Laundry Hacks That Don’t Really Work

This Laundry Hacks That Don’t Really Work post is sponsored by Tide. Please see below for additional disclosure. As always, please use caution and read the directions when using any laundry detergent.

Laundry Hacks That Don’t Really Work 

I grew up with a mother obsessed with hacks. She just wanted to find an easier way to do things because she was always so busy She had two kids, worked a full time job, commuted, was a Girl Scout leader and a lot more. From gadgets to tips, if there was a hack she would try it to save time and/or money.

And when it came to laundry she tried pretty much everything. Vinegar. Lemons. Baking Soda. She even made her our own detergent (DON’T DO THIS). Of course, she wanted to pass down these great hacks to my generation.  But with three kids, three dogs, a husband, three businesses, AND I volunteer on a regular basis – I don't have time to use hacks that may not REALLY work.

My mother always used her favorite laundry hacks with a bargain detergent – she said it helped the bargain brand work better. So I decided to put this theory to the test against my just favorite detergent, Tide…right at their lab in Cincinnati, Ohio. They said they could prove my mother’s hacks wrong so I just had to see it with my own eyes…and while the results weren’t surprising to me, I learned a ton from their scientists that I can’t wait to share with you! Here’s what I learned.

Laundry Hacks That Don’t Really Work  + How to get your clothes really clean

Laundry Hack: Vinegar.

Vinegar supposedly helps remove residues that cause dinge and odor. I am not certain that I used it for dinge but we used it my entire life for getting odors out of clothes. In fact, my mother not only used to buy it by the gallon but she used so much in our home during my childhood that my father constantly said that our home smelled like a salad. It kind of did.

Here is the thing about vinegar and your laundry, you need A LOT of it and this still might not help. How cost effective is it really to add 4-5 cups of vinegar to each rinse cycle? This is the amount you need for it to be really effective. Most people use one cup so they never really get the full benefits and then it just becomes a waste of money. In addition (and this is something that I didn't know) detergents aren’t always compatible with vinegar because it's an acid. Your clothes might not get as clean because your detergent becomes less effective due to the lowering of its optimal pH level. I learned that Tide’s newest product, Tide Fresh Coral Blast, not only gets rid of what causes odors but releases a pleasant smell the more you move – yup, motion activated laundry detergent is the way to go.

Laundry Hack: Lemons.

As a teenager, I decided that I wanted blonde highlights in my hair. Of course my mother and grandmother said use lemons so I did. I sat out day after day in the sun on our back deck after putting lemon juice in my hair. I am still not certain that it ever worked but my mother did get a break for a few hours so this might actually be a legitimate #parenthack.

Lemon juice has a mild bleaching power (which is what I was hoping would happen with my hair) and it contains citric acid which helps remove residue leading to dinge. Using lemons can be a lot of work, plus lemons aren't cheap and they can harm your color fabrics by fading its color which is why they are recommended for white clothing. It takes a full bag of lemons to get one cup of juice and it's probably not enough either. The cost and the time needed far outweigh any possible benefits. Another one of Tide’s new products, Tide Ultra Oxi, doesn’t require a ton of time to squeeze lemons or any pre-soaking…and we saw the results. Tide just works better.

Laundry Hack: Baking soda.

Baking soda was always one of the most popular things in our house. We had it in the refrigerator, the freezer and used it on the carpet. My mother always had a paste that she made with baking soda and kept it in a Tupperware container in the kitchen because that was always stain central. Baking soda can work as a gentle abrasive and fights grease/oil stains but it's messy and it takes time to make the paste which tends to dry up quickly. Similar to the way Tide Ultra Oxi works to brighten, it does the same for lifting stains. It has built in pre-treaters, which is such a time saver.

The crew at Tide about to put those laundry hacks above to the test.

Why Tide?

Did you know that on a normal day, the average adult produces 1 Liter of sweat? That's a little over 4 cups. Gross, right? When I wash my clothes, I want my clothes to be clean. Then I want them to smell good. I love scent and it is especially true when it comes to my laundry. Besides the science behind Tide (which I could seriously talk about all day), I am such a big fan of how well it cleans (that shirt below was white again after one wash) and of the smell. Let’s talk some more about those new Tide products I’m so excited about.

There is scent and then there is scent. This may sound a little odd but stay with me. Tide shared that bargain detergents often use perfume to mask odors but this perfume quickly wears away. Then the more you wear these garments, you'll find the left over odor residues builds up sometimes causing rebloom. The more you wear your garments, the leftover odor residues build up, and you can start experiencing rebloom which is that slightly musty smell that sometimes happens with workout clothing. Who wants that? That overly perfume-y scent does not mean clean. To me, the scent of clean is Tide. Tide Fresh Coral Blast as a matter of fact.

Tide Fresh Coral Blast became my new favorite after just one wash. One of the coolest things about Tide Fresh Coral Blast (besides how well it cleans my clothes) is that the smell activates the more you move. My clothes look and smell fresh all day. Tide Fresh Coral Blast removes more of the source of lingering odor versus using a bargain detergent with vinegar. I took a freshly dried t-shirt out of the dryer and put it on while it was a little warm which felt so nice. It smelled great and when I rubbed the sleeves together, even more scent was released. This happened all day because of the “encapsulated, motion-activated, long-lasting FRESHNESS TECHNOLOGY.”Another new Tide detergent is Tide Ultra Oxi. It removes stains better than bargain detergent plus baking soda by offering the most advanced cleaning system designed to attack food grease and tomato-based stains.

Look how clean we got everything just by using Tide. Those frowns above and shirts with the stains are all because of laundry hacks that did NOT work. 

Laundry is still a chore and I figure it always will be for me. However, if I can maximize my time and save money by prolonging the life of my clothes and removing dirt/stains with the first wash plus a few other things, well then it's pretty feasible that I will be a Tide user for life. With 45% of American homes using Tide, I feel even more confident in my decision.

Try it for yourself and spread the word that #TideBeatsHacks

Guide on How to Do Laundry from Tide

This Laundry Hacks That Don’t Really Work  post is sponsored by Tide. Tide invited me to spend the day in their lab at headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio and paid for travel/food/accommodations.