My Neighbor Always Puts 3 Ice Cubes In Her Dryer, And I Finally Got The Courage To Ask Her Why

This story originally appeared at American Web Media.

Everybody has their own methods when it comes do doing chores. Some deploy hacks passed down from their parents or grandparents, who frequently used some combination of baking soda and vinegar. Others prefer to douse dirty surfaces in vast quantities that miracle solution, Mr. Clean.

Still, fewer know about this time-saving hack for prepping your clothes for a night on the town. This amazingly counter-intuitive trick also means you can finally put away your iron!

When we first saw our neighbor tossing ice cubes into her dryer, we just assumed she was having a scatter-brained moment, like how people leave their keys in the freezer or walk out of the house in mismatched socks. But after watching her do it on a couple of occasions, we finally asked what she was up to. Thank goodness we did!

As it turns out, throwing two or three ice cubes into the dryer helps smooth out wrinkles. The appliance essentially converts the ice cubes into steam that de-wrinkles your clothes, making the entire load look freshly pressed. No ironing or additional steaming required.

This hack works best with small loads of laundry, because the dryer needs extra space to successfully double as a tumble-dry steamer. (In case you don’t have your own dryer or are simply trying to keep your electricity bill low, a hair dryer can offer a similar effect).

But ice cubes aren’t the only common household item that moonlight as house-cleaning miracles. Some people swear by removing towels from the dryer when they’re still slightly damp, ultimately leaving them softer.

Vinegar can also go a long way towards keeping your towels soft and fluffy. “Use vinegar instead of fabric softener,” one Australian netizen shared online in response to an user’s complaint about laundering towels. “Works better, and no, it doesn’t smell.”

Does your family have any special house-cleaning hacks? Let us know in the comments below!

See for yourself how you can finally say good-bye to your iron!