I quit my top job to show people how to do their laundry properly – the fool-proof stain removal secrets I swear by
A LAUNDRY expert has revealed her top tips for removing stubborn stains and the bargain cleaning products she swears by – and they cost as little as 25p.
With over 18 years of experience working in retail in commercial, visual and store management roles, Laura Mountford, from New Forest, quit her job at M&S to focus on showing her army of followers her top cleaning and laundry tips.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital, the 37-year-old, who has recently published her first best selling book, ‘Live, Laugh Laundry,’ has shared her top tips on all things cleaning.
So whether you’re worried about ink, sun cream or red wine stains or want to know how to make fresh-smelling clothes last longer, the laundry influencer has got you covered.
And the best part? She’s set out to prove that you haven’t got to fork out on pricey cleaning products…as she’s a huge fan of bargain buys from the likes of Home Bargains, B&M and Savers.
STAIN REMOVAL
INK
Any parent will know the sudden panic of spotting ink on their child’s white school shirt.
But rather than forking out on new uniform, Laura, who has 564k Instagram fans and 200k TikTok followers, says hand sanitiser is the perfect solution.
“Rubbing alcohol works well but not everyone has that…but hand sanitiser pretty much does the same thing because it’s got the high alcohol content in it,” she says.
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The cleaning whizz goes on to explain how the solvents will dilute and break down the ink stain, before the clothing is then put in the washing machine.
SUN CREAM
With temperatures heating up, chances are you may well come across sun cream stains on your white clothing.
According to Laura, washing up liquid is your best bet.
She recommends pre-treating it in warm water, letting it sit for an hour and then putting it into your washing machine with biological detergent.
But Laura warns not to soak stained clothes in hot water because it can “cause the stain to become even more ingrained into the fabric.”
Laundry bags…I can’t tell you what a difference they make to looking after your delicates…Amazon have got loads of them and I noticed Savers had some the other day – they’re about £2
Laura Mountford
And for anyone who doesn’t know the difference between bio and non-bio detergent, you’re not alone.
“If you’ve got a stained product, you really need a biological cleaner rather than a non-biological cleaner – a lot of people don’t know the difference between the two,” Laura explains.
“A biological laundry product has got enzymes in it which are essentially chemicals that break down stains and grease in your laundry, whereas non-bio doesn’t have the enzymes in it.
“It has less chemicals but it’s better for sensitive skin.”
RED WINE
Laura says that people always make the same mistake of putting white wine on a red wine stain, but she warns it can actually make the problem worse.
“White vinegar is really good for laundry because it’s a neutraliser,” she says.
“It’ll neutralise odours and it’s great for a red wine stain because it neutralises the colour pigments in the stain.
“It’s so cheap – Aldi sell one for 25p.
“You don’t need to spend a lot of money on cleaning products.”
She continues: “Cover the stain in white vinegar, rub your laundry gel or liquid onto the stain and then put it into the washing machine.
“It’ll work perfectly!”
MAKING CLOTHES LAST LONGER
To make clothes last longer and save money in the process, Laura urges everyone to ask themselves the same question: Do your clothes really need washing?
“A lot of the time when we’re doing laundry we wear a T-shirt once and put it straight in the wash,” she says.
“Obviously, some things do need washing after every wear, like underwear and socks, but a lot of things we could probably re-wear again.
“We just need to hang them up and spritz them with fabric fresheners like Febreeze.
“If all of us wore one item, one extra time every week, what a huge difference that’d make.”
Next, the cleaning whizz urges people to read clothing labels properly.
“If you don’t read the label you’ll ruin the items by washing them on a temperature that’s too hot or shrink them by putting them in the tumble dryer when they’re not supposed to be tumble dried.”
Laura goes on to highlight the importance of using products that work for that particular garment – including making sure you wash your delicates properly.
“One thing that’s really popular at the moment are mesh laundry bags,” she says.
“You can buy them really inexpensively and I can’t tell you what a difference they make to looking after your delicates.
“You can get ones for your bras that stop the wires coming out, you can put knitwear in them and they’re also very good for socks.
“Amazon have got loads of them and I noticed Savers had some the other day – they’re about £2.
“They’re an absolute bargain – they’re really not expensive at all.”
COMMON LAUNDRY MISTAKES
Laura says the biggest mistake she sees people make with their washing machine is not cleaning it.
So, if your clothes are coming out smelling musty, then listen up!
