Laundry tip of the week.

Dry multiple loads back to back. 
Take advantage of the heat still in the dryer from the first load, and reduces the time and energy needed to warm up the machine to drying temperature.

Laundry tip of the week.

Mothball Makeover
A better idea than using mothballs is to take your leftover soap slivers and put them in a vented plastic bag. Place the bag with seasonal clothes before packing them away. Not only will the scent prevent them from moth harm but they will also smell great when you pull them out. This is especially useful for sweaters, which can be difficult to remove the odor of mothballs from. Using soap you simply have a clean smell rather then the smell of an attic.

Laundry tip of the week.

Avoid wrinkles!
If you don’t already have one, consider installing a hanging bar in your laundry room and hang clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer. This makes it quick and easy to get your clothes out of the dryer while avoiding or minimizing wrinkles. (You may even be able to forego ironing!)

Laundry tip of the week.

Common Stain Removal Guide. Part 4

Perspiration
Use a prewash stain remover; if the stains are old, apply white vinegar. Rinse, then launder using oxygen bleach in the hottest water that's safe to use with the fabric.

Deodorants - Stains on the underarms of washable shirt: Sponge on white vinegar (or soak stain in it); wait 30 minutes. Launder shirts in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Using an enzyme detergent or a detergent with bleach alternative, check care labels to be sure this is okay. Also try putting liquid laundry detergent right on the area, leave it for 5-10 minutes, then wash.

Prevention - Let deodorant dry before dressing, and don't let stains sit! Apply prewash spray or liquid detergent ASAP, then launder. Every 3rd or 4th washing, use the hottest water safe for the shirts.


Urine
Cover with salt until all excess liquid is absorbed. Rinse in cold water. If residual stain remains, apply white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Launder according to the instructions on the item's fabric-care label.


Wine
Generously sprinkle salt on the site of the stain to keep additional liquid from saturating the surface. Immerse item in cold water or solution of borax for 30 minutes. Wash as label instructions recommend.


Spaghetti
These can be tough but not impossible and the following will work most of the time. Wet the fabric and then sprinkle with powdered dish detergent. Scrub gently with a toothbrush. Rinse the item and launder normally.

Laundry tip of the week.

Common Stain Removal Guide. Part 3


Ink
Place the stain over the mouth of a jar or glass. Hold the fabric taut. Drop rubbing alcohol through the stain so the ink will drop into the container as the soil is removed. Rinse thoroughly and launder as usual.

Read the care label! If it says dry clean only, or the mark is large, rush it to the cleaners. Washable? Try cleaning fluid, spot remover, or petroleum based prewash spray. Test in an inconspicuous area to be sure it's safe for the fabric. Place garment stain side down on paper towels and dab cleaner on stain using paper or terry cloth towel. Check paper towels underneath and move frequently so there's always a clean area under the stain to absorb ink. Let area dry and check it. If ink remains, treat with prewash spray and launder. Before drying, check again. Still visiable? Repeat steps.


Mildew
Douse the garment with diluted solution of bleach and launder as recommended for the garment. For mildew on leather brush on an antiseptic mouthwash.


Mud
Brush off as much of the surface dirt as possible. Pretreat or presoak with laundry detergent. Launder as usual.


Rust & Materials
Add 1 cup of bottled lemon juice in the wash to remove discoloration from cotton laundry.


Soiled Shirt Collars
Take a small paintbrush and brush hair shampoo into soiled shirt collars before laundering. Shampoo is made to dissolve body oils.

Laundry tip of the week.

Common Stain Removal Guide. Part 2




Cosmetics
Pretreat the spot with prewash stain remover or a liquid laundry detergent. Wash the garment in the water temperature recommended for the fabric.
Use petroleum jelly for removing lipstick stains. Another possibility is to rub in a little vegetable shortening and then launder as normal. If an item is dry clean only, getting it to the dry cleaner sooner rather than later helps to make sure they can get the stain out.


Crayon
Scrape off surface wax with a dull knife. Soak the fabric in a product containing enzymes or oxygen bleach in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Launder using the hottest water it can withstand.


Grass
Presoak or prewash the garment in warm water in a bucket or your washing machine (using the presoak setting) with a detergent containing enzymes. Launder as usual with chlorine bleach if it's safe for the fabric. If the cleaning instructions advise against it, use oxygen bleach instead.


Juice
Soak in cold water, then apply a pre-treating product on the stain. Launder as label instructions recommend. Air-dry; do not place in dryer until the stain is completely gone.

Laundry tip of the week.

Common Stain Removal Guide. Part 1

Blood Stain
Rinse or presoak the garment in cold water and wash in cold water with laundry detergent. Do not use chlorine bleach, which can make the stain even worse.


Chewing Gum
Rub the gummy spot with ice to harden it. Scrape away as much of the gum as possible with a dull knife. Saturate what remains with a prewash stain remover, rinse and launder as usual.


Chocolate
Pretreat or prewash the garment in warm water with a cleaning product that contains enzymes. Launder as usual.




Coffee
Sponge with or soak in cold water. Apply a pretreating product on the stain. Wash as usual and air-dry; repeat if stain remains.

Laundry tip of the week.

Do a little bit a lot more often!
Here is a golden rule of organizing: the more you dislike doing something, the more often you should do it. Sounds crazy, but really its rational advice. Here’s why: if you dislike doing something, it gets worse when it gets bigger — doesn’t it? A small hamper filled with clothes is a lot less daunting than five overflowing hampers, right? So do a small load a day and keep reasonably caught up. It will take a lot less effort to get started and keep going.

Laundry tip of the week.

Make it easy to sort socks!

If you have a big family consider keeping each family member’s clothes segregated. Put a hamper in each person’s room and do a couple of loads per family member per week (a load of lights and a load of darks, for example.) You’ll avoid the big sort at fold time — so much simpler than trying to figure out whose socks are whose after the fact!

Laundry tip of the week.

Got the Laundry blues?

Make your laundry room more fun!
Bring some color into your laundry room, a fresh coat of paint, new curtains or some framed artwork from your children. Get a new area rug, with a playful pattern, or a laundry room theme. Play some upbeat and energizing music while you sort or fold.