Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert, advice columnist and author of the New York Times bestselling book, My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag ... And Other Things You Can't Ask Martha. Her flagship column, "Ask a Clean Person", debuted in 2011. Here on Lifehacker, we're launching a new iteration of it, focusing on parenting and all the messes it brings. 

Sweaty clothes stink, but sweaty workout clothes stink worst of all. Like those synthetic-fibre leggings, those sweat-wicking socks, those "technical" tees? Phew. These fabrics are especially prone to harbouring the smelliest bacteria.

Video: A messy sock drawer means a messy life. You deserve a better start to your day than rummaging around for a matching pair. You could replace all your socks with 20 identical pairs, or you could learn to fold your socks right, so they don't stretch out or come unmatched. In the video above, we demonstrate the ideal form of sock origami.

What do you do with pair of jeans that you could wear a couple more times? How about a tee that you donned for only an hour? A sweatshirt that isn't quite dirty enough to be laundered, but isn't pristine, either? These, as it turns out, are burning questions on Ask Metafilter and people have strong opinions.

If there's one good reason to do the sniff test, it's this: Washing and drying your clothing after each wear is one of the quickest ways to wear those outfits out. Yes, there are ways to improve your laundry skills, but you're still shoving your favourite duds into a machine to get agitated -- yes, that's what it's called -- and then into a different machine to get blasted with heat.

The last time we checked in for our staff's Weekly Upgrades, our editors were foam rolling, egg boiling and charcoal masking to our hearts' content.

Wine stains suck, especially when it's red wine on your brand new white shirt. There are lots of ways to banish such stains, but think about pouring yourself some milk next time it happens to you.

I'm a big believer in buying quality clothing, but I also constantly make the mistake of acquiring items that require special care. I know I don't want to go to the dry cleaner, or do any hand-washing, but I still end up buying clothing that requires that stuff anyway. It's time to start checking those tags in the store.

Setting up a little notification system to alert you when the laundry is finished is a time-honored DIY electronics project. If you fancy using a Raspberry Pi Zero for one, GitHub user Shmoopty shares his project.

I've been using this t-shirt folding technique for years and I'm surprised at the amount of people who don't know about it. With this method, you can fold a t-shirt in mere seconds.

Wool is great for socks and workout clothes for a ton of reasons, including because it's warm even when wet. As a bonus, you can wear wool for multiple workouts without stinking it up. But it turns out the reason isn't what you think: Wool doesn't kill bacteria, it just hides their odour.

Video: If you accidentally sit on some gum, there's still hope for your favourite jeans. With a little Deep Heat and a sandwich bag, you can break down the gum's stickiness and pick it right off.

Folding a collared dress shirt can be tricky, but you don't need a fancy folding board to get it right -- a simple magazine will do.

It seems that no matter what you do, socks go into the laundry but never come out. Despite appearances, your drier isn't snacking on your footwear and there are a handful of things you can do to make sure you never lose another sock again.

Folding a fitted sheet may feel like sorcery that only a few can perform, but it's surprisingly easy. We've shown you how before, but this video will walk you through it, step by step, so you can do it right every time, nice and easy.

If you forgot to wear your pocket protector and got an ink stain in your favourite shirt, you can save it with the right stain remover, a toothbrush and a little know-how.

A handful of berries is a great snack, but one dropped berry or thoughtless wipe of your juice-covered hands can leave your clothing stained. If you act quickly, a little bowling water can keep the red stain from setting in your favourite garments, even whites.

Most of us just bundle our clothes into the washer, fill the detergent drawer and press the ‘on’ button without giving it much thought. (This is understandable -- nobody wants to waste more mental energy than necessary on doing the laundry.) However, there’s a lot of things that you could probably be doing better to make this tedious task easier and more effective. Here are eight common laundry myths covering everything from fabric softness to lint buildup. .

Everyone knows what it's like to do the laundry and then wind up having to re-break in a pair of pants, or squeeze into a shirt or skirt the first time after it comes out in the wash -- but why does this happen, and can it be prevented? This video from DNews explains.