“After every use, keep your washing machine door and drawer open to let the air circulate around it,” Laura explains.
“It’ll stop any bacteria growing.”
She continues: “The biggest thing that gets dirty is the drawer.
“I just take mine out and wash it with washing up liquid.
“You don’t need any fancy products.”
And when it comes to cleaning the drum, which she does once a month, there’s a product Laura swears by.
“I put soda crystals in there – they’re really great natural cleaning products,” she says.
“They’re about £1 and you can get them in B&M.
“You pour them directly into the drum and then put it on a hot wash (90°C) and that’ll clean your washing machine and stop any nasty odours.
“It’ll keep your washing machine working properly, too.”
Another common mistake Laura sees people make is using too much product, rather than sticking with the recommended amount.
“We love fabric conditioner – it makes your clothes smell nice and it makes them lovely, soft and cosy,” she explains.
“But if you use too much, it’ll actually have the opposite effect.”
“It’ll cling to the fibres and it can start making them smell musty because you’ve overused the product.”
KEEPING CLOTHES SMELLING FRESH FOR LONGER
While Laura recommends using fabric conditioner, she also suggests adding in-wash scent boosters to your laundry load.
“They do make your clothes smell fresher for longer,” she says.
“You just put a capful of them in the drum before you do your wash and they make your clothes smell really fresh.
“They’re like perfume beads for your clothes.”
And savvy Laura has a whole load of different uses for the bargain buy, too.
“You can buy mini organza bags online,” she notes.
“If you put the scent boosters in the bags and keep them in your drawers and wardrobes, it’ll keep clothes smelling fresh when they’re stored away.”
The cleaning guru is also a “huge fan” of tumble dryer sheets, which she buys from B&M.
“You put them in your tumble dryer to keep your clothes smelling nice and fresh,” she says.
“When I go on holiday, I’ll also put them in my suitcase, and you can put them in your drawers to keep your underwear smelling nice.
“I also unzip my cushions and put them in there, and keep them in my car…they’re the best car air fresheners.”
PROTECTING BRIGHT SWIMWEAR
Many of us will soon be donning bright and colourful swimwear as we have fun in the sun.
But if you want your colours to stay looking bright for longer, Laura says that colour catchers are “an absolute must-have.”
“You can get them on Amazon but I’ve also seen them in Tesco,” she explains.
“They’re called Dr Beckmann ‘re-usable colour collectors’ (£3.39) – it’s a white flannel you put in your washing machine and it collects any loose dye that’s in the machine.
“It means you can wash loads of bright colours together and it’ll stop the colour dulling.
“It’s great for a sustainability point of view because it means you don’t have to do so many separate washes.”
While the cleaning whizz warns not to dry bright colours in sunlight as it’ll cause the colours to fade, she says the opposite is true for white items.
I’ve recently bought a steam cleaner for £25 from B&M and it’s been a game changer
Laura Mountford
“Dry them in direct sunlight because the UV rays will bleach them and keep them nice and bright and white,” she advises.
Laura also has the perfect alternative to bleach – oxi-powder.
“It works just as well, if not better,” she explains.
“You use a scoop of it in the wash and it’ll keep your whites nice, bright and white.
“You can get a huge box of that from Home Bargains, Poundland or B&M for like £2 or £3 and it lasts for ages.”
As for helping swimming costumes maintain their shape, Laura says that mesh laundry bags are “absolutely brilliant,” and recommends drying them flat rather than hanging them.
“Where they’ve got a lot of elastic in them, it can cause the elastic to go kind of misshapen,” she points out.
MUST-HAVE BARGAIN BUYS
A lot of people want their bedding to look like a hotel bedding, but does anyone really have the time to iron their sheets?
Well, Laura recommends using crease releasers to achieve the same effect in an instant.
“You can use a Lenor crease releaser and you basically spritz it on your bedding or on your clothes,” she advises.
“Then just smooth it out with your hand so you don’t have to iron.”
Another of Laura’s must-have buys is a stream cleaner.
“I’ve recently bought a steam cleaner for £25 from B&M and it’s been a game changer,” she says.
“You can use it to use your whole house – it’s brilliant!”
The cleaning guru continues: “It’s got loads of attachments including one which you can use as a garment steamer to get the creases out of your clothes.
“I’ve been using it for my bedding and it works so quickly.
“I’ve only had it for a month but I already feel like I’ve got my money out of it already – absolute bargain!”