Richardson recommends looking for a natural or plant-based laundry detergent or soap — just don't use too much (about two tablespoons per load should do it). Plant-based detergent can be gentler on clothes, since it contains fewer chemical ingredients that can damage clothing.

Our pick, this Ecos detergent, comes in three sizes and four scents. It has over 11,000 5-star ratings on Amazon, and for good reason: It's biodegradable, hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested and has an EPA Safer Choice certification, meaning it's safer for the environment and human health. Plus, when you purchase it, you're supporting a Black woman-owned company.

Promising review: "I first discovered ECOS at my Costco and was happy to say the least at how well this detergent worked. Our clothes are clean, soft and the colors clear and bright and the whites are as white as can be. Imagine how much I loved to find it on Amazon!" — Wendy McGuire

One of the most effective ways to lift stains out of white clothes can also be one of the easiest: using white vinegar.

"My favorite way to treat sweat stains is to avoid them!" Richardson says. "Spray the area with 50/50 vinegar and water then wash using an oxygen bleach and that is usually effective."

Vinegar's acidic properties allow it to assist in breaking down and lifting stains, helping to whiten clothes. And as reviewers of this Aunt Fannie's extra-strength cleaning vinegar point out, it can also act as a fabric softener. This vinegar has 6% acidity, is unscented with no added dyes and it's multipurpose. Use it in your laundry (as a solution with water), as well as to clean grout, porcelain, plastic, ceramic and more surfaces around the house.

Promising review: "This is a easy to carry, easy to store product. White vinegar is THE BEST fabric softener there is! It leaves a fresh scent to your laundry and dilutes any "left behind" sudsy residue. (Don't worry - your clothes won't smell like a salad!) I add it right into the fab softener or bleach dispenser. As an extra bonus, my machine never gets that damp, moldy odor. Best laundry hack ever." — Sheal85

So what about this oxygen bleach that Richardson mentioned? "Look for 100% sodium percarbonate," he says.

Sodium percarbonate is a chemical compound with color-safe and fabric-safe properties that releases oxygen when dissolved in water, so it's able to brighten laundry while being a more eco-friendly alternative to chlorine bleach (that also won't lift the bright white dyes out of your white clothes). It can also be used for multipurpose cleaning around the house.

This sodium percarbonate from MaxTite comes in a two-pound bottle with a convenient screw-on lid for minimum mess. Just add a scoop to boost your laundry detergent's power on both whites and colors.

Promising review: "I like the level of clean you get with stainless pans, insulated coffee mugs, electric kettle, laundry whitener and more! Nothing toxic. No smell. Really works. You just need to dilute with hot hot hot water. We also use it in washing machine for laundering whites, linens. Gets mildew out! Where has this been all my life. I’m sticking with this. Way better than OxyClean. Worth the price." — Dr. KLove

While this Charlie's Soap oxygen bleach powder isn't 100% sodium percarbonate, it does contain sodium percarbonate, as well as washing soda and hydrogen peroxide, also both popular and natural cleaning ingredients. This oxygen bleach has a hypoallergenic formula and is similarly multipurpose, chlorine-free and residue-free like the other oxygen bleach, but comes in a resealable bag that can be easier to scoop from thanks to the wider opening.

Promising review: "Your product is amazing!!!!! I had white shorts and an aqua pair that were stained from colors bleeding on them in the wash. I tried everything to get rid of the stains nothing worked till I tried your product. Soaked them over night and they are perfect stain free. Thank- you for a product hat works!!" — Amazon Customer

"The ultimate trick is, if your white has faded out, you can use bluing," Richardson says. "Just follow the instructions for your machine. This often is very effective."

Despite the name, bluing won't turn your clothes blue — instead, you can think of it as a kind of color corrector. It works by reflecting light off of the fabric, which can reduce yellows and make clothes appear brighter and whiter.

This Mrs. Stewart's bluing liquid can work with just a few drops or up to a quarter teaspoon diluted in cold water before being added to the wash water.

Promising review: "With the high cost of dry cleaning, I decided to toss my white cotton jean jacket. I remembered my grandma used this product and thought it was worth a try before throwing out the jacket. Read the instructions on their website for front load washers and gave it a try. I was stunned by the brightness. I threw in some T shirts that was also brought back to life. This stuff WORKS!!!" — Msj

If you have yellow pit stains on your white shirts, the culprit may actually have nothing to do with your detergent: The aluminum found in many antiperspirants can chemically react with your sweat to form those stains. Luckily, this has an easy fix: switching to an aluminum-free deodorant like this one from Native. Available in five scents, including unscented, this deodorant is made from natural ingredients and reviewers say it lasts long, even for workouts.

