Kansas-based Etsy shop.
Get a set of five from Venalli Builds on Etsy for $20+ (available in sets of five and 10 and in four color options).
30. Use this technique for hanging up sweaters so you can avoid those awkward Popeye-like bumps on the shoulders that sweaters get when you hang them like shirts:
31. Maintain the straight-from-the-store look of your favorite sweaters with a pill-removing stone to tackle those annoying little pills that seem to pop up at the worst possible times.
Celsius is founded by sisters Corinna and Theresa Williams, who have a background in fashion and design, and love cleaning and the environment. So they opened the Celsius flagship in Brooklyn, which is an energy-efficient laundromat stocked with their specialty detergents and cleaners. Each cycle there comes with a complimentary dose of eco-friendly unscented laundry powder. If you can't make it there IRL, you can snag their cleaning products online, including this stone! Speaking of the stone, if you want some extra credit you can use it with wool conditioner and Wool & Silk Yuzu Delicate Detergent. Plus if you take care of this stone, it can last you for up to 10 years!
Get it from Celsius for $17.
32. Resurrect that bra that you thought met its demise in the wash back to working order with a set of stainless-steel underwires. OK you're supposed to hand-wash bras, but just this one time you threw it in the wash and :(.
Promising review: "The underwires were just as described. I had several expensive bras with broken wires. I took my chance and ordered these. Great quality, better than original ones in the bras. It was hard to accurately measure my broken wires so I ordered a size up to be safe." —walley
Get it from Amazon for $7.98 (available in cup sizes B–E).
33. Plus a set of bra extenders will provide two extra inches on that bra that's still in perfect working condition, aside from the fact that it pinches you every time you wear it. Bras are $$$$. Let's beat the system.
34. Use a liquid fabric mender to repair any tears or rips in the stuff you love to use and would LOVE to continue using. (Plus it's just good to have around for crafting projects)
Promising review: "Works amazingly. My hiking bag of 12 years finally started to show signs of wear and began tearing at the seam. After searching and realizing my bag was discontinued and no other bag in the same price range compared I looked into repairing it. The seam began wearing and was unable to be stitched back together. This liquid stitch teamed with tenacious tape worked so well I decided to apply liquid stitch to all seams and make my hiking bag better than new. Goes on white but dries clear." —Cheryl Bates
Get it from Amazon for $7.97.
35. If sewing isn't your thing (no shame in that!), a pack of Velcro fabric tape can help create a *permanent* bond where you need to mend seams or fix gaping button-up shirts. Just make sure you use the right kind of Velcro. (I once had a friend accidentally use industrial Velcro and that didn't work out so well.)
36. Buy a waist extender to help you get FAR more use out of those pants you're nervous about wearing to Thanksgiving because they're right on the cusp of being hard to button up. No need to replace! Be free! Use a waist extender!
Promising review: "I do not know how I lived without them. I have saved a bunch on unnecessary alterations." —Gerald Voigt
Get a five-pack of pants extenders for $6.99.
37. And on the flip side, a set of jean button pins to save the day when you're in between sizes on jeans you love — this pin helps you tighten up a waist gap on top. And all it takes is pressing it in. That's it!
Promising review: "There are the best things ever. I have jeans that fit great but the waist is always too loose. So I saw these on TikTok, and I was so curious to see if they worked or not. But seriously, you need to buy these, the buttons are great material and just the most useful things overall." —Alexa Botello
Get a set of 8 from Amazon for $6.99.
38. Hold onto your fave pair of jeans with a loose button thanks to a simple button replacement kit the least handy person you know could probably use.
Promising review: "My eyesight is not what it use to be. Not having to thread a needle helps me a lot. I've waited a few weeks to see how well they would hold up. No problems. Easy to install, works well and looks like they will last a long time." —thomas harker
Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $7.99.
39. And if your clothing item is on its way out bc of straight-up boredom, a powder fabric dye can be the update you need. It'll also work great for anything that's faded more than you'd like, or would serve you better in a different hue.
Promising review (for the pic on the right): "I used the bucket dying method on a white 100% cotton dress I bought from a thrift store. It worked perfectly. No blotchy bits or anything to give away that this dress was ever anything but yellow. The key is to follow the instructions. You'll want to use a cup of salt and a little squirt of soap with your hot water, and make sure everything is completely dissolved before dying your fabric. Also pre-wet the fabric. The RIT website has very clear instructions with various methods of dying. I highly recommend RIT dye." —Loren
Get it from Amazon for $5.44+ (available in 16 colors).
