Last Updated on March 30, 2023
I’ve spent the past 20 years doing laundry in a hotel facility, and researching and testing laundry products here for this blog.
Along the way, I’ve come across many laundry accessories that just didn’t deliver. And I’ve discovered some that offer a world of convenience, and others that just plain work.
Here then are my favorite 5 laundry accessories that I would highly recommend.
You might not need all of them, depending on your machine, or your laundry habits. But I’m sure you can use at least a few of them.
Let’s take a look…
1.) Bluette – For Whitening
You probably have pillows or pillowcases that are yellow and nasty. And no matter how much you wash them, that yellowing just doesn’t come out right?
If bleach didn’t work, and your laundry items are still yellowed, you should try a bottle of Bluette.
Bluette is inexpensive, and “blues” your laundry. Bluing is a process that brightens whites by turning them blue.
This shade of blue appears to your eyes as bright white. The shade is actually blue, but your eyes see bright white. It’s a bit of an optical illusion.
It drowns out the yellowing in a sea of brightness. White brightness!
Just wash your sheets like you normally would, but this time, add a cap full of Bluette to your machine.
It won’t actually remove any stains, but it works wonders on yellowing. Like those yellowed pillows and pillowcases that always leave you frustrated.
2.) Carbona – For All Other Stains
This one isn’t a “product”, but more of a product line.
We deal with a myriad of different stains when doing laundry. Sometimes it’s coffee, other times blood. Often times its makeup. Whatever the case, the multi-purpose cleaners rarely work.
Soaking with detergent sometimes helps. But sometimes you need something else. Something that actually works!
In my experience with hard-to-remove stains, your best bet is a dedicated cleaner.
Something formulated for that particular stain. And when it comes to those stains, my go-to is always a Carbona Stain Devils cleaner.
Carbona Stain Devils are one of those “favorites of a pro” products.
I wouldn’t recommend buying a bottle of each. You’ll end up spending a lot of money, on a handful of products that you never really use. You know your laundry habits.
You know what stains you deal with consistently. So, stick to the Stain Devil products that address your stain-removal needs. And you won’t regret it!
3.) Wool Dryer Balls – To Replace Dryer Sheets
Using dryer sheets with every load is like calling a pizza joint to order a pizza. You can do it, but it’s so outdated! Dryer sheets are outdated.
Do they work? Yes, they do.
Are they efficient? No.
Are they toxic? Yes, they are.
Skip the dryer sheets, and buy a set of wool dryer balls.
Wool dryer balls are balls made of wool, that you toss into the dryer. They do the same job as dryer sheets or fabric softeners, but they can be used indefinitely – often for 1000 loads or more!
1000 loads?
Yup, that’s enough to last about 20 years. Imagine how many boxes of dryer sheets you’ve purchased in the past 20 years! You can reuse them over and over. And you’ll never have to buy dryer sheets or fabric softener again.
Wool dryer balls are unscented. but you can add a few drops of essential oils to give your load of laundry your preferred “fresh laundry scent”.
4.) Automatic Fabric Softener Dispensers
Hopefully, you’ll switch over to the wool dryer balls in the future.
But I get it, old habits can be hard to break.
You might be used to your favorite liquid fabric softener.
You might be committed to your regular laundry routine. And I can respect that. But there’s no shame in adding a little convenience.
If you still insist on using liquid fabric softener, and you own an old-school top-loading machine, you need need to get yourself an automatic fabric softener dispenser ball.
With an old-school washing machine, you wait for the rinse cycle to start, then you add in your fabric softener. It’s a tried and true method. But it’s just not convenient.
With a dispenser ball, you can add the fabric softener at the beginning, and then walk away.
Here’s How It Works:
- Add the fabric softener to the ball.
- Then, pull the ring and seal it.
- Drop the ball in, and turn your machine on.
During the first wash and spin cycles, the ball will just float around. The seal will keep the liquid inside of the ball.
But then, during the rinse cycle, the spinning jars the ring loose. And the fabric softener flows out. No more babysitting the machine, and waiting for the rinse cycle!
5. Shout Color Catchers – For Mixed Color Loads
Even if you never experienced a mixed wash accident, you’ve seen or heard about them.
And there are a lot of times when you only have a few whites – not enough to justify running a full cycle. So, they sit there until the hamper fills up with a few more whites.
Next time, wash them with the colors by adding a ColorCatcher dye-trapping sheet.
The sheet grabs loose dyes and dirt that swirls around in the water. Any dyes that bleed end up in the ColorCatcher sheet, not on your whites.
You’re probably skeptical, and rightfully so. But try it out with one load of laundry. Throw an old white t-shirt or towel with a load of colors. Test it out.
You’ll be glad you did!
The instructions are simple.
First, add a sheet to the washing machine. Then run it as you normally would. For large loads, add 2 sheets.
Bonus Accessories
Additionally, here are two more accessories to consider. They’re not must-haves, but they definitely offer value!
Essential Oils
I mentioned them above, but it bears a second mention. We all know the value of essential oils. But their use goes beyond just health reasons.
If you’re tired of the artificial scents – switch to essential oils!
Fabric Shavers
We’ve posted about de-fuzzers before. And they actually work too. If you have pilled or scratchy fabrics, don’t replace them. Rejuvenate them, for example, with a fabric shaver!
