Beyond the laundry basics of separating clothes by color and choosing a wash cycle and temperature, there are dozens of tactics that can be employed to prolong the life of clothing and increase the efficiency of the laundry process. Check all pockets during sorting. Washing clothes inside-out preserves their colors better.

Properly treating stains has the most impact on preserving your wardrobe. Treat stains as promptly as possible. Treat blood and grass stains with a 50/50 spray solution of Dawn dishwashing liquid and hydrogen peroxide. Rinse in cold water and repeat if needed. For oily stains, cover with corn starch or baby powder for a few minutes. The grease is absorbed into the powder, which is brushed away before laundering. Remove ink with rubbing alcohol before washing. Try petroleum jelly on lipstick stains. If a stain persists after treatment and laundering, do not dry it as this sets the stain. Repeat the process again.

Place a clean, dry towel in the dryer with wet towels to absorb moisture faster and cut down on drying time. Use a liquid fabric softener with towels; dryer sheets reduce their absorbency. Don't use any kind of fabric softener on microfiber cleaning cloths and instead wash them separately if you use fabric softener with your towels.

Spray aerosol hair spray on glittery decorations to keep them from shedding glitter on everything else and wash always inside-out. Rubbing a bar of soap over a zipper's teeth will make them slide more easily.