40. Plus some bright shoelaces that come in a set of 15 colors can help brighten up some still-perfectly-fine sneakers in a way that'll get you pumped to wear them.
Promising review: "Great quality, great colors. These laces are long enough for my boots... I use them with my canvas Keds sneakers too. It's nice to be able to change my laces with my outfits... It feels like a new pair of shoes every time I wear them!" —Tdelarme
Get them from Amazon for $9.49.
41. And if you're REALLY into putting in some effort, a leather paint set can help you get creative with your leather shoes and accessories. Sometimes you just need to breathe some new life into a beloved accessory.
Check out how one reviewer used the paint to give a pair of cowboy boots a colorful new twist.
Promising review: "I was a bit skeptical of a shoe specific paint — it seemed more marketing hoodoo than a real improvement over other paints — but I was mistaken. This stuff rocks! It works well with stencils and brushes, has good opacity, great adhesion, and remains flexible when it dries. When combined with Angelus Paint 2-Thin, you can use it in any fillable paint pen. You lose some opacity but gain the ability to do longer continuous lines before needing more paint compared to a brush. I look forward to working on a few other projects with this paint." —Xaq F.
Get it from Amazon for $34.73 (12 colors available in a multipack).
42. Look after your best accessories with a hanging bag organizer that'll keep the dust off your beauties and won't put stress on your purse handles like other organizing solutions.
::nervously calculates how much $$$ I've spent on handbags::
Promising review: "Earlier today I put two hanging closet handbag holders in my walk in closet. I don't have 16 purses, but I do have more than eight. I put some other things in the leftover pockets — gloves, a couple of smaller clutch-style purses, and some scarves. The pockets are roomy and seem to be sturdy. I'm doin' the happy dance because they are just what I needed. Already I'm feeling more organized." —mochamarie
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in four colors).
43. Renew the look of your fuzzy go-tos with an ~official~ Ugg cleaning kit instead of dropping them off at the dry cleaner's for some serious $$$.
Recommended for use only on twin-faced sheepskin boots and slippers within the Classic, Ultra and Ultimate collections. Includes a cleaner and conditioner, water and stain repellent, freshener, brush, and a stone.
Promising review: "My uggs had that stain on them since last year I just put them away until now and you can’t even tell that stain was there." —Kahliyah
Get it from Amazon for $34.95.
44. Make a quick repair with heel cap covers to cover exposed nails (y'know, that guilty party for clicking and clacking) so you can keep wearing your fave heels without footing a big bill at the shoe repair.
Promising review: "I bought these because I have and old pair of heels that still had a lot of life in them and I wanted to revamp them. The heels were worn down to the screw and the XS fit perfectly. If the cap looks like it will fit but the end of your heel is too square, I recommend you file it down with a really good nail file and round it out. My shoes look like new now. I love them !" —Yeya93
Get two pairs from Amazon for $9.99 (available in five size combos and also in taupe).
45. Protect the inside of your bags (especially if you plan to resell them) *and* give yourself with a break on the reg with a handbag organizer with LOTS of pockets that'll help you easily track down your headphones, caffeinated gum, sleep mask, and just about anything else you'll need while traveling or just going about your everyday routine.
Promising review: "I have always purchased handbags with lots of pockets and sections because I hate having to dig around trying to find something in the gaping hole of purses with no sections. But I have passed up so many cute bags because of this, and I was frustrated with having to do so. I purchased this medium size organizer, and I couldn't be happier!! It is very well-made, and it has so many great pockets to organize everything I need. THE BEST PART is, I can easily lift it out of one purse and put it into another one, and I always know where everything can be found. I wish I had gotten one of these years ago. When I first ordered this organizer, I didn't realize it had two zipper compartments on each side, and I was tickled to discover even MORE storage!!! With all the fun colors and patterns, it was hard to select one, but I've always been partial to polka dots. I love it and can't imagine anyone not being has pleased with this as I am!" —Ronna
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in sizes S-L and in 27 colors).
46. Perhaps it's just a garment's buttons that look sorry? Replace them with a fresh set with some personality for a designer touch on the cheap.
Promising review: "Replaced buttons on a quality black blazer. These look as nice as the originals at a reasonable price." —Edward J Caspers
Get them from Amazon for $13.99.
And for the uninitiated, here's how to sew three types of buttons. And while you're at it, reinforce any loose buttons!
48. Regularly polish your leather pieces using a thrifty (but effective!) sponge so they'll look new for longer.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.