Six Ways to Upgrade Your Laundry Game

Epsom salts will help prevent running and fading of non-colorfast items. Add 1 teaspoon Epsom salts per gallon of wash water for the first wash.

To set the colors in new cottons and keep them bright, soak them overnight in lightly salted water, or a weak solution of vinegar and water.

A nifty clothes brightener is cream of tartar. It's easier on the fabric than many bleaches, which is great for washing delicates. Just mix 2 teaspoons cream of tartar in 1 gallon of hot water and soak garments for 4 or 5 hours, then wash as usual.

Soak them in hot water mixed with a half cup of lemon juice. Soaking them in baking soda and water works pretty well, too.

When your wash cycle is complete, remove lightweight garments and place them in the dryer. Run your heavier items through the spin cycle one more time — this will reduce the moisture in the heavy items while the light items dry faster on their own. If you only have a few items to dry, pop a thick, dry towel into the dryer with them; the towel will help absorb a lot of the moisture.

Make sure you use a commercial water softener or washing soda. Soft water is much easier on fabrics than hard water, and repeated hard water use will turn whites gray. In addition to saving garments, soft water will save you money because you need less detergent. If you are using washing soda for the first time, go easy on the detergent.