The Amazing Stuff

If you’re struggling to keep up with the piles of dirty laundry that seem to come up out of nowhere, we can’t help you there. But if you think you have to spend buckets of cash on fancy dryer sheets to keep your clothes smelling amazing, that’s where we come in.

After you learn this trick, your whole outlook on the price of flower-fresh clothes will be forever changed…and it only takes a few easy steps!

Grab some generic sponges from the store.

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A pack of four will cost around $1. Cut each of them in half.

Locate a container with a lid.

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Mix one cup of your favorite fabric softener…

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With two cups of tap water (which, by the way, is totally free).

Flickr / Luis

Toss your sponges into the mixture and let them soak.

When you’re ready to dry a load of laundry, just squeeze the excess liquid out of one of your sponges and toss it in with the clothes.

Life Cheating

Your laundry will be soft, fresh, and static free! Say goodbye to overpriced dryer sheets and hello to this much cheaper, eco-friendly option!

(via Life Cheating)

These are reusable, so once your load is finished, just toss the sponge back into the bucket to soak up more of the magic liquid. Heck, you could even splurge a little bit on the fabric softener, because you’re using so little for so many loads of laundry, it’ll last you virtually forever. I have to try this trick…as soon as I get around to doing the laundry.

Normally, a pile of dirty laundry conjures up thoughts of dreaded chores — hours spent loading the washer and dryer, unloading them, folding clothes…UGH. But when this mini pig sees a pile of dirty drawers, he only sees a barrel of fun. His reaction might just inspire you to get to that laundry pile early this week…

(source Mini Pig loves playing with the laundry by PickleTheMiniPig)

That’s it — I need a mini pig to roll around in my dirty clothes! I could watch him for hours.

Find more adorable piggies right here:

As the weather gets warmer, your ice cube tray is probably going to become a bigger part of your life. Those precious cubes of polar cold are perfect for chilling your drinks, blending slushies, and even rubbing on the back of your neck when the AC hasn’t been fixed and it’s been four days and you don’t know why bad things happen to good people.

But did you know that ice is actually useful in other applications, as well? You can do a lot more than make things cold! And that’s pretty cool. (Sorry, I had to.)

Flickr / David Smith

1. Get chewing gum out of fabric.

iStock / Dirk Richter

Let an ice cube sit on the offending gum for a while to harden it. It will make it easier to scrape off. If the gum is on clothing, you can also stick the garment in the freezer.

2. Reheat rice in the microwave.

Flickr / Ruocaled

If you place an ice cube in the center of the rice and cover with a piece of plastic wrap before microwaving, your rice won’t get all dried out. (Just be sure to poke holes in the plastic, because no one likes an explosion.)

3. Make salad dressings thicker instantly.

Flickr / EvelynGiggles

Drop an ice cube into an oil-based dressing before shaking it up. The ice will cause the oil to cool and harden slightly, and you’ll have a thicker, creamier dressing.

4. Skim excess fat off soups.

Flickr / @joefoodie

Drop an ice cube (or two, depending on how much soup we’re talking about) into warm soup. Scoop them out a few seconds later with the hardened fat sticking to them.

5. Mask the taste of medicine.

Flickr / Tadson Bussey

Gross-tasting medicine is bad, but the lingering taste in your mouth afterward is worse. Suck on an ice cube after swallowing the medicine to both wash out the taste and numb your mouth slightly, which will diminish the taste even more.

6. Water plants without slopping water everywhere.

Flickr / Andrew Bowden

Place an ice cube in a potted plant for slow-release watering. It’s the perfect solution for when you’re going to be out all day. Just don’t let the cube touch the roots, because that can cause tissue damage.

7. Smooth out caulk and quicken drying time.

Flickr / Emily May

Run an ice cube along the caulk seam. This will both smooth out any imperfections and make it harden more quickly.

8. Steam away wrinkles in the dryer.

iStock / Pamela Moore

Toss a few ice cubes into the dryer with your clothes to create a steamy bath that will smooth out wrinkles in lighter fabrics. For heavier ones, stick to an iron.

9. Remove carpet dents.

iStock / coloroftime

Getting your carpet to recover after five years of a couch sitting in the same place is easy. Drop an ice cube into the dent and let it melt. Now that the carpet fibers are wet and pliable, brush out the dent.

(via Mashable)

Now that you know these little tips, you can show your ice cube tray a little love all year long.

Just don’t go overboard.

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