There has been a cleaning going around that says adding two cups of coffee or tea to your rinse water to keep clothes dark. Yes, coffee and tea may be effective dyes, but the average rinse cycle in a standard washing machine uses up to 16 gallons of water.
So how much dying can happen with only two cups of coffee or tea? Almost none.
Soaking Your Cookware
Some kitchen and cookware does well with a good soak before you can scrub away at it, but the rule doesn't apply across the board.
Certain cooking utensils like stainless steel pots and pans shouldn't ever be soaked, seeing as they are prone to water stains, and leaving them to soak could result in pitted surfaces. You should also avoid soaking your wooden utensils since the water will cause them to curve and crack.
Hot Water As a Disinfectant
Hot water can kill some bacteria, but it has to be piping hot (around 212 degrees Fahrenheit), and the contaminated surface must be exposed for a few minutes for it to be effective. Since most home water heaters are set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, you're fooling yourself if you expect hot water alone to kill germs.
Once the flu sweeps through your home or after preparing raw meats in the kitchen, add a commercial disinfectant like pine oil to your cleaning routine.
Towels to Help Dry Clothes Faster
No one likes finding that one piece you want to wear is the only damp item after your laundry is done. You had your heart set on wearing it, and now you need to dry as quickly as possible.
Before you throw it in the dryer, add a couple of dry towels. They will help absorb some of the extra moisture and speed up the drying process.
Use Ice to Remove Wrinkles
Sometimes we forget to remove the clothes from the dryer, which inevitably leads to creases and wrinkles. So what do you do when your shirt today is all crinkled and looks rumpled up? Simply toss a handful of ice cubes into the dryer along with the wrinkled shirt. Tumble dry for at least 10 minutes on high heat.
When the cycle is complete, immediately remove the shirt and hang it up. Just smooth down the collar, cuffs, and seams with your hands. This hack works because the steam created by the melting ice relaxes the fibers and helps wrinkles vanish.