Promising review: "This is the best natural deodorant period! I’ve tried so many others and while some work for regular sweat or workout sweat this one works for stress sweat as well. That nasty oniony smell I hate so much but this deodorant stops the smell and lasts almost two days without putting more on. It also doesn’t make my underarms dark which I really appreciate. No yellowing either on my whites and light colors. I highly recommend." — D. Mills

Though the Native deodorant works for both men and women according to the brand, people who prefer a more masculine-branded option can try this Dove Men + Care aluminum-free deodorant. Reviewers also say it's great for sensitive skin and long-lasting. You can buy a single stick at Walmart, Target and Amazon, while Amazon also offers a two-, three- and four-pack.

Promising review: "I don't normally write a review, I thought maybe some guys out there may be experiencing the same. anyhow, I have bought 5 different deodorants in the past from different brands these deodorants were leaving a yellow stain on my shirts and I was sweating more than usual. I couldn't wear the gel due to it's cologne or the clear because it would dry up fast. Once I bought DOVE I was surprised on the results.. I wasn't leaving my shirts with yellow stains and the sweat had mellow down. If anyone has gone through different deodorants you probably have delicate skin. I recommend DOVE" — oscar

No more letting clean laundry occupy one side of the bed for a week, friends. This laundry board is meant to help fold shirts and other items faster and far neater. Lay your clothing on top and flip the board pieces inward for a perfect fold. This should help cut down a good chunk of that laundry mountain on the bed and get you back to starfishing in no time.

This baby has over 5,000 five-star reviews and people especially love how the folding board gives shirts a tidy store-like presentation in their closets and dressers.

Promising review: "I dread folding laundry. But this folder makes it so easy to fold shirts, pants and basically any kind of clothing easy and neat." — Ash

If you're like me and find washing the fitted bed sheet to be a deeply annoying process, these detanglers, first seen on "Shark Tank," are here to straighten us both out. They'll help prevent the sheet from wadding so it can dry thoroughly and keep smaller items from getting stuck in the tangles. The top-rated detanglers even help keep socks and bras secure during a drying cycle. If you have a duvet that causes similar dryer problems as the fitted sheet, then no sweat. Wad-Free has special detanglers for that, too. The trick to making these work is to wash on a gentle cycle and avoid overloading the dryer.

Promising review: "My sheets would always burrito up in the dryer so I’d always have to run a second or even third drying session and they still would come out with some wet areas. These take a little time to put on your sheets before you throw them in the wash. You also have to watch [to ensure] a corner didn’t come undone when you move them to the dryer. The little extra time these take is well worth it though. They keep my sheets from bundling up and everything dried with just one run. I bought a second pair of these because I use them on my sheets, blankets, duvet [and] comforter. I might have to buy a third pack so I don’t have to wait for the first round of items to dry before I can do my second load. The comforter sometimes is a little difficult to put one in and they are more likely to slip off, but I still try." — Niferv

If sorting your whites and colors is what you dread the most, this stylish two-hamper system can ensure you get it all done long before wash day to save some time. The hamper features a black and white basket respectively that indicates what clothing goes where. It does a great job of keeping things organized while adding to the decor with its sleek, wooden top and metal frame. Heads up: This hamper earned over 200 five-star reviews and the consistent critique you'll find is that it's small. However, its small size is exactly what can help you wash more frequently so clothes don't pile up.

Promising review: "This is a wonderful laundry hamper for my small bedroom. Sorting my clothes into lights and darks saves me time later. The bags are easy to remove and dumping the laundry into the washing machine is easy. An extra bonus is the pocket in the front where I can put things like lingerie that I want to wash separately. I also love the shelf. All around great product, and I would buy it again." —Michael Massie

With over 2,000 five-star reviews, people love this stuff for how it gives them a grace period to save their clothes from stains even when they don't have time to do laundry right away. Yes, it's a product that actually makes sense for our busy lives. Spray the garment down, let it sit for up to seven days and when you wash it, the stain can still lift.

