Sophie’s How to: Laundry

Sophie Hiland

If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing that puts a damper on your day like spilling red sauce on your new white shirt or a button popping off your button-down right before a big job interview. 

Laundry and clothing care aren’t quite sexy topics, I know. But, taking good care of your clothes and mending tears instead of throwing items out is one of the easiest ways to be environmentally conscious when it comes to your clothes. 

Washing & Drying Basics:

If you don’t want your jeans to fade, wash them inside out on cold. Dry them inside out too. 

If you really don’t want a piece to shrink, wash it in cold water and dry it on low (or hang dry).

Read the instructions on the tags. Here’s a list of what each icon means. 

Anything with elastic (sports bras, leggings, shorts with elastic waistbands) will hold up longer if you don’t dry them in the machine but instead hang them up to dry. My favorite drying rack is this one but you can also use hangers in your closet for many pieces or drape items over your desk chair or hang them on the posts of your bed. 

You might be seeing a pattern here, but hanging your clothes to dry does wonders for keeping your favorite pieces from pilling, getting holes, and losing their shape. Hand wash your sweaters with Woolite and lay them on a towel on the ground so they don’t stretch while they dry. Follow these directions on how to position them for the best results. 

Speaking of keeping your pieces from stretching… unless you’re trying to stretch the shoulders of your sweater out. The weight of the sleeves will cause the shoulders to droop. If you really want to hang them, cross the sleeves over the opposite shoulder so they’re supported by the hanger.

Handwash your bras. Please. In cold water with Woolite, a hypoallergenic detergent that is made to be used when hand washing. Hang your bras to dry. That’s all. If you want more advice on how to do this, check out this article. 

Rinse your bathing suits out before you toss them into the hamper until the next wash. Chlorine and saltwater break down the elastic in bathing suits, causing them to deteriorate faster. Rinsing them out will help you get ahead of that breakdown. 

Sick of waiting forever for your sheets and towels to dry? Throw in wool dryer balls like these to cut down on dryer time. 

Hate losing your favorite socks in the laundry room? Grab mesh washing bags like these and toss your socks in them before putting them in the washing machine so you don’t end up dropping socks when you move your clothes in and out of the washer and dryer. 

White sneakers looking dirty thanks to those early-spring trips across Battell Beach? Grab a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to make those white soles bright again. (You can use a Magic Eraser on soles of any color). Another way to revive your sneakers is simply throwing your shoelaces in the washing machine. 

Stains:

Keep a Tide Stick in your backpack. It’s easy and everybody will love you for it. Planning on wearing all white but not carrying a backpack? Grab a Shout Wipe and toss it in your back pocket. They’re super portable and really effective. 

Do you remember those epic OxyClean ads? They were goofy, but the people at OxyClean are on to something. 

I use OxyClean Stain Removing Powder to solve two issues: as a pre-soak and in addition to detergent to brighten dull clothes. 

If you’ve got a really stubborn stain, wet the area and dab the powder onto the spot. Let it sit for 4-8 hours. Toss the pieces in the wash with a scoop worth of OxyClean and detergent. 

Are pit stains getting you down? Put two clean trash bags (one inside another) in a trashcan and fill ¼ with water. Put a scoop worth of powder in the bag along with a couple of pieces and leave them for 4-8 hours (longer is better). Follow the same instructions as above in washing the pieces in the machine. 

White shirt looking all-around dull? Toss any colors that could use a refresh in the washing machine with a scoop of OxyClean.

If you’re interested in non-toxic options, this one from Grove Collaborative has tons of great reviews and is just $6. The only downside is that it’s an 8oz container, but you could totally put it in a small bottle like one of these and pop that it a Ziploc bag in your backpack. 

Mending etc. 

Patches are your best friends. 

I’m obsessed with these patches from a collaboration between Noso and Skida which was founded by an awesome Middlebury alumna. More great Noso patches here!

Need to patch a non-technical piece? Grab a set of iron-on patches in different colors and textures like these.

Buy a needle and thread and match the thread to the fabric or thread color of the piece. You can absolutely manage sewing up small holes, rips or re-attaching loose buttons. A sewing kit like this one is a great starting point! This option is small enough to fit in a backpack or suitcase and looks pretty chic too. 

Check out these YouTube videos to learn some helpful tips and tricks:

How to Sew by Hand for Beginners

How To Sew On A Button - Real Men Real Style (This one is great because it’s targetted towards men and is just all-around funny)

Learn to Hand Sew! Three Stitches You Can’t Sew Without (Some helpful stitches for various different needs!)

More:

Got job interviews coming up? Hate wearing wrinkly clothes? Consider grabbing a steamer (this one is just $35 and has AMAZING reviews on Amazon). Steamers are super easy to use because you don’t need an ironing board and it’s pretty hard to ruin a piece of clothing with them. Pro tip: take the item OFF before steaming it. You will most likely burn yourself if you try to steam something while it’s on your body. 

Another really cool option is this handheld iron which takes away the need for an ironing board and works super well to get nooks and crannies. Plus, it’s woman-owned and the co-founder was in college when she launched this business!

Lastly:

I’m pretty interested in start-ups, so here’s a collection of cool (relatively small) companies working in the laundry and clothing-care industry!

The Nori Press Steam Iron: A super cool hand-held iron made by two young women who were sick of the standard and hard-to-maneuver iron. 

Frey: Some super cool laundry products that smell amazing, are plant derived, chemical free. Frey plants a tree for every order placed!

The Laundress: I’m kind of obsessed with this company which launched back in 2002 and has been working to reinvent how we wash our laundry. From alternatives to sending your clothes to the dry cleaners to great stain removal products, they’re making doing laundry a little more luxe. (They even did a collaboration with perfumery Le Labo, *swoon*) 

Sojo: A really cool company that connects seamsters (the gender-neutral “seamstress”) with people who have clothes that need repairing or altering. They haven’t launched in the States yet, but here’s hoping they bring it to America soon!

Gotta go – it’s time for me to go move my laundry from the washer to the dryer!