Cleaning expert reveals her secret for keeping dark clothes dark – using one budget household item

When washing your clothes the last thing you want is to damage them or shorten their lifespan. That's why we love finding hacks like this one that will keep your clothes fresh and rich in colour for longer.

While you might already know all the things you shouldn't put in your washing machine , knowing how to keep your darks dark might still be a mystery to you.

Expert cleaning hacks can make tasks like laundry so much easier and hassle-free. And this handy hack is not only extremely effective, it also only costs pennies.

Expert's top tip for keeping dark colours dark

Finding natural powerful cleaning agents that will work to minimise the effort and time needed for a task is the best way to clean your home quickly. It's the reason why so many cleaning experts love cleaning with vinegar .

This hack, from the Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie, uses the deodorising cleaning power of salt to lock in the colours of your dark clothes.

"Did you know that adding salt to your dark laundry can help lock in the colour, prevent colour run, AND stop fading?" Lynsey explains enthusiastically.

If you're finding that your black jeans are looking more grey these days it could be the wash cycle that might be diluting their colour. Even when you've been avoiding laundry mistakes , darks losing their colour is very common.

Lynsey's genius hack consists of taking an egg cup amount of regular table salt and putting it in your washing machine drum before you throw your dark clothes in.

The reason salt is great for keeping your dark clothes dark is due to the chlorides that are present in it. Salt is also a strong deodoriser and stain remover so using the cleaning agent with your laundry is great for several reasons.

Lynsey doesn't just stop with the washing advice, she also shares a bonus tip for drying your dark-coloured clothes.

She says, "When drying your dark clothes, choose a shady spot—sunlight can fade those beautiful deep tones!"

Even when you're drying your clothes indoors this winter, make sure your darks aren't sitting in the sun and use a heated airer for a heat source instead.

Shop our favourite laundry products

RRP: £1.70 | Whilst you can certainly pick up table salt for under 70p in your local supermarket, this is the branded version Lynsey uses in her hack.

RRP: £18 | This eco-friendly laundry detergent is ideal for those of you who have sensitive skin and it's also an impressive stain remover. Use this alongside the salt and your dark clothes will have never looked so fresh.

RRP: £40 | For such an affordable price this airer is ideal for washing your clothes through the winter months. It's impressively cheap to run and when our Homes Eccomerce editor Laura Honey tested it as part of our best heated clothes airers , it only took four hours to dry a laundry load.

While making changes to your laundry routine it can be a good idea to try out some laundry room organisation tips . This way you can store all of your washing products, like table salt, together and never forget that step when cleaning your dark clothes.