Get it in full size or in a travel pack of two smaller-sized bottles. I recommend the travel sizes if you've never used the product before or only need to bully stains occasionally.

Promising review: "These are a handy product to have at home on top of the washer or in your purse for on the go with little ones. No strong scent, the packaging is practically leakproof so [it] won't ruin your purse. And it got stains out of my daughter’s shirt from a few months ago that I thought was there forever. One use and it was gone. I sprayed the spots and let [it sit] two days then threw in the washer. I highly recommend this product." — Love This

Running clothes to the dry cleaners on top of what you have to handle at home is a lot. I've certainly left garments hanging in my car a few extra days because I dreaded making the trip. Thankfully, you can bring the cleaners to the crib without the big bill or the drive with the Dryel At-Home Dry Cleaner kit.

This kit can gently clean your higher-maintenance clothing items in 15 to 30 minutes. It'll come with one stain pen, one odor and wrinkle releaser spray bottle, and cleaning cloths. Just spray the clothes, apply the stain pen if and where you need to and then toss them into the dryer on medium heat. You'll need 15 minutes for a quick refresh and 30 for a deeper clean. When the cycle ends, hang them up to let wrinkles fall out. Among the 100+ five-star reviews, people seem to appreciate the variety of garments and linens this kit can effectively clean.

Promising review: "I used this to dry clean two wool jackets and they turned out clean and fresh! Loved the freshener spray/ wrinkle releases; still have enough for 5 more uses, plus it contains a stain remover pen. Def worth the price!" — Mary

Calling all folks who haven't washed their baseball caps since the Ice Age. Before you scoff, hear (or read) me out because with over 12,000 five-star ratings, this cool contraption is worth grabbing. It serves as a mini-protective cage for your billed hats during the cleaning process. Stick your hat inside, snap it closed and then pop it into the washing machine or dishwasher to clean the hats while preserving their shape. Now, you can add them to your laundry day without over-complicating the process.

Promising review: "Had a Kansas State Wildcats hat that was probably 10 years old and filthy. Sweat stains and an unfortunate bird 'strike' at the zoo. Wasn't sure the hat would survive cleanup, but it did, and looks great. Product is well worth the price! Need to run some other old favorites through the dishwasher as well." — W

A smelly washing machine means a smelly load of clothes. If you find you often have to rewash loads that still stink after the first cycle, then it might be the machine itself. Popping in a cleaning tablet after wash day will relieve the machine of odor-causing residue that can make the next laundry session a repeat doozy. I use these all the time (plus the Affresh tablets designed for the dishwasher) and my re-wash count is down to zero. Also, you'll be happy to know these precious tablets have an unbelievable 171,000+ reviews on Amazon!

Promising review: "I’ve been using Affresh washer cleaner in our front-loading washing machine ever since we bought it. I don’t really count how many loads of laundry we do, I just usually do it about once a month or so and that usually does the trick.

Our washing machine has a washer setting for the tablet, so it does a special wash just for the washer cleaner. I like this because it agitates the tablet until it completely dissolves it, and then it spins the sudsy water for quite some time until the washer is nice and clean.

I am really quite happy with the results of this washing machine cleaner. I can always tell when it needs to be cleaned either from the look of the drum or the glass, or sometimes from the way that clothes smell if they are left in the washing machine for a little too long. There are three of us in this household, all adults, and we use the laundry about 3-4 loads per week, so that can give you a gauge at about how often we need to Affresh the washer..." — Noelle

The one part of my laundry that I can never catch up on is sorting and pairing my socks. I gave it up years ago and just accepted that there would always be a few missing.

That said, this easy washer and dryer sock wrangler might be the game changer to end my decades-long streak of sock drawer chaos. Stick the sock matches into each stretchable yet compressible loop so they brave and survive both laundry cycles together. Finally, our machines will no longer be where matches go missing indefinitely. It's available in four colors.

Promising review: "I had these for myself. I loved them as I hate wasting time putting socks together after washing. This was the perfect solution. I hung it above my hamper in the closet so it was very convenient. Super convenient once the wash was done too! My grandkids saw it and asked what it was and wanted one for their own socks! I gave them mine and bought a new set for myself. Works great for baby, toddler and kids socks. Works great for women's and full-length men's socks too! The dirtiest of socks will still get clean! Love these!!" — Melissa Pilla